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A 



lENTENNIAL 



lEW 



OF 



I Cirn 11 II 




HI 



Brief Outline History of the Birth and Growth of the Nation and each State separately, 

AND THUS INTRODUCING THE READER TO 

THEIR PRESENT VAST EXTENT AND VARIED RESOURCES, 

AND FOLLOWING WITH 

GRAPHIC 1)ESCRIPTI0I(S 

OP THE 

Rivers, Lakes, Mountains, CITIES, Soil, Glimafe. Productions, 

Minerals, Manufactures, Internal Improvements, Commerce, 

Finances, Government, Schools, Religious Denominations. 

Ea?C., DETC. 
INTERSPERSED WITH MANY 

Exciting Incidents in American History, 



AND CLOSING WITH 



VIVID WORD-PICTURES OF THE MOST WOXDERFl'L THINGS IN NATURE AND ART IN AMERICA, 
AN ABLE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FREE SCHOOLS, AND A RESUME OF THE 
GLORIOUS RESULTS OF A CENTURY UNDER FREE INSTITUTIONS. 



By JAS. D. McCABE, Jr., 

AtTTHOE OP "GREAT FORTUNES," "PLANTING THE WILDERNESS," "CROSS AND CROWN," ETC. 



PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED. 



HUBBAED BROTHERS: 

Philadelphia, Springfield, Mass., Cincinnati and Chicago. 

Anchor Pcblishinq Co., St. Louis, Mo. A. L. Bancroft k Co., San Francisco, Cal. 



fT^k^ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the j'ear 1876, by 

HUBBARD BROS., 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at AViishington, D. C. 




PREFACE. ^^ 




MID the rejoicings and congratulations which will occupy the 
people of the United States during the Centennial year now 
^ opening, we may with profit and with pride turn our atten- 
tion from the consideration of our history to an examination 
of the actual condition of our country at the close of its first century 
of national existence. Few of our people are well informed as to the 
land of their birth. They have a vague idea that it is a "great 
country," but they have but a faint conception of the immense size 
of the Republic. Some years ago an English traveller published 
the following comparative view of the magnificent extent of our 
country, and his statement seemed to take even our own people by 
surprise. He said : 

" Yes, the Republic is a big country. In England we have no 
lines of sufficient length, no areas of sufficient width, to convey a just 
idea of its size. The State of Oregon is bigger than England ; 
California is about the size of Spain ; Texas would be larger 
than France, if France had won the frontier of the German Rhine. 
If the United States were parted into equal lots, they would make 
fifty-two kingdoms as large as England, fourteen empires as large as 
France. Even the grander figure of Europe fails, us when we come 
to measure in its lines such amplitudes as those of the United States. 
To wit : from Eastport to Brownsville is farther than from London 
to Tuat, in the Great Sahara ; from Washington to Astoria is farther 
than from Brussels to Kars ; from New York to San Francisco is 
farther than from Paris to Bagdad. Such measures seem to carry us 
away from the sphere of fact into the realms of magic and romance. 



6 PREFACE. 

"Again, take the length of rivers as a measurement of size. A 
steamboat can go ninety miles up the Thames, two hundred miles up 
the Seine; five hundred and fifty miles up the Rhine. In America, 
the Thames would be a creek, the Seine a brook, the Rhine a local 
stream, soon lost in a mightier flood. The Mississippi is five times 
longer than the Rhine; the Missouri is three times longer than 
the Danube; the Columbia is four times longer than the Scheldt. 
From the sea to Fort Snelling, the Missouri is plowed by steamers 
a distance of two thousand one hundred and thirty-one miles ; yet 
slie is but the second river in the United States. 

" Glancing at a map of America, we see to the north a group of 
lakes. Now our English notion of a lake is likely to have been 
derived from Coniston, Killarney, Lomond, Leman, and Garda. But 
these sheets of water give us no true hint of what Huron and Superior 
are like, scarcely indeed of what Erie and Ontario are like. Coniston, 
Killarney, Lomond, Leman, and Garda, put together would not cover 
a tenth part of the surface occupied by the smallest of the five Amer- 
ican lakes. All the waters lying in Swiss, Italian, English, Irish, 
Scotch, and German lakes might be poured into Michigan without 
making a perceptible addition to its flood. Yorkshire might be sunk 
out of sight in Erie ; Ontario drowns as much land as would make 
two duchies equal in area to Schleswig and Holstein. Denmark 
proper could be washed by the waves of Huron. Many of the minor 
lakes in America would be counted as inland seas elsewhere ; to-wit : 
Salt Lake, in Utah, has a surface of two thousand square miles; while 
that of Geneva has only three hundred and thirty ; that of Como only 
ninety; that of Killarney only eight. A kingdom like Saxony, a 
principality like Parina, a duchy like Coburg, if thrown in one heap 
into Lake Superior, might add an island to its beauty, but would be 
no more conspicuous in its vast expanse than one of those pretty grc n 
islets which adorn Loch Lomond. 

"Mountain masses are not considered by some as the strongest parta 
of American scenery ; yet you find masses in this country which defy 
all measurement by such puny chains as the Pyrenees, the Apennines, 
and the Savoy Alps The Alleghanies, ranging in height between 



PREFACE. t 

Bfelvellyn and Pilatus, run through a district equal in extent to the 
country lying between Ostend and Jaroslaw. The Wahsatch chain, 
though the name is hardly known in Europe, has a larger bulk and 
grandeur than the Julian Alps. The Sierra Madre, commonly called 
the Rocky Mountains, ranging in stature from a little below Snowdon 
to a trifle above Mont Blanc, extend from Mexico, through the 
Republic, into British America, a distance almost equal to that 
dividing London from Delhi." 

Such are the territorial dimensions of our country, as measured by 
a foreigner, and that they are in no way exaggerated will be found 
by all who study the subject. But the greatness and interest of the 
Republic do not consist in its vast size. We have within our limits 
nearly every variety of climate known to man, and a soil capable of 
producing almost every product of the earth, from the stunted herbage 
of the frozen regions to the luxuriant fruits of the tropics. The 
ground is rich in mineral deposits, from the useful, but homely veins 
of coal, to beds of the most brilliant and valuable jewels. The earth 
yields us not only our food, but the rarest medicines and drugs. It 
pours out in streams oil for burning, gas that may be used fresh from 
the natural springs, salt that requires but the heat of the sun for its 
})erfection, and beds of pure soda that cover the earth like the dust in 
the highways. In short, all that is needed for the preservation and 
comfort of animal and human life exists in this favored land in the 
greatest profusion. 

Such aire the natural advantages of our favored land. All these 
existed at the time when our fathers laid the first foundations of the 
great nation into whose hands the destinies of this wonderful land 
have been committed. Looking back over the years that have 
elapsed since the period of colonization, we can trace the successive 
steps by which the country has been brought to its present state of 
prosperity and power. We can note the unprecedented increase of 
population ; the civilization and building up of all parts of the vast 
continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from British America 
to the Gulf of Mexico ; we can see stately and populous cities rising 
where less than a century ago the red man roamed through the forest ; 



8 PREFACE. 

we can trace the long lines of railway stretching over the Union 
where once the Indian trails were the only paths, and can count by 
millions the value of the mighty inland commerce which has succeeded 
to the ventures of the insignificant traders of a hundred years ago. 
Surely a more profitable or engaging study cannot employ our time 
during the Centennial season we are now celebrating. 

The aim of this work is to present to the reader in a compact and 
convenient form the means of pursuing such a study with but little 
trouble to himself. The work is meant to show at a glance the actual 
condition of the Republic at the present day, its achievements, wealth, 
power, prosperity, resources, and liabilities. It is believed that 
nothing that can contribute to this end has been omitted. 

The tables and other statistics in the body of the book are from the 
latest reports, both State and Federal, available. The census of the 
whole country is taken but once in ten years, and for many of the 
items the census of 1870 is the only authority accessible. The book 
presents the latest information to be obtained on the subjects of which 
it treats. It is to be hoped that among the achievements of our 
country during the next century the provision of a more perfect 
system for the collection of statistics, both State and Federal, will Ijc 
numbered. The author would here express his grateful acknowledg- 
ments to General Francis A. Walker, the accomplished Superin- 
tendent of the Census of 1870, for assistance received from him. 

It is hoped that the illustrations will aid in bringing to the mind 
of the reader a vivid picture of the busy, restless, energetic Republic 
of the West, and' also render him more familiar with some of the 
charms of American scenery. 

J. D. McC. 

January 1st, 1876. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



3. Rapids of the St. Lawrence 51 

4. A View on the Alleghanj' Mountains 59 

5. A View on the Rocky Mountains 61 

6. Ploughing on a Western Prairie 63 

7. Life in New England, 1776 64 

8. A Western Homestead 78 

9. View on the Hudson River, showing the Steamboat, Telegraph, and Railroad 84 

10. Indians Viewing the Pacific Railroad 87 

11. Sioux Indians Burning a Prisoner 88 

12. An Indian Village in Winter 105 

13. Ruins of Jamestown, Va 109 

14. Plymouth Rock Ill 

15. First Settlement of New York City 113 

16. First Settlers of America Clearing Land 115 

17. Burning of Deerfield, Mass 119 

18. Ruins of Ticonderoga 130 

19. Independence Hall in 1776.. 133 

20. Scene of the Battle of Lake Champlain 148 

21. Plain of Chalmette ; Scene of the Battle of New Orleans 150 

22. The Pine Forests of Maine 197 

23. Lumberman's Camp in the Woods of Maine 200 

24. City Hall and Court House, Portland 212 

25. Scene on the White Mountains 219 

26. The State Hou.se at Concord 228 

27. A View of Montpelier, Vt... 241 

28. A View of Rutland, Vt 244 

29. Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass 257 

30. A View of Boston 267 

31. Chickering & Sons' Manufactory 268 

32. State House at Boston ". 269 

33. Faneuil Hall, at Boston 270 

34. Bunker Hill Monument, at Boston 278 

35. Coast Fishing 308 

36. Narragausett Bay, R. 1 310 

37. A View of Newport, R. 1 313 

38. A View from Mount Holyoke, Conn 321 

39. Yale College, New Haven, Conn 328 

40. A View of New Haven, Conn 334 

41. A Scene in the Catskill Mountains 350 

42. A View on the Hudson River 355 

43. Scene on Lake George 356 

44. The Falls of Niagara 35S' 

45. New York Citv in 1664 37.") 

46. A View of Albany, N. Y 379 

47. A View of New York City 38o 

48. New York Life Insurance Company's Building 384 

49. Scene on Broadway, New York City 386 

50. Scene on Fifth Avenue, New York City 388 

51. View in Central Park, New York City 389 

52. The Water Terrace in Central Park, New York City 3'JO 

53. City HhII, New York City 393 

54. Academy of Design 395 

55. New Post Office, Broadway, New York City 397 

56. Steinway & Sons' Piano Manufactory 398 

57. High Bridge, at Harlem 400 

58. LTnion Square and Washington Monument 40;i 

59. United States Navy Yard, BrooK'.Vh, L. 1 407 

9 



10 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NO. PAOK 

60. View from West Point 410 

61. Genesee Falls, at Rochester, N. Y 413 

62. The Celebrated Ten-Cylinder Rotary Printing Press 414 

63. Gathering Watermelons 433 

64. Passaic Falls, at Paterson, N. J 443 

65. A Scene at Atlantic City, N. J 445 

66. A View on the Juniata River 453 

67. The Schuylkill above Philadelphia 454 

68. Mauch Chunk 455 

69. Old Portage Road 456 

70. Nesquehoning Bridge 456 

71. Mount Pisgah and the Coal Region 457 

72. Deep Cut on the Pennsylvania Railroad 465 

73. The Susquehanna above Ilarrisburg 467 

74. The Girard Bridge 7. 469 

75. League Island ^ 470 

76. Port Delaware 470 

77. Philadelphia, from Fairmount Park 471 

78. The Wissahickon, at Chestnut Hill 472 

79. Philadelphia Small Homes 473 

80. The Ledger Building, Philadel])hia 474 

81. Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia 475 

82. The Wissahickon, Philadelphia 476 

83. The Union League Building, Philadelphia 477 

84. The New Masonic Temple, Philadelphia 478 

85. Hemlock Glen, Fairmount Park, Philadel))hia 479 

86. New Academy of Natural Sciences, Phihuleljihia 480 

87. Wissahickon New Drive, Philadelphia 481 

88. The Schuylkill River, at the Falls, Philadelphia 482 

89. Chestnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia 483 

90. A Public Fountain, Philadelphia 484 

91. Independence Hall in 1872, Philadelphia 486 

92. A View of Pittsburgh, Pa 489 

93. Manufacture of Glass Bottles 490 

94. A View of Scranton, Pa 500 

95. A View of Easton, Pa 501 

96. A Peach Farm in Delaware 524 

97. Oyster Fishery, Maryland 527 

98. Battle Monument at Baltimore 541 

90. A Scene on Baltimore Street 544 

100. Scene on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 547 

101. Columbian Deaf and Dumb Institution 553 

102. New Building of the Y. M. C. A., Washington 554 

103. United States Treasury Building, Washington 568 

104. United States Patent Office, Washington 571 

105. Natural Bridge, Virginia 581 

106. Little Stony Falls, Virginia 585 

107. A View of Richmond, Virginia 596 

108. Mount Vernon 600 

109. A View on the Sea Coast of North Carolina 616 

110. Capitol at Raleigh, N. C 625 

111. Rice Fields 634 

112. A View of Charleston, S. C 643 

113. A View of Savannah, Georgia 660 

114. St. John's River, Florida. 667 

115. St. Augustine, Florida 678 

116. A Bluff on the Alabama River 682 

117. Capitol at Montgomery, Alabama 693 

lis. The Landing at Mobile 695 

119. Picking Cotton 700 

120. Jackson, Miss 707 

121. Natchez, Miss 708 

122. A View of Vicksburg, Miss 709 

123. Hauling Cotton to Market 710 

124. Gathering Sugar Cane .' 718 

125. A Sugar House 721 

126. Scene on St. Charles Street, New Orleans 731 

127. Jackson Square, New Orleans 734 

128. Lafayette Square, New Orleans 737 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 11 

WO- PAGE 

129. On the Gulf. 748 

130. Galveston, Texas 764 

131. The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas 750 

132. A View of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia 770 

133. A View of Wheeling, West Virginia 778 

134. Nashville, Tenn 798 

135. Alemphis, Tenn 800 

13(5. Inside View, Mammoth Cave, Ky 807 

137. Frankfort,' Ky .'. 815 

138. Louisville, Ky 816 

139. State Capitol at Columbus, 832 

140. A View of Cincinnati, 835 

141. Slaughtering Hogs..., 836 

142. Scene on Fourth Street, Cincinnati, 837 

143. The Tyler Davidson Fountain, Cincinnati, 839 

144. Scene on Superior Street, Cleveland, 843 

145. State House at Indianapolis, lud 855 

146. Evansville, Ind 857 

147. Lafayette, Ind 853 

148. New Albany, Ind 858 

149. State House, at Springfield, 111 873 

150. A View of Chicago, 111 875 

151. McCormick's Reaper Manufactory 876 

152. The Tribune Building, Chicago, 111 879 

153. Scene on Lake Street, Chicago, 111 883 

154. Quincy, III 890 

155. Alton, 111 894 

156. Chicago in Flames 897 

157. Grand Pacific Hotel 898 

158. A Western River Scene 907 

159. Capitol of Michigan, at Lansing 917 

160. Trout Fishing 918 

161. A Copper Mine in Wisconsin 928 

162. Madison, Wis 935 

163. R,iver View in Milwaukee, Wis 937 

164. Falls of St. Anthony, Minn 940 

165. St. Paul, Minn 948 

166. Davenport, Iowa 958 

167. Dubuque, Iowa 959 

168. Burlington, Iowa 960 

169. Floating Island, on the Missouri River 968 

170. Court House, at St. Louis 978 

171. Little Rock, Ark 991 

172. Hele a. Ark 992 

173. Indians Attacking U. S. Overland Mail Coach 999 

174. Indian Cemetery 1000 

175. Crossing the Plains 1006 

176. Depot a"t Omaha 1011 

177. Miners Around the Camp Fire 1012 

178. A View of Omaha, Nebraska 1013 

179. The Palisades, Humboldt River, Nevada 1015 

180. Silver Mining, Nevada 1017 

181. Original BigTree, California 1024 

182. Hydraulic Mining, California 1030 

183. A View of San Francisco Iit41 

184. Gathering Hops 1042 

185. Cape Horn 1053 

1S6. An Oregon Valley 1064 

187. Natives'House Biiilding 1077 

188. Skin Canoe and Indians 1077 

189. Moose Hunting in Yokon River 1078 

190. Mount St. Elias, Alaska 1080 

191. Sitka, Alaska 1082 

192. Aztec Mountains 1084 

193. A Rest on the Prairies 1085 

194. Procuring Poison for his Arrows 1086 

195. A Cation in the Rocky Mountains 1093 

196. Indians Hunting Bison 1095 

197. The Great Shoshone Falls 1090 



12 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TfO. PAGE 

198. A Frontier City 1102 

199. Santa Fe, New Mexico 1105 

200. The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City 1109 

201. Main Street, Salt Lake City 1111 

202. View of Great Salt Lake 1112 

203. A Street in Olympia 112] 

204. A Prairie Dog City 1123 

205. St. Louis 1165 

206. St. Louis Bridge ; 1166 

207. Bronze Doors of the Capitol 1173 

208. Bronze Doors of the Capitol 1174 

209. Big Trees 1181 

21L LakeTahoe 1182 

212. Great Geyser of Fire Hole Basin 1197 

213. Near View of Yosemite Falls 1197 

214. Mirror Lake 1198 

215. Sentinel Kock .' 1198 

216. Crater of the Giant Geyser 1201 

217. The Fan Geyser 1201 

218. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone 1202 

219. Mud Volcano 1202 

220. Coats of Arms of United States 1205 

221. " " Maine 1205 

222. " " New Hampshire 1205 

223. '• " Vermont 1205 

224. " " Massachusetts 1205 

225. " " Rhode Island 1205 

226. " " Connecticut 1205 

227. " " New York 1206 

228. " " New Jersey 1206 

229. " " Pennsylvania 1206 

230. " " Delaware 1206 

231. " " Maryland 1206 

232. " " Virginia 1206 

233. " " North Carolina 1206 

234. " " Georgia 1206 

235. " " South Carolina 1207 

236. " " Florida 1207 

237. " " Alabama 1207 

238. " " Mississippi 1207 

239. " " Louisiana 1207 

240. " " Texas 1207 

241. " " West Virginia 1207 

242. " " Tennessee 1207 

243. " " Kentucky 1208 

244. " " Ohio 1208 

245. " " Indiana 1208 

246. " " Illinois 1208 

247. " " Michigan 1208 

248. " " Wisconsin. 1208 

249. " " Minnesota 1208 

250. " '* Iowa 1208 

251. " " Missouri 1209 

252. " " Arkansas 1209 

253. " " Kansas 1209 

254. " " California 1209 

255. " " Oregon 1209 

256. " " Colorado 1209 

257. " " Utah • 1209 

258. Independence Hall 1210 

259. Carpenter's Hall 1210 

260. Birthplace of Liberty 1210 

261. Main Exhibition Building 1224 

262. Art Gallery 1224 

263. Woman's Pavilion 1224 

264. Machinerv Hall 1225 

265. Agricultural Hall 1225 

266. Horticultural Hall 122o 



OOKTENTS. 



THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

Description of the American Continent — Its grand divisions — North America — Di- 
mensions and Divisions — The United States of North America — Description of the 
Great Kepublic — Its dimensions and political divisions — Its population, showing the 
increase since 1790 — The rivers of the United States — Description of the great 
water system of the Republic — The Mississippi — Its wonderful history — Its wealth 
and peculiarities — Tlie Missouri River — How the Mississippi Valley is drained — 
The other tributaries of the " Father of Waters " — The Great Lakes of the North — 
Explanation of the mountain system of the United States — The wonders of the 
Rocky Mountains — Soil of the United States — Statement of the various qualities of 
soil existing in the Republic, and of their capacity for adding to the national wealth 
— Description of the Climate of the United States, showing the peculiar features of 
each section of the Country — Relative healthfulness of the various States, showing 
which is the healthiest — Description of the mineral wealth of the Republic, showing 
where the different minerals are found and in what quantities — The undeveloped 
riches of the country — Products of the soil — Animals of the United States — A brief 
sketch of American natural history — Characteristics of the population — The distin- 
guishing marks of the inhabitants of the various States — Table, showing arrivals and 
destination of emigrants since 1820 — What emigration has done for the Union — Tlie 
agricultural resources of the United States — List of the agricultural products, show- 
ing where each is grown, and the portion of the country to which it is best adapted 
— Facts for producers and consumers — The manufacturing interests — Rapid growth 
and great extent of this portion of our wealth — The commerce of the United States 
— Its vast proportions — Our internal improvements — History of the rise and growth 
of the canal, railroad, steamboat, and telegraph in this country — Our educational 
system — Explanation of the American system of Free Schools — The Press — Its 
importance and power — Number of newspapers and periodicals published — The 
postal system of the Republic — Religious denominations, showing the strength of 
each religious sect in the United States— Population of the leading cities of the 
Union — Explanation of the Government of the L^nited States — A concise view of 
the Federal Constitution — The Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary, and their 
duties — Relations of the States to the General Government — Powers and limitations 
of the General Government — The Army and 'Nary of the Republic — Their strength 
— Financial condition of the United States in 187^ — History of the United States — 
General view of the Indians of North America — Who they were — Discovery of 
America by Columbus — Other discoveries — Expedition of De Soto — Efforts of the 
French and Spaniards to settle the South— England alarmed — Raleigh's colony on 

13 



14 CONTENTS. 

Roanoake Island — The settlement at Jamestown — Voyages of Captain John Smith — 
First Legislative Assembly in America— Introduction of African Slavery into Vir- 
ginia — The Plymouth colony — Landing of the Pilgrims — Internal organization of 
the Colony and its progress — Foundation of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay — Consoli- 
dation of the Massachusetts settlements — Settlement of Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode 
Island — Discovery of the Hudson River — The Dutch settle New York — History of the 
Colony — It is captured by the English — Settlement of New Jersey and Delaware — Set- 
tlement of Pennsylvania and Maryland — The Carolinas and Georgia colonized by the 
English — Prosperity of the Colonies — Different characteristics — Establishment of 
common schools and colleges — Troubles with the Indians — Aggressions of the French 
— Their success in the Mississippi Valley — They aid the Indians in their attacks upon 
the English — King William's, Queen Anne's and King George's wars — Capture of 
Louisburg — Trouble with the French on the Ohio— Washington's journey — Military 
operations west of the Mountains — Braddock's defeat — "The Old French War" in the 

. other Colonies — Failures of the English — A change of ministry — William Pitt — Cap- 
ture of Louisburg and Fort Duquesne — Death of Lord Howe — Capture of Quebec — 
.Expulsion of the French from Canada — The conspiracy of Pontiac — Services of the 
Colonists during the wars with the French — Injustice of Great Britain toward the 

• Colonies — Resistance of the Americans — The unjust taxes — Further aggressions — The 
call for a Continental Congress — Meeting and acts of the first Congress — Suicidal 
policy of the British Government — The " Boston Massacre " — The tax on tea — Destruc- 

.tion of tea in Boston harbor— Closing of the Port of Boston— The Colonies make 
common cause with Massachusetts — The second Colonial Congress — Its acts — The 
petition for redress — Stubbornness of the King — General Gage brings matters to a 
crisis — The conflicts at Lexington and Concord— The beginning of the Revolution — 
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence— Meeting of the Continental Con- 
gress — Measures of resistance — Washington appointed to the command of the Amer- 
ican army — Battle of Bunker Hill — Organization of the American Army — Siege of 
Boston — The invasion of Canada — The British fleet repulsed at Charleston — Vigorous 
measures of Congress — The Declaration of Independence — Battle of Long Island — The 
British occupy New York City — Gloomy state of affairs for the Colonies — Battle of 
Trenton — A gleam of hope — Defeat of the British at Princeton — The "Articles of 
Confederation" adopted— Events of the campaign of 1777 — Capture of Philadelphia- 
Battles of Germantown and Bennington — Surrender of Burgoyne's army — The treaty 
with France— Great Britain's eflbrts at conciliation — Too late — The winter at the 
Valley Forge — Arrival of the French fleet — Battle of Monmouth — Capture of Savan- 
nah by the British — Naval affairs — The British take Charleston, S. C. — Partisan war 
in the South — Gates defeated at Camden — Battle of King's Mountain — Greene sent to 
the Carolinas — Treason of Arnold — Battles of the Cowpens and Guilford Court House 
— Washington goes after Cornwallis — Siege of Yorktown- — vSurrender of Cornwallis — 
The close of the war — Condition of the country — Organization of the Reijublic of the 
United States — Adoption of the Federal Constitution— Wasliington's two Administra- 
tions — Admission of new States — Washington retires to private life — Administration 
of John Adams — War with France — The Administrations of Jefferson — Political dis- 
putes — Purchase of Louisiana — The afliair of the Chesapeake and the Leopard — British 
and French outrages upon American commerce — The Embargo — James Madison 
elected President — Tiie second war with England — Its events by land and sea — The 
battle of New Orleans — The peace of 1815 — The Barbary States chastised — The 
Hartford Convention — Re-election of Mr. Madison — The Bank of the United States — 

. Admission of Louisiana and Indiana — Mr. Monroe elected President — Admission of 



CONTENTS. 15 

Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Maine, and Missouri into tlie Union — The slavery 
excitement — The " Missouri Compromise" — "The Monroe Doctrine" — John Quincy 
Adams elected President — The Tariff question — Administration of Andrew Jackson — 
The National Bank question — The Nullification troubles — Firmness of the President 
^His opposition to the National Bank — He removes the public funds — The National 
Debt paid — Admission of Arkansas and Michigan — Election of President Van Buren 
— The commercial crisis of 1837 — Election of President Harrison — Death of General 
Harrison — John Tyler becomes President — His Administration — Admission of Texas 
— James K. Polk elected President — The war with Mexico — Results of the war — Set- 
tlement of the Oregon question — Admission of Wisconsin — General Taylor elected 
President — The " Wilmot Proviso " — Discovery of gold in California — Admission of 
California into the Union — Political strife — The " Compromise of 1850" — Death of 
General Taylor — Mr. Fillmore's Administration — The Japan expedition — Election of 
President Pierce — The Kansas-Nebraska controversy — The Republican party — The 
anti-slavery agitation increases — Efforts to purchase Cuba — Filibustering expeditions 
— The Know-Nothing party — Election of President Buchanan — Admission of Minne- 
sota — The Kansas war — The Mormon troubles — The John Brown affair — The Presi- 
dential contest of 1860 — Threatening condition of public affairs — Election of President 
Lincoln^Secession of the Southern States — The Civil War — Formation of the South- 
ern Confederacy — Inauguration of President Lincoln — Attack on Fort Sumter — Proc- 
lamation of President lincoln — Secession of the Border States — Preparations for war — 
Battles of Bethel Church and Rich Mountain — Battle of Bull Run — The war in Mis- 
souri and Kentucky — Capture of Hatteras Inlet and Port Royal — The Mason and 
Slidell affair — Opening of the campaign of 1862 — Battle of Mill Spring — Grant cap- 
tures Forts Henry and Donelson — Loss of Kentucky and Tennessee by the Confed- 
erates — Battle of Shiloh — Capture of Island No. 10 — Bragg Invades Kentucky — Battle 
of Richmond — Failure of the Confederate invasion — Bragg retreats into East Tennessee 
— Battle of Perryville — Grant's campaign in Northern Mississippi — Battles of luka and 
Corinth — Rosecrans advances— Battle of Stone River — Grant's first campaign against 
Vicksburg — Capture of Roanoake Island and the North Carolina ports — Surrender 
of New Orleans — Engagement between the "Virginia" and the "Monitor" — Johnston 
retreats from Centreville — Transfer of the Army of the Potomac to the Peninsula — 
The siege of Yorktown— The Union Army before Richmond — Battle of Seven Pines — 
Jackson's victories in the Valley of Virginia — The Seven Days' Battles before Rich- 
mond — Retreat of McClellan to the .James River — The Campaign in Northern Vir- 
ginia — Second Battle of Bull Run — Invasion of Maryland by the Confederates — Battle 
of Antietam — Retreat of Lee — Battle of Fredericksburg — The Emancipation Procla- 
mation — Battle of Chancellorsville — Death of Stonewall Jackson — Invasion of the 
North — Battle of Gettysburg — Capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson — Battle of 
Chickamauga — Blockade of Chattanooga — Battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission 
Ridge — Siege of Knoxville — Capture of Fort Wagner — Grant made Lieutenant Gen. 
eral — Advance of the Army of the Potomac — Battles of the Wilderness and Spottsyl- 
vania Court House — Battle of Cold Harbor — Grant crosses the James River — Siege 
of Petersburg — -Early's advance upon Washington — Sheridan's victories in the Valley 
of Virginia — Advance of Sherman into Georgia — Johnston gradually falls back to 
Atlanta — Is removed from his command and succeeded by Hood — Capture of Atlanta 
by Sherman — Hood's Tennessee campaign — He is routed by Thomas at Nashville — 
Sherman's " March to the Sea " — Capture of Savannah — Battle of Mobile Bay — Sink- 
ing of the Alabama — Re-election of President Lincoln — Nevada admitted into the 
Union— The Hampton Roads Conference — Capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington — 



16 ' CONTENTS. 

Sherman advances through the Carolinas — Battles of A verasboro and Benton- 
ville — Advance of Grant's army — Lee retreats from Kichmond and Petersburg 
— Surrender of Lee's army — Assassination of President Lincoln — Punishment of 
the assassins — Surrender of Johnston's and the other Confederate armies — Close 
of the war — Andrew Johnson President — The Army Disbanded — Finances — Tlie 
Thirteenth Amendment — Quarrel between the President and Congress respect- 
ing the Reconstruction of the Union — Severe measures of Congress — The Four- 
teenth Amendment — Admission of Nebraska — The South under military rule — 
Impeachment of President Johnson — Release of JefTerson Davis — Mexican 
affairs — The Atlantic Telegraph — Alaska — U. S. Grant elected President — The 
Fifteenth Amendment — The Pacific Railway — Reconstruction accomplished — 
The Alabama claims settled — The Chicago Fire — Re-election of President 
Grant — Fire in Boston — Cuban affairs — The Panic of 1873 — Centennial cele- 
brations 31 



THE NEW EI^^GLAI^D STATES. 

MAINE. 

Area in square miles — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Description 
of the topography of the State — Its bays, islands, rivers, mountains, and lakes — 
The woods of Maine — Their beauty and resources — Description of the Lumber 
region — The minerals of Maine — Agricultural resources of the State — Its com- 
merce and manufactures — Internal improvements — The railroads of Maine — 
The Common School system — Explanation of its features — Statement of the 
schools and colleges of the State — Its newspapers and libraries — The penal and 
charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of the 
State — Explanation of the State Constitution and Government — History of 
Maine — The visit of Gosnold — First settlement of Maine — Its earlj' history — 
Period of the Revolution — Admission into the Union as a State — Inroads of the 
Rebels — Statement of troops furnished to the United States army during the 
Civil War — The chief cities and towns — Description of Augusta — Portland — 
Bangor — The story of Arnold's march to Quebec 193 

NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Area — Population in 1870— Position upon the Globe— Description of the topog- 
aphy of the State— The White Mountains and their beauties— The lakes and 
rivers of the State — The Isle of Shoals — The agricultural products— Descrip- 
tion of the soil of the State — Commerce and manufactures— Internal improve- 
ments — The educational system — Description of the penal and charitable insti- 
tutions and their present condition — Religious denominations — The State Gov- 
ernment — Explanation of its various features— History of New Hampsliire— 
First settlements at Dover and Portsmouth — Trouble with the Indians — The 
Revolution Enters the Union — Troops Furnished during the Civil War — 
Description of Concord, Manchester, Portsmouth, and Dover — Story of the 
burning of Dover by the Indians 217 



CONTENTS. 17 

VERMONT. 

Area — Population in 1870— Position upon the Globe— Physical features of Ver- 
mont — The Green Mountains — Lake Champlain — Mineral wealth — Climate — 
Description of the soil — Agricultural products in detail — Commerce and manu- 
factures — Internal improvements — The Free School system— The charitable and 
penal institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State 
— Its government and internal system— History of Vermont — First settlement 
— Troubles with New York — The Revolution— Cajiture of Ticonderoga— Ethan 
Allen and the Green Mountain boys — Vermont refuses the British offers — Ad- 
mission into the Union— War of 1812-15— The St. Albans affair — Troops fur- 
nislied during the Civil War— Description of the principal cities— Montpelier — 
Burlington — Rutland — Bennington — The battle of Bennington— The taking of 
Ticonderoga 2^3. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Description of the topo- 
graphical features of the State^Its islands, bays, rivers, mountains and lakes — 
Beauty of the scenery of Massachusetts — Its mineral wealth — Climate — Descrip- 
tion of the soil — its agricultural wealth — Commerce — The vast manufacturing 
system of the State— Its internal improvements— Tiic Free Schools of Massa- 
chusetts — A noble system of public education — Harvard University — Penal and 
charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of the 
State — Explanation of the State Government — History of Massachusetts — Dis- 
covery— Gosnold's colony — Landing of the Pilgrims— Growth of the Plymouth 
Colony— Settlement of Massachusetts Bay— Troubles with the Indians— Internal 
troubles— Accession of William and Mary— Consolidation of the Colonies— The 
Salem Witchcraft— Wars with the French and Indians— Resistance to the 
injustice of Great Britain— The Revolution— Massaclnisctts enters the Union— 
Shay.s's Rebellion— War of 1812-15— Troops furnished during the Civil War — 
Description of Boston— An inside view of the Metropolis of New England— Its 
public institutions— Its characteristics, sights, habits, etc.— History of the city of 
Boston from its settlement to the present day— Roxbury and Dorchester— Story 
of the Boston Massacre— Destruction of tea in Boston Harbor— Charlestown— 
Bunker Hill Monument— Battle of Bunker Hill— Cambridge— Harvard Uni- 
versity—Lowell—An inside view of the factories of Lowell— Springfield— The 
United States Armory— Taimton— Salem— Plymouth— Miscellanies— Arrival of 
the Pilgrims at Cape Cod— The first Sabbath in New England— The first crimes 
in New England— Story of the Salem Witchcraft— A wonderful relation— Prim- 
itive extravagance— A fearful snow storm— The men of " Seventy-Six "—The 
great fire 250' 

RHODE ISLAND. 

Area— Population in 1870— Position upon the globe— Topographical sketch of the 
State— Minerals— Climate— Soil and agricultural products— Commerce — Im- 
portance of Rhode Island as a manufacturing State — Liternal improvements — 
Educational system— Penal and charitable institutions— Religious denomin- 
ations—Financial condition— Explanation of the State Government— History 
of Rhode Island— Settlement by Roger Williams— Early years of the Colony — 
2 



18 CONTENTS 

Death of King Philip — Colonial history — The Revolution — Troops furnished 
during the Civil War — Description of Providence — Newport — The most fashion- 
able watering place in America — Early history of Newport — Seizure of General 
Prescott — Destruction of the Gasp^e 302 

CONNECTICUT. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topographical features of 
the State — Mineral wealth of Connecticut — Climate — Description of the soil 
and agricultural products of the State — Commerce — Manufactures — Interesting 
details of the factories of Connecticut — Internal improvements — The Common 
School system of the State — A noble school fund — Yale College — Penal and 
charitable institutions — The system of instruction for the deaf and dumb — Re- 
ligious denominations — Finances of the State — Its debt and annual expenses — 
Explanation of the State Government — History of Connecticut — Dutch settle- 
ments — The English in Connecticut — Founding of Hartford and New Haven — 
Wars with the Pequots — The affair of the Charter Oak — Colonial history — The 
Revolution — Troops furnished during the Civil War — Description of New 
Haven — Yale College and its history — Capture of New Haven by the British 
— Hartford — Extracts from the old laws of the city — Norwich — Bridgeport — 
Waterbury — New London — Norwalk — Middletown — The Blue Laws of Con- 
necticut — The Regicides — The penalty for kissing — The dark day — American 
Independence — Election day in the olden time 320 



THE MIDDLE STATES. 

NEW YORK. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of 
the State — The Hudson — The Catskills — Lake George — Niagara Falls — Long 
Island — Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions of the State — Statement 
of the foreign and domestic commerce of New York — Manufactures — Magnifi- 
cent system of internal improvements — The Erie Canal — Educational sy.stem 
— The Free Schools — The colleges — Newspapers and periodicals — Penal and 
charitable institutions — A noble system — Religious denominations — Financial 
condition of the State — Explanation of the State Government — History of New 
York — Discoveries of Cham plain and Hudson — The Dutch at Manhattan 
Island and Fort Orange — The Province passes into the hands of the English — 
Early troubles — Injustice of the Crown — Wars with the Indians and the French 
— The Revolution — Controversy with Vermont settled — War of 1812-15 — 
Internal improvements begun— Completion of the Erie Canal — Troops furnished 
during the Civil War— Description and history of Albany — The city of New 
York— Description of it — The Metropolis of the Union — Its palaces of trade 
and art— The Central Park — Commercial importance of the city— The ferry 
system— Places of amusements— Public buildings— Schools — Scientific, literary 
and benevolent institutions— Prisons— Croton water— History of the City of 
New York — Brooklyn— The city of churclies — The United States Navy Yard 
^Prospect Park — Buffalo — Its commercial importance — Ancient laws of New 
York— Old time customs of New York City— The Negro Plot in New York 
-How Rochester was saved from the British o4y 



CONTENTS. 19 

NEW JERSEY. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography of the State — 
Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and manufactureft 
— Internal improvements — The school system — Penal and charitable institu- 
tions — Religious denominations — Financial condition — Explanation of the State 
Government — History of New Jersey — It passes into the hands of the English 
— The Revolution — Troops furnished during the Civil War — Description of 
Trenton — Newark — Its manufactures — Jersey City — Battle of Trenton — Mur- 
der of Rev. James Caldwell — A mutiny in the Continental Army 430 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Topographical features of the State — Mineral wealth 
of Pennsylvania — Its extent and importance — Climate— Soil and productions — 
Commerce — Manufactures of Pennsylvania — Internal improvements — The canal 
system — The Free Schools and Colleges — The Press — Libraries — Penal and 
charitable institutions — Religious denominations— Financial condition of the 
State — Explanation of the State Government — History of Pennsylvania — First 
settlement of the State — The grant to William Penn — Settlement by the 
Quakers — Philadelphia founded — Treaty with the Indians — Progress of the 
Colony — The Revolution — Philadelphia occupied by the British — The whiskey 
insurrection — Invasion of the State during the Civil War — Battle of Gettys- 
burg—Description of Harrisburg — Philadelphia — Its location — Description of 
the city — Its dimensions — Fairmount Park — The Public buildings — Markets — 
Schools and Colleges — Literary and scientific institutions — Prisons — Hospitals 
and Asylums — The Press — Importance of the manufactures of the city — Com- 
merce — United States Navy Yard — History of Philadelphia — Pittsburg — 
Sketch of its manufactures — The American Birmingham — Scranton — Reading 
— Easton — Old time customs in Philadelphia — Massacre of Wyoming — The 
sermon before the Brandywine — Battle of the Brandywine — Adam Poe's fight 
with the Indians ^- j 

DELAWARE. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topographv — Minerals — 
Climate — Soil and productions— Manufactures — Internal improvements — Edu- 
cational system — Religious denominations — Finances — Explanation of the 
State Government— History of Delaware — First settlement— Becomes a sep- 
arate Colony— The Revolution— The Civil War— Description of Dover- 
Wilmington .517 



THE SOUTHERlSr STATES. 

MARYLAND. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topographical sketch — 

Chesapeake Bay — Duck shooting — Mineral wealth of the State — Climate — Soil 

and productions— Manufactures — Internal improvements — The new Free School 

system — Colleges — Newspapers and periodicals published in the State — Penal 



20 CONTENTS. 

and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of 
Maryland — Explanation of the State Government — History of Maryland — Set- 
tlement on Kent Island — Arrival of Lord Baltimore's Colony — Trouble with 
Clayborn — Religious freedom guaranteed — Civil War — Triumph of the Pur- 
itans^-:— Annapolis made the capital — Baltimore settled — Wars with France — The 
Revolution — Suflerings of the Bay counties during the war of 1812-15 — Battles 
of Bladensburg, Fort McHenry and Korth Point — The Civil War — Invasion of 
the State by General Lee — Battle of Antietam — Description of Annapolis — 
Baltimore City — Washington Monument — Public institutions and buildings — 
History of Baltimore — The Baltimore Riot — Anecdote of Charles Carroll 525 

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Dimensions — Explanation of the new Territorial 
Government — History of the District — Washington City — Description of it — 
The Public Buildings — The Capitol — Its magnificence without and within — 
The White House— The Treasury building— The Patent Office— The General 
Post Office — The Navy Yard — The Department of Agriculture — The Smith- 
sonian Institution — The Washington Monument — Georgetown 551 

VIRGINIA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the Globe — Detailed description of the 
physical features of the State — Its various divisions, rivers, mountains, etc. — 
The Dismal Swamp — Mineral wealth of Virginia — An opportunity for capital- 
ists — The mineral springs— Agricultural products — Commerce — Manufactures 
— Internal improvements — The educational .system — The University of Virginia 
— Penal and Benevolent institutions — Financial condition — Explanation of the 
State Government^ — History of Virginia — The settlement of Jamestown — Colo- 
nial history — Introduction of slavery into the colony — Virginia sides with the 
King — Treaty with the Commonwealth — Bacon's Rebellion — Williamsburg 
made the capital — Troubles with the French on the Ohio— Washington's mis- 
sion — Resistance to the aggressions of tlie Crown — The Revolution — The war in 
Virginia — Surrender of Cornwallis — Formation of the Union — War of 1812-15 
— The Southampton Mas.sacre — The John Brown affiiir — The Civil War — Prin- 
cipal cities— Richmond — Description of the city — Norfolk — Portsmouth — 
United States Navy Yard — Alexandria — Mount Vernon — The home and tomb 
of Washington — Tlie first Legislative Assembly in America — Treaty between 
Virginia and England — Introduction of Tobacco into Europe — Anecdotes of 
Patrick Henry — Speech of Logan — Washington and the Widow Custis — Death 
of Washington 575 

NORTH CAROLINA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Topographical .sketch of the State — Climate — Soil 
and productions — Natural growth of North Carolina — Mineral deposits — Manu- 
factures — Commerce — Internal improvements — Educational system — The Free 
Schools — University of North Carolina — Penal and charitable institutions — 
Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of the 
State Government — History of North Carolina — The Colony on Roanoake Island 
— The grant of Charles II.- — Locke's Con.stitution — Early troubles — War with 
the Indians — Separation of the Carolina.^ — The Revolution — The Mecklenburg 



CONTENTS. 21 

Declaration of Independence — Battles of King's Mountain and Guilford Court 
House — Cession of Tennessee to the United States — Events of the Civil War — 
Description of the cities of Ealeigh and Wilmington — The First English Col- 
ony in America — The Greatest American g-j o 

SOUTH CAROLINA. 
Area— Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Physical features of the State 
— The Sea Islands — Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Com- 
merce — Manufactures — Internal improvements — The educational system — The 
Free schools — The Colleges — Penal and benevolent institutions — Religious 
denominations — Financial condition of South Carolina — Explanation of the 
State Government — History of South Carolina — Settlement of Port Eoyal by 
the French — The English occupy the country — Formation of the Province of ; 
South Carolina — Troubles with the Indians and Spaniards — The Revolution — 
Attack on Fort Moultrie repulsed — Enters the Union — The Civil War — Rccen- 
struction — Description of Columbia — Charleston — Detailed description of it — 
An incident in the life of Sergeant Jasper 631 

GEORGIA. 

Area— Population in 1870 — Position on the Globe — Topography of the State — 
Mineral wealth of Georgia— Climate — Soil and agricultural products — Com- 
merce — Manufactures — Internal improvements — Educational .system — Penal 
and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition- 
Explanation of the State Government — History of Georgia — First settlement — 
Severe conditions — They are withdrawn — Wars with the Spaniards — Introduc- 
tion of negro slavery— Growth of the Colony — The Revolution — Capture of Sa- 
vannah — Removal of the Indian tribes — The Civil War — Description of Atlanta 
—Savannah— The " Forest City " of the South— The Empress of Georgia 650 

FLORIDA. 

Area — Population in 1870— Position on the globe— Topographical features of 
Florida — The Everglades — Climate — Description of the soil — Agricultural 
products — Commerce — Manufactures — Internal improvements — Educational 
system — Penal and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial 
condition — Explanation of the State Government — History of Florida — Early 
settlements — Florida under Spanish rule — French settlements — Troubles with 
the English — Florida ceded to Great Britain — It is restored to Spain — Pur- 
chased by the United States — War with the .Seminoles — Florida admitted into 
the Union as a State — The Civil War — Reconstruction — Description of Tal- 
lahassee — Pensacola — St. Augustine — A peculiar city rid"* 

ALABAMA. 

Area — Popidation in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography of the State — 
The Alabama i-iver — Soil — -Climate— Agricnitaral products — Minerals — Manu- 
factures — Commerce — Internal improvements — Educational system — The Uni- 
versity of Alabama — Penal and benevolent institutions — Financial condition of 
the State — Explanation of the State Government — History of Alabama — De 
Soto's expedition — Settlement of Mobile — Alabama under British rule — Indian 
wars — Admission of the State into the Union — The Civil W^ar — Reconstruction 
— De.-icription of Montgomery — Mobile — The battle of Horse-Shoe Bend. .... 060 



22 CONTENTS. 

MISSISSIPPI. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography — Climate — Soil 
— Agricultural products — Commerce and manufactures — Educational system — 
Penal and charitable institutions — Financial condition — Explanation of the 
State Government — History of Mississippi — First settlements — Extermination 
of the Natchez Indians — Organization of Mississippi — Admission into the Union 
us a State — Events of the Civil War — Reconstruction — Description of the cities 
of Jackson, Natchez, and Vicksburg — Full account of the extermination of the 
Natchez Indians — Mason the outlaw 698 

LOUISIANA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography — Climate — Soil 
and agricultural productions — Manufactures and commerce — Internal improve- 
ments — Educational system — Penal and charitable institutions — Eeligious de- 
nominations — Financial condition — Explanation of the State Government — 
History of Louisiana — Discoveries of La Salle — Efforts to settle the Province — 
Law's scheme — Settlement of New Orleans — Growth of the Colony — New 
Orleans in Spanish hands — Louisiana restored to France — History of the pur- 
chase of Louisiana by the United States — Admission of the State into the Union, 
— Events of the Civil War-^Reconstruction— Detailed description of the City 
of New Orleans — Its mixed population — The public buildings and institutions 
— The Levee — Commerce of New Orleans — Manufactures — The Carnival — 
History of New Orleans — Battle of New Orleans 715 

TEXAS. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography — Mineral wealth 
— Climate — Soil and agricultural products — Commerce and Manufactures — 
Internal improvements — Educational system — Penal and charitable institutions 
— Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of 
the State Government — History of Texas — La Salle's Expedition — His death — 
Settlement of Texas by the Spaniards — First struggle for Independence — The 
Texan Revolution — The Republic of Texas — Annexation to the United States 
— Admission of Texas as a State — Events of the Civil War — Reconstruction — 
Description of the cities of Austin and Galveston — The capture of the Alamo — 
Fannin's Massacre 747 



THE WESTER]^ STATES. 

WEST VIRGINIA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography — Harper's 
Ferry — Climate — Mineral wealth — Soil and productions— Manufactures and 
commerce — Internal improvements — Educational system — Penal and charitable 
institutions — Explanation of the State Government — History of West Virginia 
— The Civil War — Separation of the Western counties from the State of Virginia 
— Description of Charleston — The Kanawha Saline-s — Wheeling — Its manufac- 
tures — Border life, showing the trials and mode of life of the first settlers of the 
"West : 769 



CONTENTS. 23 

TENNESSEE. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon tlie globe — Topography — Mineral 
wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and manufactures — Inter- 
nal improvements — Educational system — Penal and charitable institutions — 
Financial condition — Explanation of the State Government — History of Ten- 
nessee — First settlements — Siege of Fort Loudon — The Revolution — North 
Carolina cedes Tennessee to the United States — Admitted into the Union as a 
State — Events of the Civil War — Description of the cities of Nashville, Mem- 
phis and Knoxville — The boyhood of Andrew Jackson 790 

KENTUCKY. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topographical sketch of 
the State — Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and 
manufactures — Internal improvements — Educational system — Penal and char- 
itable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition — Explana- 
tion of the State Government — History of Kentucky — Early discoveries — 
First settlement of Kentucky — Wars with the Indians — The settlers desire 
a separate Government — Virginia cedes Kentucky to the United States — 
Admission into the Union as a State — The war of 1812-15 — The Civil War 
— Description of Frankfort — Louisville — A beautiful city — The Falls of the 
Ohio — Importance of the manufactures and commerce of the city — Daniel 
Boone's account of his adventures 805 

OHIO. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography — Mineral 
wealth — Climate — Soil and agricultural productions — Commerce and manufac- 
tures—Internal improvements — Educational system— The Ohio Free Schools 
— Penal and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Financial con- , 
dition of the State — Explanation of the State Government — History of Ohio- 
First settlements on the Ohio — Wars with the Indians — The Revolution — Ces- 
sion of the Northwest Territory — Emigration to Ohio — St. Clair's defeat — 
Settlement of Cincinnati — Organization of the Territory of Ohio — Admission of 
the State into the Union— The war of 1812-15— Rapid progress of the State — 
Troops furnished during the Civil War — Description of Columbus— The State 
buildings — Cincinnati — Description of the city — Its commercial importance — 
The river trade — Manufactures — Pork packing — History of Cincinnati — Cleve- 
land — The Lake trade — Memoirs of Simon Kenton — Cincinnati in 1794 824 

INDIANA. 

Area — Population In 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography — Mineral 
wealtli — Climate — Soil and agricultural productions — Commerce and Manufac- 
tures — Internal improvements — Educational sy.stem — Penal and charitable 
institutions — Religious denominations — Libraries and newspapers— Financial 
condition of the State — Explanation of the State Government — History of 
Indiana — Settlements of the French Missionaries — Indiana under French and 
British rule — The Revolution — Campaign against the British by General 
Rogers Clarke — Wars with the Indians — Efforts to introduce slavery — Battle of 
Tippecanoe — War of 1812-15 — Admission of Indiana into the Union — Rapid 



24 CONTENTS. 

growtli of the State — Troops furnished during; tlie Civil War — Description of 
the cities of Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne, and New Albany — Inter- 
view between General Harrison and Tecuniseh — Capture of Vincennes 84'f^ 

ILLINOIS. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography — The prairies 
— Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and manufac- 
tures — Internal improvements — The railroad system — Educational system — 
Penal and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Libraries and 
Newspapers — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of the State Gov- 
ei'nment — History of Illinois — Early Fi-ench discoveries — Settlements of the 
Missionaries — Tiie Revolution — Admission into the Union as a State— The war 
of 1812-15— The Chicago Massacre— The BIhcIv Plawk War— The Mormon 
troubles — Troops furnished during the Civil War — Description o( Springfield — 
Chicago — Description of the city — Situation on the I^ake — Raising the grade of 
the city — Public buildings and institutions — Commerce of Chicago — The grain 
trade — An elevator examined — Tlie pork trade — Inside view of a pork house 
— History of Chicago — Quincv' — Galena — The lead mines — Alton — The Mas- 
sacre at Chicago — Peter Cartwriglit and Joe Smith 86o 

MICHIGAN. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position upon the globe — Topography — The North- 
ern and Southern Peninsulas — Mineral wealth — The Lake Superior Mines — 
Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and manufactures— Internal im- 
provements — Educational system — Penal and charitable institutions — Religious 
denominations — Finances — Explanation of the State Government — History of 
Michigan — Settlements of the French Missionaries — The French in the Province 
— Transfer to Great Britain — Conspiracy of Pontiac — Michigan Territory organ- 
ised — War of 1812-15 — Surrender of Detroit — Massacre at the River Raisin — 
Emigration to Michigan — Admission into the Union as a State — Troops fur- 
nished during tiie Civil War — Description of the cities of Lansing wnd Detroit 
— Pontiac's etlort to capture Detroit — Massacre at the River Raisin 906 

WISCONSIN. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position ujion the globe — Topograjjhy — Mineral 
wealtii — Soil and productions — Commerce and manufactures — Internal im- 
provements — Educational system — Penal and charitable institutions — Re- 
ligious denominations — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of the 
State Government — History of Wisconsin — Discoveries of the Frencli — The 
Jesuit Missionaries — The Province passes into the iiands of the English — Ad- 
mission into the Union as a State — Troops furnished during the Civil War — 
Description of Madison — Milwaukee — The "Cream City" — The oldest man in 
the world 92C^ 

MINNESOTA. 

Area — Population-^Position on the globe — Topograpliical sketch of the State — 
Falls of St. Anthony — Mineral wealth — Climate — Resort for invalids — Soil and 
productions — Manuiactures and Commerce — Internal improvements — Educa- 
tional svsten-. — The Fj-ee Schools — Penal and benevoltiit institiitions— Libraries 



CONTENTS. 25 

and newspapers — Eeligious denominations — Financial condition of Minnesota — 
Explanation of the State Government — History of Minnesota — First settled by 
the Jesuit Missionaries — French settlements — A part of Louisiana purchase — 
The Fur trade — St. Paul founded — Admission of the State into the Union — 
Troops furnished during the Civil War — St. Paul 9?,9 

IOWA 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of the 
State — Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce and manu- 
factures — Internal improvements — Educational system — Penal and charitable 
institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State — 
Explanation of the State Government — History of Iowa — A part of Louisiana 
l)urcliase — Julien Dubuque — The Lead Mines — The Black Hawk War — Settle- 
ment of lowa^ Admission into the Union as a State — Des Moines — Davenport — 
Dubuque — The Lead Mines — Burlington — Frontier justice 910 

MISSOURI. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of the 
State — Mineral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Manufactures and 
commerce — Internal improvements — Educational .system — -Penal and charitable 
institutions — Keligious denominations — Libraries and newspapers — Financial 
condition of Missouri — Explanation of the State Government — ^Historv of Mi.«- 
souri — First settled by tiie French — Under Spanish rule — Restored to France — 
Events of the Revolution — A part of tlie Louisiana purchase — Organization 
as a Territory — Slavery agitation — The " Missouri Compromise "—Admission 
into tiie Union as a State^The Civil War — Jefferson City — Description of St. 
Louis— Rapid growth of the city — Its public buildings and institutions — Its 
commerce and manufactures— History of St. Louis — Missouri during tiie war 
of 1812-15 967 

ARKANSAS. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography — Mineral wealth 
— Climate — Soil and productions — C'ommerce and manufactures — Internal im- 
provements — ^Edncational system — Penal and charitable institutions — Religious 
denominations — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of the State 
Goverrmient — History of Arkansas — Discovered by De Soto— A part of tlie Lou- 
isiana purchase— Admission of the State into the Union — Events of tlie Civil 
War — Description of Little Rock and Helena 980 

KANSAS. 

Area— Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topograpliical sketch of the 
State — Mineral wealth — ^Climate — Soil and productions — Internal improve- 
ments — Eilucational system — The Kansas Free Schools — Penal and benev- 
olent institutions — Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State 
— Explanation of tlie State Government — History of Kansas — A part of the 
Louisiana purchase — Made free soil by the Missouri Compromise — Organiza- 
tion of the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska — Efforts to introduce slavery 



26 CONTENTS. 

into Kansas — Struggle in Congress — The Border War — Foundation of free soil 
Settlements — Admission into the Union as a Free State — Troops furnished 
during the Civil War — Topeka — Leavenworth 993 

NEBRASKA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on tlie globe — Topography — Minerals — 
Climate — Soil and productions — Internal improvements — Educational system 
— Finances — Explanation of the State Government— History of Nebraska — 
A part of the Louisiana purchase — Admission into the Union as a State — 
Lincoln — The new capital — Omaha — Nebraska City 1005 

NEVADA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topography — Mineral 
wealth — Tlie gold and silver mines of Nevada — Climate — Internal improve- 
ments — Educational system — Finances — ExjDlanation of the State Government 
— History of Nevada — Discovery of Silver — Carson City — Virginia City 1014 

CALIFORNIA. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of the 
State — Mineral wealth of California — Climate — Soil and productions — Com- 
merce — Manufactures — Internal improvements — Educational .system — Penal 
and charitable institutions — Religious denominations — Libraries and news- 
papers — Financial condition — Explanation of the State Government — Plistory 
of California — Discovered and settled by the Spaniards — The Missions — 
Becomes a part of Mexico — Efforts to throw off the Mexican yoke — The 
American settlers take up arms — The war with Mexico — Acquisition of Cali- 
fornia — Discovery of gold — Enormous emigration — Admission into the Union 
as a State — Early disorders — The "Vigilance Committees" — DescriiJtion of 
Sacramento — San Francisco — A peculiar city — The Sand Hills — Rapid growth 
of San Francisco — Prosperity of the city — Its public buildings and institutions 
— The Chinese Marter — Commerce of San Francisco — History of the city — 
San Jose— San Francisco in 1848-9— "The Vigilance Committee" 1022 

OREGON. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of the 
State — Jlincral wealth — Climate — Soil and productions — Commerce — Internal 
improvements — Educational system — Penal and benevolent Institutions — 
Religious denominations — Financial condition of the State — Explanation of 
the vState Government — History of Oregon — Discovery of the Columbia River 
—Expedition of Lewis and Clark — Astoria — Boundary disputes with Great 
Britain — The United States abandon their claim— Admission of Oregon into 
the Union as a State — Description of Salem — Portland 1061 

COLORADO. 

Area — Population in 1870 — Position on the globe — Topographical sketch of 
the State — Mineral wealth — Soil and productions — Manufactures and Com- 
merce — Internal improvements — Educational system — Financial condition — 
Explanation of the State Goyefnraent — History — Denver 1070 



CONTENTS. 27 

THE TERKITORIES. 

ALASKA. 

General description of the Territory — Practical value of the purchase — History 
of Alaska — Description of Sitka 1075 

ARIZONA. 

Topographical sketch of the Territory — Its mineral wealth — Capacity for agricul- 
ture — History of Arizona — Description of Tucson 1083 

DAKOTA. 

Topographical sketch of the Territory — Its magnificent river system — Capacity for 
stock raising and agriculture — The Pioneer Schools — History of Dakota — 
Description of Yancton 1088 

IDAHO. 

Description of the topograpliical features of the Territory — Its great mineral wealth 
— Capacity for agriculture — History of Idaho— Description of Boise City 1092 

INDIAN TERRITORY. 

General description of the Territory — Description of the Indian inhabitants and 
the system of government — Ellbrts to organize the Territory 1097 

MONTANA. 

Topographical sketch of Montana — A delightful climate — Capacity for agricul- 
ture and stock raising — Mineral wealth — History of Montana — Its rapid 
growth — Description of Virginia City 1099 

NEW MEXICO. 

Topographical sketch of New Mexico— Capacity of the Territory for agriculture — 
Stock raising — Undeveloped mineral wealth — Hostility of the Indians — His- 
tory of New Mexico — Description of Santa Fe 1103 

UTAH. 

Description of the physical features of the Territory— The mountain system — 
The great Basin— The Great Salt Lake— Irrigation necessary to the production 
of crops — What has been done for agriculture — Mineral resources — History of 
the Territory— Salt Lake City— The Mormon capital 1106 

WASHINGTON. 

Topographical sketch of the Territory— The two great divisions— Climate- 
Agriculture — Mineral resources— The lumber trade — The Columbia Eiver — 
History of the Territory — Description of Olympia 1 117 



23 CONTENTS. 

WYOMING. 

Description of the physical features of the Territory — Agriculture — Great mineral 
wealth — The Pacific Railway — History of Wyoming — Description of Cheyenne.l 1 '22 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE UNITED STATES 112.3 

WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART IN AMERICA. 

Our oldest inhabitant — The American flag — The Astor Library — Operations of 
the United States Mint — The Piny Wood.s — Tlie Indian sign language — The 
ice trade — An American enterprise — The Chicago lake tunnel — The Mount 
Washington railway — The New York clearing house — The oil regions — 
American glassware — The New York Post-Offioe — The salmon nursery in 
California — The fast mail sers-ice — The manufacture of tobacco — The Ice 
Mountain — The Natural Bridge — The St. Louis Bridge — Music by telegraph — 
The Croton Water Works — The bronze doors of the Capitol — An American 
picture — The LTnited States Observatory — The "Big Trees" of Caliibrnia — 
The Hoosac Tunnel — The Valley of Yosemite — The Signal Service — The 
Moqui Towns — The Yellowstone National Park 1141 

A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT — ITS RESULTS — A 
CONTRAST 1211 



11 1 lis Eli 



THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE AMERICAN CONTINENT. 

The Continent of America, though not discovered until a very late 
period in the history of the world, is the second in size of the great 
natural divisions of the earth. It extends from Point Barrow (on the 
north), in latitude 71° 24' N., to Cape Froward, on the Straits of 
Magellan (on the soutli), in latitude 53° 53' 7" S.* It is known 
that the extreme northern lands of America extend beyond the 
seventy-eighth degree of North latitude, and the islands of Terra del 
Fuego prolong the land two or three degrees southward of the main 
land; but as these form no practical portions of our great division of 
the globe, we shall pass them by without further discussion. The 
mainland, which is alone embraced in our estimate, is 10,500 English 
miles in length, and includes every variety of climate, soil, produc- 
tion, race, and natural formation known, covering as it does an area 
of about 14,950,000 square miles. The Continent, taking this esti- 
mate as our guide, is four times larger than Europe, one-third larger 
than Africa, and one-half as large as Asia, including Australia and 
Polynesia. Its extreme breadth, north of the Equator, is between 
Cape Canso, in Nova Scotia, and Cape Lookout, in Oregon, a dis- 
tance of 3100 miles, and very near the forty-fifth parallel of North 
latitude. South of the Equator it attains its greatest breadth between 

* This calculation does not include the regions north of Point Barrow, or 
the Archipelago of Terra del Fuego. 

31 



32 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Cape St. Roquc, in Bi-azil, and Cape Parina, in Peru, a distance of 
3250 miles, and between the fourth and seventh parallel of South 
latitude. 

The physical features of this great Continent are among the most 
remarkable and interesting in the world. Constituting as it does 
about three-tenths of the dry land upon the surface of the globe, it is, 
in general, a region of great fertility. With the exception of about 
one-seventh, the entire Continent is susceptible of cultivation, and in 
its natural growths it is one of the most favored lands in tlie world. 
Its mineral resources are vast and inexhaustible, and embrace nearly 
every geological formation known to science. On the west side, the 
Continent is traversed by a vast range of mountains, ten thousand 
miles in length, stretching from Point Barrow on the north, to the 
Straits of Magellan on the soutli, and rearing their lofty sun:imits far 
above the region of perpetual snow. The rivers, bays, and lakes of 
America are the most magnificent and extensive in the Morld, and 
afford commercial advantages of the highest order. 

The Continent consists of two great peninsulas, known as North 
America and South America, connected by an isthmus called Central 
America. The relative importance of its great divisions may be seen 
from the following table, in which North and Central America are 
counted as one division : 

Engli-h Sqiinie >rilo.s. 

North America, 7,400,000 

South America, 6,o00,000 

Islands, 150,000 

Greenland, and the islands connected with it, . 900,000 

Total, 14,950,000 

As it is not our purpose to devote any portion of this work to the 
other divisions of the Continent, we juiss at once to a brief considera- 
tion of the division of 

NORTH AMERICA. 

Including Central America, this great division of the Continent 
lies between the sixth parallel of North latitude and the Arctic 
Ocean. It is bounded on the north l)y the Arctic Ocean, on the 
east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of INIexico and 
South America, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its length 
on the Atlantic side, from Hudson's Straits to the Florida Channel, 



. THE UNITED STATES. 33 

following the indentations of the coast, is about 4800 miles, and from 
thence to Panama about 4500 more, making a total length of 9300 
miles. On the Pacific side, the length, counting the coasts of the 
Gulf of California, is 10,500 miles. The north and northeast shores 
are reckoned at about 3000 miles, which gives a total coast line of 
about 22,800 miles. 

According to Professor De Bow, the Superintendent of the Seventh 
Census of the United States, North America comprises an area of 
8,377,648 square miles, an estimate which exceeds that already given 
by us. It is subdivided by him as follows : 

Square Miles. 

British America, 3,050,398 

United States 3,306,865 

Mexico 1,038,834 

Russian America,* 394,000 

Danish America (Greenland) 384,000 

Central America, 203,551 

8,377,648 

The country lying north of the United States, and known as: 
British America, extends from the States to the Arctic Ocean. It is-, 
settled thickly along its southern and eastern borders, but the re- 
mainder is a vast, untamed region, too cold for colonization by 
Europeans, and inhabited only by a hardy race of Indians, and by a 
few whites engaged in the fur trade. The country along the southern, 
and eastern borders, however, is of the greatest importance. It pos- 
sesses a population of over three millions, and will compare favor- 
ably in its civilization and material prosperity with the States., 
adjoining it. 

South of the United States is a vast region, nominally a Eepublic,, 
but in reality a country afflicted with chronic anarchy, called Mexico.' 
Its people number nearly eight millions, and consist of a mixture of 
Spanish and Indians. They are but little more than half civilized, 
and are utterly incapable of conducting the government or developing 
the resources of their country, naturally one of the richest and most 
productive in the world. 

* Kqw a part of the United States, and known as Alaska. 
S 




THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

Is the name given to the great and powerful Republic, occupying 
thr central portion of North America, and lying between Mexico and 
Br tish America. The Republic lies between latitude 24° 30' and 
49° N., and between longitude 66° 50' and 124° 30' W. It is 
bounded on the north by British America, and is partly separated 
from that country by the River Saint Lawrence, and Lakes Superior, 
Huron, Saint Clair, Erie, and Ontario; on the east by the Atlantic 
Ocean ; on the south by Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico; and on the 
west by the Pacific Ocean. It has recently added to its territory 
that country formerly known as Russian America, now called Alaska, 
lying along the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and between the fifty- 
eighth and seventy-second parallels of North latiludt, and the one 
(hundred and fortieth, and one hundred and severttieth degrees of 
iWest longitude. 

DIMENSIONS. 

This vast region covers an area of 3,306,865 square miles, and 

-comprises nearly one-half of North America. Its extreme length, 

from Cape Cod, on the Atlantic, to the Pacific Ocean, is about 2600 

miles, and its greatest breadth, from Madawaska, in Maine, to Key 

West, in Florida, is about 1600 miles. Its northern frontier line 

measures 3303 miles, and its southern line 1456 miles. Following 

• the indentations of the shore, its coast line on the Atlantic is 6861 

miles, on the Pacific 2281 miles, and on the Gulf of Mexico 3467 

miles, making a total coast line of 12,609 miles. 

The shores of the Pacific are bold and rocky, and are marked by 

comparatively few indentations. The principal are San Francisco 

Bay and the Straits of San Juan de Fnca. On the Atlantic and 

Gulf coasts, the shore is generally low, and depply indented by 

numerous inlets, the principal of which are Passamaquoddy, Fench- 

man's, Penobscot, Casco, Massachusetts, Buzzard's, New York, Rari- 

tan, Delaware, and Chesapeake Bays, and Long Island, Pamlico, and 

Albemarle Sounds on the Atlantic ; and Tampa, Appalachee, Appa- 
34 



THE UNITED STATES. 35 

lachicola, Pensacola, Mobile, Black, Barataria, Atchafalaya, Ver- 
milion, Galveston, Matagorda, Aransas, and Corpus Christi Bays, 
on the Gulf ot" Mexico. 



POLITICAL DIVISIONS. 

The Republic consists of thirty-eight States and eight Territories. 
These are the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa- 
chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn- 
sylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 
Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illi- 
nois, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Ne- 
braska, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Colorado ; and the Terri- 
tories of Arizona, Dacotah, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, 
Wyoming, and Washington. Besides these are the Indian Territory 
and Alaska. 

For convenience, the States are usually subdivided as follows: 

The ]^ew England States : — Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut. 6. 

The Middle States : — New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 
Delaware. 4. 

The Southern States : — Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 
Texas. 10. ' 

The Western States : — Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, 
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, 
Kansas, California, Oregon, Nevada, Nebraska, West Virginia, and 
Colorado. 18. 



POPULATION. 

The following table will show the relative size and importance of 
the States and Territories, together with their population, and the 
date of their admission into the Union : 



36 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 









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THE UNITED STATES. 3t 

RIVERS. 

The topographical features of the United States are varied and in- 
teresting, consisting of immense chaini^of mountains, numerous rivers, 
bays, and lakes, and vast plains inhabited only by savages and wild 
beasts. The majority of the bays along its coasts are the outlets of 
the great rivers of the Republic. These rivers may be divided into 

four distinct classes, viz: 

. . . . • . • 

I. Tlie Mississippi and its tributaries. 

II. The rivers which rise in the Alleghany chain and flow into the 
Atlantic Ocean. 

III. The rivers rising in the Southern States, and flowing into the 
Gulf of Mexico. 

IV. The rivers which flow into the Pacific Ocean. 

The rivers of the first class are the Mississippi, Missouri, Wiscon- 
sin, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Yazoo, Minnesota, Des Moines, Arkansas, 
and Red. 

Those of the second class are the Penobscot, Kennebec, Connecti- 
cut, Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, Potomac, James, Chowan, 
Roanoke, Pamlico or Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Great Pedee, Santee, 
Savannah, and Altaraaha. 

Those of the third class are the Appalachicola, Mobile, Sal)ine, 
Trinity, Brazos, Colorado, and Rio Grande. 

Those of the fourth class are the Columbia, San Joaquin, and the 
great Colorado of the West, the last of which flows into the Gulf of 
California. 

THE MISSISSIPPI RIYER 

Is the most important stream in the United States, and, together with 
its main branch, the Missouri, is the longest in the world. Its name 
is derived from an Indian word, signifying " The Great Father of 
AVaters." The Mississippi proper is the smaller branch (the Mis- 
souri reaching farther back into the interior), and it is%)mewhat sin- 
gular that it should have given its name to the whole stream. It 
rises in Itasca Lake, in the State of Minnesota, in a region kno\vn a's 
the Hauteurs de Terre, 1680 feet above tide level, in latitude 47^ 
10' N., and longitude 94° 55' W. From this point it flows in a 
generally southward direction, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico in 
latitude 29° N. Its total length, from its source to its mouth, is 
estimated at 2986 miles. 



38 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The main branch is called the Missouri River above the point of 
its junction with the smaller branch. The two rivers unite a short 
distance above the city of St. Louis. Under the present heading it is 
our })urpose to treat of the Mi^issippi proper, reserving the Missouri 
for discussion farther on. 

The Mississippi constitutes the great centre of a gigantic system of 
rivers, all of which unite in one grand channel and empty their waters 
into the Gulf The area drained by them comprises a very large por- 
tion of the interior of North America. The tributaries of the great 
rivor find their Avay to it through rich and populous States, and be- 
tween its source and its mouth it collects all the waters (with the 
single exception of those rivers flowing directly into the Gulf) of the 
immense region lying between the Alleghany and the Rocky Moun- 
tains. This region is usually known as the Mississippi Valley. Its 
southern boundary is the Gulf, and its northern limit the high hills 
in which rise the streams flowing into the Arctic Ocean and the lakes 
of British America. According to Charles Ellet, this region covers 
an area of 1,226,600 square miles, above the mouth of the Red 
River. 

The river, with its tributaries reaching far back into the neighbor- 
ing States and Territories, furnishes a system of inland navigation 
unequalled by any in the world. Steamers ascend the Mississippi 
itself from its mouth to the Falls of St. Anthony, in Minnesota, about 
2200 miles, and above the falls the river is navigable for a consider- 
able distance. In 1858 a steamboat succeeded in ascending the 
stream to near the forty-ninth degree of north latitude. The Missouri 
is navigable to the foot of the Rocky Mountains; the Ohio, to its 
head, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and the Arkansas and the Red, 
each for more than 1000 miles. By means of the Cumberland and 
Tennessee Rivers, the mountains of East Tennessee have water trans- 
portation to the Gulf; and the Illinois River steamers penetrate to 
the country just back of Lake Michigan. 

These rivers are all more or less crowded with steamers and other 
cr;ift, plying a trade in comparison with which the fabled wealth of 
Tyre sinks into insignificance. 

Niuneroiis other branches of less extent empty into the main river, 
all of which are navigable to a greater or less degree. Below the 
mouth of the Red River, the main stream is divided into numerous 
branches, which are called bayous. Some of these, after pursuing an 
erratic course, find their way back to the Mississippi, while others 



THE UNITED STATES. 39. 

follow an independent course to the Gulf. The most important o^ 
these bayous is the Atchafalaya. The country lying between thi^ 
stream (after its departure from the great river), the Mississippi, and 
the Gulf, is known as the Delta of the Mississippi. 

The Delta is about 200 miles in length, with an average width of 
75 miles. It comprises an area of 15,000 square miles, and is com- 
posed entirely of alluvion, the depth of which is estimated at 1000 
feet. " The debris carried along with the flood is principally de- 
posited near the borders of the stream, the necessary result being that 
these portions have been raised to a much higher level than the ad- 
joining lands. In some places the slope is as much as eighteen feet 
in a distance of a few miles. The interior consists of vast swamps 
covered with trees, of which the tops only are visible during the 
floods. The river, for almost fifty miles from its mouth, runs nearly 
parallel with the Gulf of Mexico, from which it is separated at par- 
ticular places by an embankment only half a mile across." 

The alluvion plain extends above the Delta to a formation called 
the Chains, 30 miles above the mouth of the Ohio, a distance esti- 
mated at a little over 500 miles. The average breadth of this plain, 
which has been formed by the river itself, is about fifty miles, and its 
tolal area, including the Delta, about 31,200 square miles. Its 
height, at its northern extremity, according to Prof. Charles Ellet, jr., 
is 275 feet above the level of the sea. It descends this plain to 
the Gulf at the rate of about eight inches per mile. Its average de- 
scent along its entire course is about six inches to the mile. 

The river is very tortuous, especially after passing the mouth of the 
Ohio. Its curves are immense, often traversing a distance of twenty- 
five or thirty miles, in a half circle, around a point of land only a 
mile, or half a mile in width. Sometimes, during the heavy freshets, 
the stream breaks through the narrow tongue of land, forming a "cut- 
off," which frequently becomes a new and permanent channel, leaving 
the old bed a " lake," as it is called by the boatmen. But for the 
height of the banks, and the great depth of the river, the formation 
of these " cut-offs" would be quite frequent, and the stream would be 
constantly changing its course. Attempts to form "cut-offs" by arti- 
ficial means have generally failed. The river is remarkable for the 
constancy with which it maintains its average breadth of about 3000 
feet. It rarely exceeds or falls short of this breadth except in the 
curves, which frequently broaden to near a mile and a quarter. The 
current is sluggish, except at high water, its depth at ordinary stages 



m OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

being 7h feet at the head of the plain we have described, and 120 feet 
flt its foot. Were the stream straighter, its current, which is now 
checked by the bends, would no doubt be too swift for navigation, 
and commerce would suffer. 

" One of the most important facts in regard to the Mississippi is, 
that it flows from north to south. A river that runs east or west has 
no variety of climate or productions from its source to its mouth. 
The trapper and husbandman descending the ' Father of AVaters,' 
constantly meet with a change of climate ; they take with tliem their 
furs and cereal grains, the products of the North, to exchange for the 
sugar and tropical fruits that are gathered on the banks below. 
Again, the floods produced by winter snows and spring rains cannot 
be simultaneously discharged. The course of the stream being from 
north to south, spring advances in a reverse direction, and releases in 
succession the waters of the lower valley, then of the middle section, 
and finally tiie remote sources of the Mississippi and its tributaries. 
It is a remarkable fact that the waters from this last-named region do 
not reach the Delta until upwards of a month after the inundation 
there has been abating. The swell usually commences toward the 
end of February, and continues to rise by unequal diurnal accretions 
till the 1st of June, when it again begins to subside. No experience 
will enable a person to anticipate, with any approach to certainty, the 
elevation of the flood in any given year. In some seasons the waters 
do not rise above their channels ; in others, the entire lower valley of 
the Mississippi is submerged. Embankments, called levees, have been 
.raised from five to ten feet high on both sides of the stream, extend- 
ing many miles above and below New Orleans. By this means the 
river is restrained within its proper limits, except at the greatest 
freshets, Avhen the waters sometimes break over, causing great destruc- 
tion of j)roperty, and even loss of life. The average height of the 
flood, from the Delta to the junction of the Missouri, is about 15 
feet; at the mouth of the latter river It Is 25 feet; below the entrance 
of the Ohio, the rise is often 50 feet; at Natchez, It seldom exceeds 30 
feet; and at New Orleans Is about 12 feet. This diminution is sup- 
posed to I'esult from the drainage through the Atchafalaya, Bayou La 
Fourche, and other channels breaking from the lower part of the river 
to the Gulf of Mexico. The flood often carries away large masses of 
earth with trees, which frequently become embedded in the mud at 
one end, while the other floats near the surface, forming snags and 
sawyers." * These snags are very dangerous to steamers navigating 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer. 



THE UNITED STATES. 41 

the river, and formerly caused many terrible accidents. Recently 
they have been removed to a great extent by snag-boats and improved 
machinery. 

The Mississippi empties itself into the Gulf through several mouths, 
which are termed Passes. The navigation is here very seriously ob- 
structed by numerous bars, formed by the gradual deposit of the sedi- 
ment with which the water is heavily charged. These render it 
impossible for vessels of the largest class to reach New Orleans. Over 
these bars there is a depth of water, varying greatly at different times, 
and often measuring only fifteen feet. Steam tugs can force vessels 
drawing two or three feet more than the actual depth, through the 
soft mud of the river bed. Repeated efforts have been made to 
deepen the passes by dredging, but the channel has filled up again so 
rapidly as to make all such efforts futile. It Avas once attempted to 
deepen the South West Pass (the principal mouth) by driving piles 
along each side. It was thought that by thus confining the stream 
within a limited width, it would of itself excavate a deep channel. 
The effect, however, was to force the bulk of the flow through another 
mouth called Pass a I'Outre, which for the time became a better 
channel than the South West Pass. 

The navigation of the Upper Mississippi is broken in several places 
by falls and rapids, of which the principal are the Falls of St. 
Anthony, above St. Paul, Minnesota.* 

The Mississippi River was discovered by Hernando de Soto, in 
June 1541. He reached it, it is supposed, at a point not far below 
the present town of Helena in Arkansas. In 1673, Marquette and 
Jolliet descended the stream to within three days' journey of its 
mouth ; and in 1682, La Salle passed through one of its mouths to 
the Gulf, and took possession of the country along its shores, in the 
name of the King of France. In 1699, Iberville built a fort on the 
river; in 1703, a settlement was made on the Yazoo, a tributary, and 
called St. Peter's; and in 1718, the city of New Orleans was laid out. 
The levees of the lower Mississippi were begun in that year, and 
finished in front of New Orleans about 1728. The subject of the 
free navigation of the river occupied the earliest attention of the 
United States, and was the principal cause of the acquisition of lioui- 
siana, by purchase from France. The battle of New Orleans (as it is 
called) was fought on its banks on the 8th of January 1815. During 

* The prominent points along the river will be described in the chapters 
relating to the States. 



42 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the late war, the Confederates undertook to close the navigation of 
the river, and succeeded in doing so for more than two years, when 
the control of it was wrested from thera by the Union forces. A 
number of severe engagements were fought on its banks, the principal 
of which were the battle of Belmont, in Missouri, and the conflicts 
at Island No. 10, Fort Pillow, New Madrid, Memphis, Vicksburg, 
Port Hudson, Grand Gulf, Baton Rouge, and Forts Jackson and St. 
Philip below New Orleans. 

The principal tributaries of the Mississippi are, on the east, the 
Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and Yazoo ; on the west, the Minnesota, 
Dcs Moines, Missouri, Arkansas, and Red Rivers. 

The total value of the steamboats engaged in trade on the Missis- 
sippi and its tributaries, is estimated at over $6,000,(JOO. 

THE MISSOURI RIYER. 

Though commonly regarded as the principal tributary of the INIis- 
sissippi, the Missouri is in reality the main stream, since it is longer 
and of greater volume than the other river. It derives its name 
from an Indian word signifying " Mud River." It rises in the 
Rocky Mountains, in the Territory of Montana, in latitude 45° N., 
longitude 110° 30' W. The springs in which it has its source are 
not more than a mile distant from the headwaters of the great Colum- 
bia River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. 

The Missouri proper begins at the confluence of three small streams 
of about equal length — the Jefferson's, Madison's, and Gallatin's — 
which run nearly parallel to each other. For the first 500 miles of 
its course, the Missouri flows nearly north, then turning slightly to 
the E. N. E., it continues in that direction until it is joined by the 
White Earth River, in latitude 48° 20' N. It then bends to the 
southeast, and continues in that general direction until it joins the 
Mississippi, near St. Louis. 

Four hundred and eleven miles from its source, the river passes 
through what is called "The Gates of the Rocky Mountains." This 
pass is one of the most remarkable on the Continent. For nearly six 
miles the rocks rise perpendicularly from the water's edge to a height 
of 1200 feet. The river is confined to a width of only one hundred 
and fifty yards, and for the first three miles there is only one point on 
which a man could obtain a foothold between the rocks and the water. 
One hundred and ten miles below the "Gates" are the "Great Falls of 
the Missouri," which, after those of the Niagara, are the mostmagnifi- 



THE UNITED STATES. 43 

cent in America. These falls consist of four cataracts, respectively 
of 2G, 47, 19, and 87 feet perpendicular descent, separated by rapids. 
They extend for a length of sixteen and a half miles, and the total 
descent in that distance is 357 feet. The falls are 2575 miles above 
the mouth of the river, which is navigable to them, though steamers 
do not usually ascend higher than the mouth of the Yellow Stone 
River. 

The Missouri is said to be 309G miles long from its mouth to its 
source, tliough it is believed that this estimate is a little too large. 
Add to this the length of the lower Mississippi, 1253 miles, and the 
total distance from the Gulf to the source of the Missouri, is 4349 
miles — making it the longest stream in the world. It is generally 
turbid and swift, and upon entering the INIississippi, i)ours a dense 
volume of mud into that until then clear stream, and forever changes 
its hue. At the confluence of the two rivers, the water of the Mis- 
sissippi refuses to mingle with that of its muddy rival, and the current 
of the Missouri may be easily distinguished for some distance below. 

There is no important obstacle to navigation below the Great Falls, 
except that during the long hot summers the water is apt to be too 
low for any but the smallest steamers, owing to the fact that in its 
upper course the river passes through an open, dry country, where it 
is subject to excessive evaporation. Below the. Falls it is bordered 
by a narrow alluvial valley, very fertile, and capable of being highly 
cultivated. Back of this valley lie extensive prairies. The river is 
half a mile, wide at its mouth, and is in some places much wider. It 
receives all the great rivers rising on the eastern slope of the Rocky 
Mountains, witli the single exception of the Arkansas River, and the 
majority of the streams between its own bed and the Mississippi. 

For the most part it flows through a savage or thinly settled region, 
and has but few important cities or towns on its banks. The princi- 
pal of these are Omaha City, in Nebraska, Atchison and Leavenworth, 
in Kansas, and St. Joseph, Kansas City, Lexington, Booneville, Jef- 
ferson City, and St. Charles, in Missouri. 

Its principal tributaries are the Yellow Stone, Little Missouri, Big 
Cheyenne, (greater) White Earth, Ni-obrarah, Platte or Nebraska, 
Kansas and Osage, on the right; and the Milk, Dacotah, Big Sioux, 
Little Sioux, and Grand, on the left. These streams, with the Mis- 
souri, drain the entire country north of St. Louis, and between the 
Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains — ^an area of 619,400 square 
miles. 



44 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

THE OHIO RIYER 

Is the first great tributary of the Mississippi, flowing into it below 
the mouth of the Missouri. It was called by the early French settlers 
La Belle Riviere (the beautiful river), and its Indian name is said to 
have a similar meaning. It is noted for the uniform smoothness of 
its current, and the beauty of the valley through which it flows. It 
is formed by the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela 
Rivers, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It flows in a generally W. S. 
W. direction, separating the States of West Virginia and Ken- 
tucky from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and empties into the Missis- 
sippi at Cairo, Illinois, 1216 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The 
total length of the Ohio is 950 miles. The length of the valley 
through which it flows is only 614 miles, the windings of the river 
making up the difference. Its average breadth is a little over 600 
yards. Its elevation at Pittsburg is 680 feet above the level of the 
sea, at Cincinnati, 414 feet, and at Cairo, 324 feet, giving an average 
descent of about 5 inches to the mile. The current is placid and uni- 
form, having a medium force of about 3 miles an hour. Like all the 
western rivers, it is subject to great variations of depth. In the win- 
ter and spring it is very high, the spring rise being sometimes as great 
as 60 feet; and in the summer it is so low that it may be forded in 
many places above Cincinnati. The writer, when a lad, has fre- 
quently waded from the Virginia to the Ohio shore. At high water, 
steamers of the first class ascend to Pittsburg, but at low water only 
the lightest draft vessels can navigate it, and even these do so at a 
constant risk of running on a sand bar, and being compelled to remain 
there until the late summer and fall rains swell the stream again to 
an extent sufficient to float them. At Louisville, Kentucky, the only 
falls of the river occur. Tiie descent is here about 22| feet in two 
miles. The current is very swift, but in high water first-class steam- 
ers pass over the rapids. A canal has been cut around them to the 
river below, by means of which the obstruction they present to navi- 
gation has been partly overcome. Formerly the river trade was most 
important and extensive. Of late years, however, it has been very 
much reduced by the competition of tiie railroads, but is still im- 
mense. The Ohio, for the greater part of its course, flows through a 
narrow, but beautiful valley. The hills, from two hundred to three 
hundred feet high, are covered with an almost continuous forest of a 
dark rich green hue, and come down so close to the water that at 



THE UNITED STATES. 45 

times they seem to shut it in entirely. Though beautiful, the scenery is 
monotonous, and is rather tame. The river contains fully one hundred 
islands, some of which are exceedingly valuable and beautiful. There 
are also a number of '' Tow Heads," as they are called — small sandy 
islands, covered with willows, and utterly barren. Below Louisville 
the country becomes flatter, and by the time the Mississippi is reached, 
tiie hills have entirely disappeared. The valley of the Ohio is ex- 
ceedingly fertile, and is rich in various kindS of minerals. 

Its principal tributaries are the Muskingum, Scioto, Miami, and 
Wabash, on the right, and the Great Kanawha, Big Sandy, Green, 
Kentucky, Cumberland, and Tennessee, on the left. The most im- 
portant are the Wabash, Cumberland, and Tennessee, the last of 
which is the largest. The Tennessee and its tributaries reach far back 
into the mountains of that State and Virginia, and the headwaters of 
the Alleghany rise in the southern part of the State of New York and 
in Potter County, Pennsylvania. Between them and the waters 
which flow into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Chesapeake Bay, 
there is only a slight elevation, and a distance of but a few acres. 
The area drained by the Ohio and its tributaries is about 200,000 
square miles. 

The country through which the Ohio flows is a prosperous agricul- 
tural region, and a number of large and thriving cities and towns are 
located on its banks. Its various prominent features will be noticed 
in other portions of this work. 

THE ARKANSAS RIVER 

Is the next important tributary of the Mississippi below the mouth 
of the Ohio. Next to the Missouri, it is the longest affluent of the 
great river. It rises in the Rocky Mountains near the centre of Colo- 
rado, and flows easterly for several hundred miles, after which it turns 
to the southeast and continues in that general direction until it reaches 
the Mississippi, in latitude 30° 54' N., longitude 91° 10' W. It 
enters Arkansas at Fort Smith, on the western frontier, and divides 
the State into two nearly equal portions. 

In the upper part of its course it flows through vast sterile plains, 
but after entering the State which bears its name, continues its way 
through a region of considerable fertility. It is 2000 miles long from 
its source to its mouth, and is not obstructed by rapids or falls. It 
varies in width from three furlongs to half a mile. Its current is 
turbid and sluggish. The difference in the height of the water in the 



46 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

floods and the dry seasons is about 25 feet. For the greater part of 
the year it is navigable by steamers for a distance of 800 milts froir. 
its mouth. The most important town on the river is Little Rock, the 
the capital of the State. 

The last important tributary of the Mississippi is 

THE RED RIVER. 

This stream is formed 'by the confluence of two principal branches, 
of which the southern and larger rises in New Mexico, a little beyond 
the western boundary of Texas, in latitude 34° 42' N., longitude 103° 
7' 10" W.; the northern in Texas, in latitude 35° 35' 3" N., hmgi- 
tude 101° 55' W. These two branches unite in latitude 34° 30' N., 
longitude 100° W., in the State of Texas, and constitute the main 
river, which then flows nearly due east, forming the boundary between 
the Indian Territ(»ry and Texas. Upon reaching the Arkansas line, 
it passes into that State to Fulton, near the border, when it bends to 
the south and enters Louisiana. Then turning to the southeast, it 
flows across the last named State and empties into the Mississippi, 
341 miles above the Gulf of Mexico. Its length, including the 
South Fork, is estimated by Colonel Marcy, U. S. A., by whom the 
river was explored, at 2100 miles — the main stream being 1200 
miles long. 

According to this authority, the South, or main. Fork, rises in the 
fissures of an elevated and sterile plain, called the Llano Estacado, at 
an altitude of 2450 feet above the sea. For the first sixty miles the 
sides of the river rise from 500 to 800 feet so directly from the water 
that the exploring party were obliged -to pass up through the channel 
of the stream. 

"After leaving the Llano Estacado," says Colonel Marcy, "the 
river flows through an arid prairie country, almost entirely destitute 
of trees, over a broad bed of light shifting sands, for a distance of 
some 500 miles, following its sinuosities. It then enters a country 
covered with gigantic forest trees, growing upon a soil of the most 
})reeminent fertility; here the borders contract, and the water for a 
great ]iortion of the year washes'both banks, carrying the loose allu- 
vium from one side, and depositing it on the other, in such a manner 
as to produce constant changes in the channel, and to render naviga- 
tion difficult. This character continues throughout the remainder of 
its course to the Delta of the Mississippi ; and in this section it is 
subject to heavy inundations, which often flood the bottoms to such 



THE UNITED STATES. 41 

a degree as to destroy the crops, and occasionally, on subsiding, 
leaving a deposit of white sand, rendering the soil barren and 
Avorthless." 

Shortly after leaving its sources, the Soutli Fork passes through a 
vast bed of gypsum for a distance of 100 miles, which gives to its 
waters an intensely bitter and unpleasant taste, causing them rather 
to augment than diminish thirst. 

The river is navigable during the greater part of the year to 
Shrevej)ort, 500 miles from its mouth. Small steamers can ascend 
about 300 miles farther in high water. 

About 30 miles above Shreveport is an immense collection of rub- 
bish known as the "Great Raft," which forms the principal obstacle 
to the navigation of the upper river. It consists of driftwood and 
trees, which have been brought down for hundreds of miles by the 
current, and lodged here. This raft obstructs the channel for a dis- 
tance of seventy miles, and for a considerable portion of the year 
causes the river to overflow the country along its banks. In 1834-35 
it was removed by the Government of the United States at a cost of 
$300,000, but a new raft has formed since then. In very high water 
small steamers pass around it. 

Tiie principal tributaries of the Red River are the Little Washita 
and Big Washita. 

The other rivers, which are national in character — by which .we 
mean not lying entirely or for the greater part in one particular State 
or Territory of the Union — are the Rio Grande, the Great Colorado 
of the West, the Columbia, and the St. Lawrence, the first and last 
of which form a portion of the boundaries of the Republic. 

THE EIO GRANDE 

Rises in the Rocky Mountains, in the Territory of New Mexico, near 
latitude 38° N., and longitude 106° 30' W. Its course is at first 
southeast, then E. S. E., and finally nearly east. It forms the 
boundary between the State of Texas and the Republic of Mexico, 
and empties into the Gulf of Mexico, near latitude 25° N., and longi- 
tude 97° W. It is 1800 miles long, and is for the most part very 
shallow. Sand bars are numerous and render the stream almost unfit 
for navigation. SiDall steamers have succeeded in reachincr Kinos- 
bury's Rapids, about 450 miles from the Gulf About 900 miles 
from its mouth the river is only three or four feet deep. This point 
is called the "Grand Indian Crossing," because the Comanche and 



48 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Apachee Indians ford the stream here in their incursions from Texas 
into Mexico. The principal town on the river is Brownsville, 40 
miles from its mouth, and opposite the Mexican city of Mattamoras. 

THE COLORADO EIYER, 

Or, as it is sometimes called, the Great Colorado of the West, to dis- 
tinguish it from the Colorado River, of Texas, rises in latitude 44° 
N., in Idaho Territory, and, flowing through Utah Territory, and 
along the borders of Nevada, California, and Arizona, empties into 
the Gulf of California, near latitude 32° 30' N. From its source to 
the 36th parallel of North latitude, where it is joined by the Grand 
and Little Colorado Rivers, it is known as the Green River. It has 
several small tributaries between its source and the Great South Pass. 
At this pass, it receives the Big Sandy Creek, at an elevation of 7489 
feet above the sea. Just on the other side of the mountains are the 
Wind and Sweetwater Rivers, two of the principal tributaries of the 
Upper Missouri. From the South Pass, the Colorado flows in a 
generally southwest direction to its mouth. It is about 1200 miles 
long, and, with the exception of the Columbia, is the most important 
stream west of the Rocky Mountains, but, in spite of its great 
length, the volume of water which it discharges is comparatively 
small. 

"About 490 miles above its mouth commences the great defile in the 
mountains called the Black Cailon, 25 miles long, through which the 
river has forced its way. The banks in many places are very pre- 
cipitous, from 1000 to 1500 feet high, and for a long distance the 
river is unapproachable. A steamboat under the command of Lieut. 
Ives, U. S. Topographical Engineers, ascended the stream early in 
1858, and passing a portion of the great cailon reached the head of 
navigation at the head of Virgen River. Few obstacles except shift- 
ing sand bars were met on the voyage. The explorations of Lieut. 
Ives, Avho traversed the valley of the river from its mouth to latitude 
36° N., and the greater part of the regions along latitude 35° and 36° 
as far east as the Rio Grande, and the previous reconnoissances con- 
nected with the surveys for a railway to the Pacific, have made known 
interesting facts connected with the region watered by the Colorado. 
In its valley is found a large extent of fertile bottom land, easily cul- 
tivated by artificial irrigation. This valley varies in width from three 
to eight miles. The greater part of it is covered with timber, chiefly 
Cottonwood and mezquit. Other portions are cultivated by the nu- 



THE UNITED STATES. 49 

raerous tribes of Indians who live along its banks, affording tliera an 
abundance of wheat, maize, melons, beans, squashes, etc. Cotton is 
also cultivated by such of the Pueblo Indians as are acquainted with 
the art of weaving. Some jjortions of the country are uninhabitable; 
others are rich in silver, copper, and lead, besides containing gold and 
mercury in small quantities. According to an estimate made by the 
U. S. officers who have explored the Colorado, there are about 700 
square miles of arable land between the mouth of the Gila and the 
35th parallel of North latitude. After receiving the Gila, the Colo- 
rado takes a sudden turn westward, forcing its way through a chain 
of rocky hills, 70 feet high, and about 350 yards in length. In this 
passage it is about GOO feet wide, but soon expands to 1200 feet, 
which it retains. After sweeping around 7 or 8 miles, it assumes a 
south direction, and with a very tortuous course of nearly 160 miles 
reaches the Gulf of California. The bottom lands are here from 4 
to 5 miles wide, and covered with a thick forest. On a rocky emi- 
nence at the junction with the Gila stands Fort Yuma. Near the fort 
are the remains of the buildings of the old Spanish Mission established 
here in the early part of the last century, and in the valley are traces 
of irrigating canals, which show that it has once been cultivated." * 

The average depth of water between Fort Yuma and the Gulf of 
California Is 8 feet. Spring tides rise 25 or 30 feet, and neap tides 
10 feet. There is regular communication by means of small steamers 
between Fort Yuma and the mouth of the river. At low water 
there is a draught of 4 feet at the Fort, and in high water 13. feet. 
The channel at the mouth of the river is continually changing, and 
has been known to shift from one bank to another in the course of a 
single night. There is also a heavy tidal wave at its mouth, which 
renders it difficult and dangerous for any but the. lightest draught 
steamers to enter the stream. When the freshets occur,, the river 
overflows its banks, submerges a part of the California Desert, and 
fills up several basins, and what is known as New River.. This water 
is left in the basins and New River when the main stream returns to 
its proper channel, and continues in them for about two years, when 
it is absorbed by the soil, or dried up by the sun. 

The mouth of the Colorado was discovered in the year 1540, by 
Fernando Alarchon, who undertook a voyage to the Gulf of Cali- 
fornia, by order of the Viceroy of Spain. He described; it as " a very 
mighty river, which ran with so great a fury of stream that we could! 

* Appleton's Cyclopaedia, vol. v. p. 502. 



50 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

hardly sail against it." He sent an expedition, consisting of two 
boats, some distance up the river. In 1700, a Mission was estab- 
lished by Father Kino near the site of the present Fort Yuma, at the 
mouth of the Gila. 

The name of the Colorado signifies "the Red River," its waters 
being stained by the red earth along its course. Its principal tribu- 
taries are the Grand, San Juan, White, Little Colorado, Virgen, Wil- 
liams, and Gila Rivers. The Mohave was formerly supposed to be a 
tributary, but is now known to empty into Soda Lake, in California. 

THE COLUMBIA RIVER 

Is the principal body of water flowing into the Pacific Ocean from the 
Continent of America. It rises in a small lake on the western slope 
of the Rocky Mountains, about latitude 50° N., longitude 116° W. 
Its first course is towards the northwest, along the base of the Rocky 
Mountains, until it is joined by its most northern tributary, in about 
53° 30' N. latitude, after which it flows in a southerly direction to 
the 46th parallel. From this point to the Pacific it runs due west, 
forming the boundary between the State of Oregon and Washington 
Territory. It is extremely tortuous between the 46th and 48th parallels 
of North latitude. This is the case until Fort Wallawalla is reached. 
It is very rapid, and frequently passes through mountain gorges and 
over falls. The tide ascends to the foot of the Cascades, 140 miles 
from the sea. The Cascades are a series of rapids caused by the pas- 
sage of the river through the Cascade range of mountains. Between 

o o o 

each of the rapids there is an unbroken stretch of the river for about 
25 or 30 miles. Steamers ply on the lower river, on the clear waters 
between the Cascades, and for some distance above the last fall. 
Passengers and freights are carried around the falls by railroad. 
Vessels of 200 or 300 tons burthen navigate the stream to the foot 
of the Cascades. For 30 miles from its mouth, the Columbia forms 
a splendid bay from 3 to 7 miles in breadth, through which it dis- 
charges its waters into the Pacific. There is about 20 feet water on 
the bar at its mouth, but the depth of the channel is 24 feet. 

The principal tributaries of the Columbia are the Lewis and Clark 
Forks, which, uniting, form the main river, the McGillivray's, or 
Flat Bow River, Okonagan, Fall River, Wallawalla, and Willa- 
mette. The Lewis Fork is sometimes called the Snake River, and the 
Clark Fork, the Flathead River. The total length of the Columbia, 
from its source to the sea^ is about 1200 miles. 



THE UNITED STATES. 



51 




KAPIDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 



THE SAINT LAWRENCE PJVER 

Forms a portion of the boundary between the United States and tlic 
Canadas, and though washing the shores of the Union for but a part 
of its course, cannot be passed over in this chapter. Some geogra- 
phers, in consequence of its forming the outlet of the chain of lakes 
upon the northern frontier of the Union, regard it as commencing at 
the source of the St. Louis, which rises in Minnesota and flows into 
Lake Superior. Viewed in this light, it flows through the great 
lakes, and its total length from the head of the St. Louis to the Gulf 
of St. Lawrence, would be 2200 miles. Its course to the head of 
I^ake Erie would be in a generally southeast direction ; and from the 
head of Lake Erie to the sea, in a generally northeast direction. 
Viewing it in this light, we must regard the Ste. Marie, between 
Lakes Huron and Superior; the St. Clair and Detroit, between Lakes 
^Huron and Erie; and the Niagara, between Lakes Erie and Ontario, 
as forming parts of the St. I/awrence. By the St. Lawrence River, 
however, is most commonly meant that portion of it lying between 
Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St Lawrence. This constitutes a lai'go 
river 750 miles long, having an average breadth of half a mile, ar.'J 



52 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

navigable for steamers to the Gulf. Ships of the line ascend to Que- 
bec, and vessels of 600 tons to Montreal, in Canada. Above Mon- 
treal the navigation is interrupted by numerous rapids, around which 
a canal has been cut. The river forms the boundary of the United 
States from the foot of Lake Ontario to the extreme northwestern 
corner of the State of New York. Ogdensburg and Cape Vincent 
are the principal American towns on its banks. 

LAKES. 

The principal lakes of the United States, are Lakes Superior, 
Micliigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Champlain, lying along the 
northern frontier, and the Great Salt Lake, in Utah Territory. 

LAKE SUPERIOR 

Is the largest body of fresh water in the world, and the principal of 
the chain of great lakes extending along the northern boundary of 
the United States. It lies between latitude 46° 30' and 49° N., and 
longitude 84° 50' and 92° 10' W. It forms a species of crescent, 
with its convexity on the north, and its concavity on the south. Its 
greatest length, from east to west, measured through the curve, is 420 
miles, and its gr'eatest breadth, from north to south, 160 miles. The 
total length of its coast line is about 1750 miles. It covers an area 
estimated at 32,000 square miles. It is 630 feet above the level of 
the sea, and has an average depth of one thousand feet. Its shape is 
very irregular. It is very Avide at its centre, but narrows slightly 
towards its eastern end, and very much towards its western end. 

The shore on the north side is bold and rocky, and consists of 
almost continuous ranges of cliffs, which rise to a height varying 
from 300 to 1500 feet. The south shore is flat and sandy, as a gene- 
ral rule, but near the eastern side is broken by limestone ridges, 
which rise to a height of near 300 feet, in strange and fantastic forms, 
worn into numerous caverns. These have been cut by the action 
of the great waves, especially during the season of the floating ice, 
and have been colored by the continual drippings of mineral substan- 
ces. From the earliest times they have been known as the " Pictured 
Rocks." They lie to the east of Point Keweenaw, and form one of 
the most wonderful of the natural curiosities of the New World. Is- 
lands are very numerous towards the south and north shores, but the 
centre of the lake is free from them. The islands towards the south 



THE UNITED STATES. 53 

are generally small, but those along the north shore are often of con- 
siderable size. The largest is Isle Royal, which is about 40 miles 
long, and 7 or 8 miles wide. Its hills rise to a height of 400 feet, 
with fine bold shores on the north, and several excellent bays on the 
south. Near the western end of the lake is a rocky, forest-covered 
group, called the Apostles' Islands. They are exceedingly pictur- 
esque in appearance, and form a prominent and interesting portion of 
the scenery of the lake. On the extreme southwestern end of the 
largest, is La Pointe, a famous fur trading post, and well known as 
the principal rendezvous for the hardy adventurers of the lake region. 

Lake Superior receives its waters from more than 200 streams, 
about 30 of which are of considerable size. These drain an area of 
100,000 square miles, and furnish the lake with water remarkable for 
its clearness, and abounding in fish of various kinds, but especially in 
trout, white fish, and salmon. The rivers are almost all unfit for 
navigation, by reason of their tremendous currents, rapids, and rocks. 
The outlet of the lake is at the southeastern end, by means of St. 
Mary's Strait, or as it is sometimes called, St. Mary's River, Avhich 
connects it with^Lake Huron and the other great lakes. This strait 
is about 63 miles long, and enters Lake Huron by three channels. 
It is very beautiful and romantic in its scenery, at some places spread- 
ing out into small lakes, and at others rushing in foaming torrents 
over the rocks that seek to bar its way, or winding around beautiful 
islands. It is navigable for vessels drawing eight feet of water, from 
Lake Huron to within one mile of Lake Superior, at which point 
falls obstruct the navigation. This part' of the strait is called the 
Sault Ste. Marie. A canal has been constructed by the General Gov- 
ernment around the rapids. It is 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep, and 
affords unbroken communication between Lakes Superior and Huron. 
The falls have a descent of 22 feet in three-fourths of a mile, and 
are exceedingly beautiful. The strait also separates the State of 
Michigan from Canada West. 

The greatest obstacles to the navigation of the lake are the violent 
storms that sweep over it. Until very recently it was an almost 
unknown region, but now there is constant steamboat communication 
along its entire length, and it is frequently visited by persons in 
search of pleasure or health. 

The principal export of the lake is copper, which is found in large 
quantities, and of a superior quality, along its shores. The total ship- 
ments of this metal, from the period of its discovery on the lake down 
to the close of the year 1871, amounted to over $30,000,000. 



54 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Fond du Lac, and Duluth, at the western end of the lake, are the 
principal settlements on its shores. 

For many years the savage settlements along the lake were mere 
fishing villages, and even at the period of its discovery, the Indians 
had made bnt few lodgments here. Attention was first drawn to it 
by its valuable fur trade, and the early Jesuit missionaries reached it 
about tiie year 1641. They established their first mission at the head 
of the Bay of Pentanguishene (in Georgian Bay), and ])assed up in a 
canoe to the Sault Ste. Marie, where they found a village of 2000 
Chi])pewa Indians, and heard from them of the great lake beyond, 
Avliicl) was explored by the missionaries about 20 years later. In 
1G68, a permanent mission was established at the Sault Ste. Marie, 
and in 1671, the region was formally taken possession of in the name of 
the King of France. The mines were first worked in 1771 and 1772, 
by an Englishman named Alexander Henry, whose enterprise proved 
unprofitable. General Lewis Cass, by order of the Government of 
the United States, explored the region in 1820, and since then it has 
been growing in importance, and has yearly become better known io 
tlie people of the country at large. 

LAKE HURON 

Is the third in size of the great inland seas we are describing. It lies 
between latitude 43° and 46° 15' N., and longitude 80° and 84° W. 
It receives the waters of Lake Superior by the St. Mary's River, and 
of Lake Michigan by the Straits of Mackinaw, and empties into Lake 
Erie by the St. Clair River. It is bounded on the S. S. W. by the 
State of Michigan, and on all other sides by Canada West. A long 
peninsula called Cabot's Head, and the Manitouline chain of islands 
divide it into two unequal portions. Those portions lying to the 
north and east are generally called Manitou (the Great Spirit) Lake, 
or the North Channel, and Manitouline Lake, or Georgian Bay. The 
general outline of the rest of the lake is in the form of a crescent, 
pursuing a S. S. E. and N. N. W. course. Its extreme length, fol- 
lowing the curv^e, is about 280 miles. Its greatest breadth, exclusive 
of Georgian Bay, is 105 miles. Its average breadth is about 70 
miles, and it covers an area of 20,400 square miles. The surface of 
the water is elevated 19 feet above Lake Erie, 352 feet above Onta- 
rio, and 600 feet above the level of the sea. Its average depth is 
over 1000 feet. Off Saginaw Bay, which indents the coast of Michi- 
gan, leads have been sunk 1800 feet without finding the bottom. 



I 



THE UNITED STATES. 55 

The waters of the lake are remarkably pure and sweet, and so ex- 
ceedingly transparent that objects can be distinctly seen 50 or GO feet 
below the surface, The lake is said to contain upwards of 3000 is- 
lands. It is subject to frequent fearful storms, but its navigation is 
not considered dangerous. Steamers ply between its various ports, 
and pass through the Straits of Mackinaw into Lake Michigan. 
There are many fine harbors on the coast, and the local trade is im- 
portant. The scenery is romantic and beautiful, and is much admired 
by travellers. 

The outlet of Lake Huron is by the St. Clair River, Avhlch leaves 
the lake on its southern extremity. It has an average breadth of 
half a mile. It pursues a southerly course for forty miles, forming a 
part of the boundary between the United States and Canada, and 
empties into Lake St. Clair. It is navigable for large vessels. 

Lake St. Clair lies between Canada and the State of Michigan, 
in latitude 42° 30' N., longitude 82° 3' W. It is 30 miles long, has 
a mean breadth of 12 miles, and is 20 feet deep. It is thickly inter- 
spersed with islands, and receives the waters of the Thames, Clinton, 
and Great Bear Creeks, and other streams. At its southwestern ex- 
tremity it flows into the Detroit River, which connects it with Lake 
Erie. This river is in reality a mere strait 25 miles long, and from 
half a mile to a mile wide. The entire passage between Lakes Huron 
and Erie is navigable for large vessels. 

LAKE MICHIGAN 

Lies wholly within the limits of the United States, and is the largest 
lake included within the territory of the Republic. The greater por- 
tion of the lake lies between the State of Michigan, on the east, and 
Illinois and Wisconsin, on the west; but the upper portion is entirely 
within the State of Michigan. The lake is situated between 41° 30' 
and 46° N. latitude, and between 85° 50' and 88° W. longitude. It 
bends slightly to the N. E. in the upper i)art, and its extreme length, 
following the curve, is about 350 miles; its extreme width 90 miles. 
It has an average depth of about 900 feet, and covers an area of 
20,000 square miles. As a general rule, the shores of the lake are 
low, and are formed of limestone rock, clay, and sand. The sand 
thrown on the east shore by the heavy seas which prevail during 
storms, soon becomes dry, and is carried inland by the winds, where 
it is piled up in hills to a height of from 10 to 150 feet. The form 
of these hills is constantly changing. The lake is said to be gradually 



56 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

moving westward, or, in other words, to be leaving the shore of 
Michigan, and encroaching upon that of Wisconsin. 

There are very few islands in Lake Michigan, and these lie to- 
wards its northeastern extremity. It has but few bays on its shores, 
and still fewer good harbors. Little Traverse Bay, Grand Haven, 
and Green Bay are the principal. As the lake is subject to terrible 
storms throughout the year, it is not considered very safe for naviga- 
tion. Previous to the completion of the railroads, however, its com- 
merce was very great, and several lines of fine steamers ran between 
Chicago, Illinois, and Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie. There are 
many steamers and other craft still on the lake, but the railroads have 
taken away nearly the entire passenger, and much of the freight 
business. 

Lake Michigan is connected with Huron and the other lakes by 
the Straits of Mackinaw, or Mackinac. The lake is usually free 
from ice by the last of March, but the Straits of Mackinaw are frozen 
over until late in April. Fish abound in the lake, are caught in 
great quantities near Mackinaw, and are sent to the various parts of 
tte Union, packed in ice. 

The principal cities and towns on Lake Michigan, are Chicago, 
Racine, Milwaukee, and Sheboygan, on the west side, and Michigan 
City and Grand Haven, on the east side. There are 23 lighthouses 
and 4 beacons on the lake. 

LAKE ERIE 

Lies between Canada West, on the north, a part of the States of New 
York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, on the south, Michigan on the west, 
and New York on the east. It is situated between 41° 25' and 42° 
55' N. latitude, and between 78° 55' and 83° 34' W. longitude. It 
is elliptical in form, is 240 miles long, has an average width of 38 
miles, its greatest width being 57 miles, and has a total circumference 
or coast line of 658 miles. Its depth is less than that of any of the 
other great lakes, being only 270 feet in its deepest portion. Its average 
depth is estimated at 120 feet. It is 322 feet above the level of Lake 
Ontario, which distance is overcome at a single effort by the falls of 
the Niagara. 

The shallowness of Lake Erie offers a great obstacle to navigation, 
inasmuch as the shoal portions freeze over regularly every winter. 
There are scarcely any naturally good harbors on the lake. Those now 
in use require to be deepened and protected by artificial means. Not- 



THE UNITED STATES. 5t 

withstanding the fact that the raih'oads have drawn off an immense 
amount of trade^ and in spite of the obstacles presented by the lake 
itself, its commerce is still very great. The trade of the port of 
Buifalo alone is estimated at over $85,000,000 annually. The total 
trade of the lake is over $220,000,000 annually. A large nuralier of 
steamers and other vessels are engaged during the season of naviga- 
tion, which lasts from about the 1st of April to about the 1st of De- 
cember. The principal harbors on the American side, are those of 
Cleveland, Sandusky City, Toledo, Buffalo, Erie, and Dunkirk. 
Those on the Canadian side are Ports Dover, Burwell, and Stanley. 

The shores of the lake are in many places of a very unstable nature, 
and yield easily to the action of the water, causing frequent dangerous 
" slides," as they are called. Buffalo has suffered considerably from 
this cause. The waters abound in fish, the principal of which are the 
trout and white fish. Several species of pike, the sturgeon, sisquit, 
muskelonge, black bass, white bass, and Oswego bass are found. 
There are 26 lighthouses and beacons on the American, and 10 on 
the Canada shore. Communication is maintained between Lakes Erie 
and Ontario by means of the Welland Canal, which is cut through 
the Canadian peninsula. The Maumee, Sandusky, Grand, Huron, 
Raisin, and several other rivers flow into the lake. The most violent 
storms sweep over it, particularly in the months of November and 
December, causing many shipwrecks and considerable destructioa to 
life and property. 

The outlet is by the Niagara River, which commences at Black 
Rock, about 4 miles north of Buffalo. It is 34 miles long, and has 
a general northward course. About 7 miles from Buffalo, the river 
divides and encloses a large island, called Grand Island, 12 miles 
long, and from 2 to 7 miles wide. Two or three miles below Grand 
Island are the famous Falls of Niagara, which will be described in 
the chapter relating to the State of New York. The river is navi- 
gable above the falls from a short distance above the rapids to Lake 
Erie — nearly 20 miles ; and from its mouth to Lewiston, 7 miles. It 
is spanned by two fine suspension bridges. 

On the 10th of September 1813, Commodore Oliver N. Perry, in 
command of a small American squadron, defeated a British fleet of 
superior force near Put-in-bay, a harbor among the Bass Islands, near 
the Avestern end of the lake. This victory completely destroyed the 
British power along the shores of Michigan. 



58 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



LAKE ONTARIO 

Is the smallest and most easterly of the five great lakes of America, 
and is situated between latitude 43° 10' and 44° 10' N., and between 
longitude 76° and 80° W. It runs nearly due east and west, and 
divides the State of New York on thescuth from Canada on the 
north. It.is 190 miles long, and its greatest breadth is 55 miles. It 
covers an area of 5400 square miles, is about 230 feet above the 
tide water in the St. Lawrence, and has a depth of about 600 feet. It 
is navigable throughout its entire extent for ships of the line, and has 
several fine harbors, the principal of which are Oswego and Sackett's 
Harbor, on the New York shore, and Kingston, Toronto, and Hamil- 
ton, in Canada. The lake is rarely closed with ice to any extent, ex- 
cept in the shoal water along the shore, and never freezes over. It 
receives the waters of the upper lakes through the Niagara, and those 
of the Genesee, Oswego, and Black Kivers, in the United States. It 
is connected with Lake Erie by the Welland Canal. It contains a 
number of islands, the largest of which, Amherst Island, is 10 miles 
long, and 6 miles broad. The waters of the lake are very clear and 
abound in a variety of fine salmon, trout, bass, and other fish. 

A number of steamers and other vessels are engaged in the lake 
trade, Avhich is important, amoupting to between $35,000,000 and 
$40,000,000 per annum. 

During the war of 1812-15, the United States and Great Britain 
maintained powerful fleets on Lake Ontario, and in the course of the 
war several severe engagements occurred on the lake between the op- 
posing forces. 

Besides the five great lakes already described, there are a number 
of others which will be referred to in connection with the States in 
which they are situated. 

MOUNTAINS. 

The principal mountain ranges of the United States are the great 
Alleghany range on the east, and the Rocky Mountains on the west. 

THE ALLEGHANY OR APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. 

This is the general term applied to the vast system of mountains 
in the southeastern part of North America, extending from Maine to 
the northern part of Alabama, pursuing in their course a general 
southwestward direction. As the range passes through different 



THE UNITED STATES. 



59 







ALLEGIIAXY MOUNTAINS. 



States, it is called by different names. The distance of this chain 
from the sea varies along its course. In New Hampshire, near its 
northern termination, it is less than 100 miles from the ocean, and at 
its southern end the distance from the sea is 300 miles. In New 
England and New York the chain is broken and irregular, some of 
its ranges running almost north and south, but in the States south of 
New York, the ranges are very continuous, and run for the most part 
parallel to the main ridge. In common usage, the term Alleghany 
Mountains applies almost exclusively to that portion of the range 
lying in and south of the State of Pennsylvania. The White Moun- 
tains of New Hampshire, and the Adirondacks of New York, are 
considered outliers of this great chain, as are also the Catskills, of the 
latter State. 

The entire length of the main range, not counting its lateral groups, 
is 1300 miles. Its extreme width, which occurs in Pennsylvania and 
Maryland, about half way in its length, is 100 miles. The highest 
summits of the Appalachian chain are Mount Mitchell, in North 
Carolina, 6470 feet, Mount Washington, in New Hampshire, 6226 
feet, and Mount Marcy, in New York, 5467 ^eai, above the level of 
the sea. 

The entire range is rich in the most interesting" geological forma- 



60 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tions. Nearly all the minerals known to the Continent are found in 
these mountains. The scenery is grand, and the atmosphere pure and 
invigorating. Numerous railroads cross the range, or pierce it with 
their tunnels. 

The great western range is known as 

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 

These are a continuation northward of the Cordilleras of Central 
America and Mexico. They enter the United States at the southern 
extremity of New Mexico and Arizona Territories, near latitude 31° 
30' N., and pass up the entire western side of the Republic, into 
British America. They are divided into several ranges, and cover an 
area 1000 miles wide from east to west. 

The most easterly range extends through New Mexico, Colorado, 
AVyoraing, and Montana Territories, and forms the boundary between 
Wyoming and Id^ho, and Idaho and Montana. It includes the Span- 
ish Peaks, Pike's Peak, and the Wind River Mountains, the last of 
which contain Fremont's Peak, 13,570 feet high. West of this great 
range is a smaller one, called the Wahsatch Mountains, lying south of 
the Great Salt Lake. These mountains, under other names, pass 
northward, to the east of Salt Lake. In Utah they cover a wide 
district, and their ridges spread out in various directions. The ridge 
known as the Uintah Mountains extends east and west. 

The M'estern division of the Rocky Mountains enters the State of 
California from the Peninsula of Old California, and soon breaks into 
two ranges, the lowest of which, known as the Coast Range, runs 
parallel to the Pacific Ocean, at a distance of from 10 to 50 miles 
from the sea until the northern part of California is reached, when it 
rejoins the higher range, which is called the Sierra Nevada, which 
runs parallel to the Coast Range, at a distance of 160 miles from the 
sea. F;-om the point of the reunion of its branches the range pursues 
its way northward into British America, the two ridges being again 
divided in Oregon and Washington Territory, the lesser retaining its 
own name, and the Sierra Nevada being styled the Cascade Range. 
The summits of the Sierra Nevada are generally above the line of 
perpetual snow, while the Coast Range has an average height of from 
2000 to 3000 feet. Several of its peaks, however, rise to more than 
double that altitude. Mount Ripley is 7500 feet, and Mount St. John 
8000 feet high. Mount Linn is still higher, but its exact altitude has 
not yet been ascertained. Mount Shasta, at the point of the union of 
the two ranges in Northern California, is 14,440 feet high. 



THE UXITED STATES. 



ei 




TIOCKY MOUNTAINS* 

" Between the highest ridge of the Rocky Mountains on the east, 
and the Sierra Nevada and Cascade E-ange on the west, is a vast region 
of table land, which in its widest part extends through fourteen de- 
grees of longitude ; that is about 700 miles from east to west. Humboldt, 
in his 'Aspects of Nature/ observes that the Rocky Mountains, be- 
tween 37° and 43°, present lofty plains of an extent hardly met with 
in any other part of the globe ; having a breadth from east to west 
twice as great as the plateaus of Mexico. In the western part of the 
great central plateaus above described, lies the Great Basin, otherwise 
called Fremont's Basin, from its having been first explored by Colonel 
Fremont. It is situated between the Sierra Nevada and Wahsatch 
Mountains, and is bounded on every side with high hills or moun- 
tains. It is about 500 miles in extent, from east to west, and 350 
from north to south. It is known to contain a number of lakes and 
rivers, none of whose waters ever reach the ocean, being probably 
taken up by evaporation, or lost in the sand of the more arid districts. 
As far as known, the lakes of this basin are salt, except Utah Lake. 
The largest of these, the Great Salt Lake, is filled with a saturated 
solution of common salt ; it has an elevation of 4200 feet above the 
sea." * 



* Lippincott's Gazetteer. 



62 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Owing to the broad base and gentle rise of the Hocky Mountain 
Range, it is crossed with comparatively little difficulty. Its passes 
are among the finest on the globe, and will vie in grandeur of scenery 
with any of those of the old world. 

We have already spoken of the rivers wdi.ich rise upon the slopes 
of this great range, and shall pass them by for the present, to return to 
tliem again in other portions of this work. 

SOIL. 

The soil of the United States " presents almost every variety, from 
the dry sterile plains in the region of the Great Salt Lake, to the rich 
alluviums of the Mississippi Valley. It can most conveniently be 
described by following the seven great divisions indicated by the river 
system of the country, viz., the St. I^awrence basin, the Atlantic slope, 
the Mississippi Valley, the Texas slope, the Pacific slojie, the inland 
basin of Utah, sometimes called the Great or Fremont Basin, and the 
basin of the Red River of the north. L The St. Lawrence basin 
embraces parts of A'^crmont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indi- 
ana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and all of Michigan; it is 
an elevated and fertile plain, generally well wooded. 2. The Atlantic 
slope includes all New England except a part of Vermont; all of 
New Jersey, Delaware, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and 
Florida ; and portions of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, A^^ir- 
ginia. North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. It may 
be subdivided into two regions, a N. E. section and a S. W. section, 
separated by the Hudson River. The former is hilly, and generally 
better adapted to grazing than tillage, though some parts of it are 
uatiu'ally fertile, and a large proportion is carefully cultivated. The 
S. AV. section may be again divided into a coast belt from 30 to 150 
miles in width, running from Long Island Sound to the mouth of the 
IMississippi, and including the whole peninsula of Florida; and an 
inland slope from the mountains towards this coast belt. The former^ 
as far south as the Roanoke River, is sandy and not naturally fertile, 
though capable of being made highly productive; from the Roanoke 
to the IMississippi it is generally swampy, with sandy tracts here and 
there, and a considerable portion of rich alluvial soil. The inland 
slope is one of the finest districts in the United States, the soil con- 
sisting for the most part of alluvium from the mountains and the de- 
composed primitive rocks which underlie the surface. 3. The Mis- 
sissippi Valley occupies more than two-fifths of the area of the 




LIFE TX XP:W K.NOLAXI), 177G. 



I 



THE UNITED STATES. 65 

Kepublic, and extends from the Alleghany to the Rocky Mountains, 
and from the Gulf of Mexico to British North America, thus includ- 
ing parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North 
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New 
Mexico, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and all 
of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and 
Kansas, and the Territories north of Nebraska and east of tiic moun- 
tains. It is for the most part a prairie country, of fertility unsur- 
passed by any region on the globe, except perhaps the Valley of tiie 
Amazon. The ground in many places is covered with mould to the 
depth of several feet, in some instances to the depth of 25 feet. The 
northwest part of tiie valley, however, offers a strong contrast to the 
remainder. There is a desert plateau 200 to 400 miles wide, Ij'ino- 
at the base of the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation 2000 to 5000 
feet above the sea, part of it incapable of cultivation on account of the 
deficiency of rain and lack of means of irrigation, and part naturally 
sterile. 4. Tiie Texas slope includes the southwestern country of the 
Mississippi Valley, drained by rivers which flow into the Gulf of 
Mexico, and embracing nearly all of Texas, and portions of Louisiana 
and New Mexico. It may be divided into three regions : a coast belt 
from 30 to 60 miles wide, low, level, and very fertile, especially in 
the river bottoms; a rich, rolling prairie, extending from the coast 
belt about 150 or 200 miles inland, and admirably suited for grazing; 
and a lofty table-land in the northwest, utterly destitute of trees, 
scantily supplied with graSs, and during a j^art of the year parched 
M'ith complete drought. Almost the only arable land in this section 
is found in the valleys of the Rio Grande and a few other streams. 
5. The Pacific slope, embracing the greater part of California, Oregon, 
and AVashington Territory, and parts of New Mexico and Utah,* is 
generally sterile. That part, however, between the Coast Range and 
the ocean, and the valleys between the Coast Range, and the Cascade 
Range and Sierra Nevada, are very fertile, and the same may be said 
of a few valleys and slopes among the Wahsatch and Rocky Moun- 
tains, though these are better adapted to pasturage than to anything 
else. 6. The great inland basin of Utah, which includes besides 
Utah parts of New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington, is 
probably the most desolate portion of the United States. It abounds 

* To this add a part of Colorado, and all of Nevada and Idaho, formerly 
included in Oregon, and in Utah and Washington Territories. 



66 . OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in salt lakes, and there are only a few valleys where the soil acquires 
by irrigation eiiough fertility to afford a support for man. 7. That 
portion of the basin of the Red River of the north which belongs to 
the United States is confined to the small tract in the northern part 
of Dacotah and Minnesota; it contains some very productive lands, 
especially in the river bottoms." * 



CLIMATE. 

The climate of the United States is varied. It could not possibly 
be uniform in a country presenting such a wide diversity of physical 
features in its various parts. In Florida, the thermometer does not 
vary over twelve degrees during the year, but in the remainder of 
the country the climate is exceedingly variable, and the changes are 
sudden and severe, often ranging over thirty degrees in the course of 
a few hours. Alternations from rain to drought are also as common 
and severe as those from heat to cold and from cold to heat. The 
summers are always hot. The thermometer frequently ranges as liigh 
as 110° F. In the North, however, the hot weather does not con- 
tinue in full vigor for more than a few days at a time, and in the 
South, the heat is seldom so extreme, though it continues for a longer 
time. California has a climate as mild as that of Italy, but the 
North-Eastern States are swept by the chill winds from the Atlantic 
and the ice fields of British America. The great lakes mitigate to a 
considerable extent the temperature of the country around them. A 
similar effect is produced upon the temperature of their surrounding 
regions by the elevated plains of New Mexico, Utah, and Oregon. 
The following table shows the average temperature of each of the 
seasons of the year on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the 
interior : 



Place op Obskrvation. 



Fortress Monroe (noar Norfnlk, \i\.). 
Fort CoUimlius (N«w York Iliirbor).. 

Fort Sulliviiii CKastport, Maine) 

St. Louis, Missouii 

Chicago, Illinois 

Fort Ripley, Minnesota 

Monterey, Calif irnia 

San Franci^ro, Calif.)riiia 

t Astoria, Oref;oii 



Latituije. 


Spring. 


Summer. 


Autumn. 


■Winter, 


37° 


50-87° 


70-57° 


61CS° 


40-45° 


40° 42' 


48-74° 


7-2-10° 


54-55° 


31-38° 


44° 1.-/ 


40-1.5° 


60-50° 


47-52° 


23-90° 


88° 4(J' 


54-1.=)° 


70-19° 


55-44° 


32-27° 


41° r.2' 


44-90° 


67-33° 


4^-85° 


25-90° 


4f.° 19' 


39-33° 


6494° 


42-91° 


10-01° 


3G° ofi' 


53-99° 


58-04° 


57-29° 


51-2-2° 


37° 4S' 


54-41° 


57-33° 


56-83° 


50-sn° 


4f)° 1 1 ' 


51-16° 


61-5S° 


53 70° 


42-43° 



Year. 

5S-K9° 
51-69° 
43-02° 
54-51° 
40-7i° 
39-30° 
55-29° 
54-88° 
5-2-230 



* Appleton's Cyclopsedia, vol. xv. p. 716. f Id. p. 717. 



THE UNITED STATES. 67 

Rain is abundant in nearly all parts of the Union, and is distributed 
over the country in a very nearly equal degree throughout the year. 
In the Atlantic States south of Washington City, the fall is less regu- 
lar than in the States north of the Capital, but is more plentiful than 
in the latter, and occurs more frequently in summer than in winter. On 
the- Pacific coast, the fall of rain is periodical, occurring chiefly in the 
winter and spring, and south of the fortieth parallel of North latitude, 
in the autumn also. Very little rain falls between the Cascade Range 
and the one-hundredth meridian of West longitude. When rain does 
visit this region, it comes in violent showers, which are especially 
severe in the mountains. The annual fall in the desert region through 
which the Colorado flows, is estimated at 3 inches; in the great plain 
south of the Columbia River, 10 inches; in the desert east of tVie 
Rocky Mountains, from 15 to 20 inches. Scarcely any of this falls 
in the summer.* 

Snow falls in the Northern States to a considerable depth. In the 
Lake Superior country, more or less snow falls every day during the 
winter, and remains on the ground until the spring. It is compara- 
tively rare south of the James River, in Virginia, and does not remain 
on the ground very long. In the Gulf States, it is scarcely ever seen 
except in the extreme northern portion. 

The most dangerous local diseases, of the New England and Middle 
States, are pulmonary complaints; of the Southern States, bilious 
fevers, and yellow fever along the Gulf coast ; of the Western States, 
intermittent and bilious fevers, and dysentery. The "fever and ague" 
prevails chiefly in new regions, and disappears as they become thickly 
settled. 

The following table, taken from the eighth census of the United 
States, will show the ratio of mortality in each State, for the year end- 
ing June 1st, 1860 : 

* Appleton's CyclopiEdia. 



68 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



States and Territories. 



Alabama 

Ai'kuiisas .. 

Califciniia 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

I'lorida 

Georgia 

llliiiuia... 

Iiuliatia 

Iitwa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massacliusetts 

Michi<>:an 

Minnesota 

MissisMippi 

Missouri . 

New llampsliire 

New Jersey 

Now York ■ 

North Carolina 

Ohio ^ 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Rliode Island 

Snutli Carolina 

Tennessee » 

.Texas 

A'ertnont *. 

Virginia 

'AVisconsin 

Colorado 

D:lCotMb 

Ni'braska 

Nevada 

New Mexici 

Utah 

AVasliington 

District of Columbia 

Total, United States, 



12,7.30 

8,8S5 

3,704 

6,138 

1,246 

1,7G4 

12,810 

19,299 

15,325 

7,2,'-.9 

1,443 

10,466 

12,234 

7.GU 

7,370 

21 ,303 

7,390 

1,108 

12,213 

17,652 

4,409 

7,-525 

40,881 

11,002 

24,724 

237 

S0,2U 

2,479 

9,745 

15,153 

9,377 

8,355 

22,472 

7,141 

i 

S81 



392.S21 



74 
48 
101 
74 
89 
78 
81 
87 
87 
92 
73 
C9 
67 
81 
92 
57 
100 
153 
64 
05 



84 
93 

218 
95 
69 
71 
72 
63 
92 
70 

107 



71 

100 
22S 



1C4 

2-C6 
0-G9 
1-35 
1-13 
1-28 
1-23 
114 
1-15 
1-09 
1-37 
1-45 
1-TG 
1-23 
1-09 
1.76 
1-CO 
65 
1-57 
1-52 
1-39 
114 
1-22 
119 
107 
0-46 
1-03 
1-44 
1-41 
1-39 
1-58 
1-03 
1-43 
0-93 



1-34 



1-42 
0-94 
0-44 
1-72 

1-27 



rrom this table, it will be seen that "Washington Territory is the 
first in point of health fulness, Oregon second, Minnesota third, \yis- 
consin fourth, Utah fifth, California sixth, Massachusetts twenty-ninth, 
and Arkansas thirtieth. 



MINERAL WEALTH. 

The mineral productions of the United States are varied and ex- 
tensive. Coal exists in all the States except ISIaine, Vermont, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey, Delaware, South Carolina, Mississippi, and 
Wisconsin. Three distinct qualities are found — anthracite, bitumi- 
nous and semi-bituminous. In 1870, the production amounted to — 

Of antliracite 15,664,275 tons. 

Of bituminous 17,199,415 " 

Total - . . . . 32,863,690 " 

There are valuable and extensive beds of marl in Maine, New Jer- 
sey, Maryland, Virginia and several other States. Salt springs, some 



THE UNITED STATES. 69 

of them of very great strength and value, are found in New York, 
Michigan, Virginia, Kentucky, and Arl^ansas. Nitrates of soda and 
potassa are found in the caves of Virginia, Kentucky, and Arkansas, 
while the plains of the great American desert and the eastern slopes 
of the Rocky Mountains furnish considerable quantities of nitrate and 
carbonate of soda. Gyj)sura, or sulphate of lime, is found in Maine, 
Maryland, and Texas, and in portions of New Mexico and Arizona. 
Marble, of every variety required for building, exists in nearly all the 
States. In those bordering on the Mississippi, a fine, compact car- 
bonate of lime supplies its place. Iron exists in every State and Ter- 
ritory, and in every form known, from the bog ore, which contains 
about 20 per cent, of iron, to the pure metal. In the year 1870, the 
total product of iron ore taken from the mines was estimated at 
3,395,718 tons. Of this amount, Pennsylvania produced 1,095,186 
tons. There are small quantities of lead in a large number of the 
States ; but Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois alone 
contain the great lead deposits of the country. An incomplete return 
for 1870 places the value of the lead production of the Union at 
$736,004. The great copper region of the Union lies along the shores 
of Lake Superior, but the metal has been found in considerable quan- 
tities in Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, 
and Tennessee. The ore found in the Lake Superior region yields 
from 71 to 90 per cent, of pure copper. The total product for 1870 
was 20,000 tons, valued at $5,201,312. Zinc is found in Pennsyl- 
vania and New Jersey — the yield in the whole Union in 1870 being 
valued at $790,000. Tin is found in Maine to some extent, 
and also in California. Silver is found in connection with almost 
all the deposits of lead and copper ; and in Nevada, Arizona and Now 
Mexico, extensive veins of a fine quality exist. These are being well 
worked, but at present there is no accurate return of the total products 
of the mines. Silver also exists in California, North Carolina and 
Colorado. Small quantities of gold exist in Maine, Vermont, New 
Hampshire, Alabama, and Tennessee. The gold veins are more im- 
portant in Virginia and Georgia, which formerly furnished the greater 
part of the gold found in the United States. The mines of the At- 
lantic Statte, however, are comparatively neglected at present for those 
of the Pacific States. Immense deposits of gold exist in California, 
Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and 
Dacotah. Platinum and mercury are also f )und in California — 1!.< 
former in small quantities, but the yield of the latter is so great as U 



70 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

almost supply the demand for it for raining purposes. Osmium and 
iridium have been discovered in Oregon. They are used in manufac- 
turing gold pens. Cobalt is found in North Carolina and Missouri. 
Pennsylvania, in 1860, yielded 2348 tons of nickel. Chromium ex- 
ists in Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and JNIary- 
land ; and Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and South Caro- 
lina supply considerable quantities of manganese. 

PRODUCTS OF THE SOIL. 

The native vegetation of the United States is too vast and varied 
to admit of a description here. We can only say that it covers a 
wide range of plants and trees, from the giant trees of California to 
the tiniest flower that blooms on the hill side. Nearly all the prin- 
cipal productions of the frigid, temperate and torrid zones are found 
within the limits of the Republic. None of the great staples of food 
are natives of the country, but have been brought from other lands. 
It must be admitted, however, that they have been greatly benefited 
by the change, and many of them are produced here in finer qualities 
than in their old homes. Cucumbers, melons, squashes, and all the 
edible Cucurbitacece are importations. So are the most of the fruits, 
especially the apple, pear, plum, quince, and apricot. The edible 
berries, such as the strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, whortleberry, 
bilberry, cloudberry, etc., are natives of the soil. Cotton, flax, and 
hemp are naturalized plants. 

ANIMALS. 

The zoology of the United States includes all the animals found on 
the North American Continent. Of bats, there are three genera and 
eleven species. The largest of the Sarcophaga or Carnlvora, is the 
cougar or catamount, which ranks next to the lion and Bengal tiger 
in ferocity and strength. This animal is sometimes called the Amer- 
ican panther, an erroneous appellation, as the panther is not a native 
of this country. The wild cat or bay lynx, and the Canadian lynx 
are found. The entire monkey tribe is lacking. There are seven 
species of the fox — the common red, the cross fox, the black or silver, 
the prairie, swift, gray, and short-tailed fox. The wolves are divided 
into two distinct species, the gray wolf of the woods, (divided into 
the reddish, black, and giant wolf,) a cowardly animal, and the fero- 
cious prairie wolf, which resembles the jackal of the East. The 



THE UNITED STATES. 71 

Digitigrada consist of the pine marten or American sable, the Ameri- 
can fisher, the American ermine, the weasel, and two species of mink. 
The black, and the grisly bear, the badger, wolverene, skunk, and 
raccoon are found in various parts of the country. Several varieties 
of the seal family exist. The deer, the antelope, the Rocky Moun- 
tain or big horn sheep, also abound. The bison, which is usually but 
incorrectly called the buffiilo, is found in the far West. Nearly all 
the birds, fish, reptiles, and insects of America are found in the vari- 
ous parts of the Union. 

" The domestic animals of the United States have been, with one 
or two exceptions, introduced from Europe. The horse, though not 
native to this continent, became wild at an early period, and now 
roams in large herds in the plains of Texas, but is domesticated with- 
out great difficulty. There have been at different times stocks intro- 
duced from England, France, Spain, and some from Morocco and 
Arabia ; much attention has been paid to the breeding of these ani- 
mals, and some of them have not been surpassed in speed or other 
good points. The asses are mainly from Spain and Malta; the cattle 
from Great Britain ; the goats from the south of Europe, though 
some efforts have been made to introduce Asiatic species; and the 
sheep from the Southdown, Saxon, and Spanish Merino breeds. The 
swine are of various stocks; one breed, common in Central and 
Western Virginia and other mountainous districts, is tall, long, and 
gaunt, and of ferocious nature and uncertain origin ; l)ut the most 
common breeds are the Berkshire (English) and Chinese, and crosses 
upon these. Our domestic dogs and cats are, with few exceptions, 
of European origin. The brown or Norway rat was an importation 
from tiie country whose name it bears, but has now been nearly de- 
stroyed by a more powerful and ferocious black rat, said to be from 
the south of Europe. Efforts have been made, but with no very 
satisfactory result, to introduce the llama of South America into our 
mountainous districts. The attempt to acclimate the Bactrian camel 
in Texas and California, gives promise of greater success."* 

CHARACTERISTICS OF POPULATION. 

The people of the United States consist of representatives of every 
nation in Europe, and of many in Asia and Africa. For a long time 
after the Revolution the characteristics impressed upon certain parts 

* Appleton's Cyclopaedia, vol. xv. p. 726. 



72 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of the country by the original settlers remained in their full force 
with their descendants, but at present the rush of emigration has been 
so great from all parts of Europe, that these have been either very 
much weakened or entirely destroyed. 

The New England States were originally settled by the Puritans, 
antl to the present day still retain many of the strongest of tiie pecu- 
liarities of their forefathers. The gradual but steady increase of their 
Irish population is working great changes, however, in these States. 
The city of Boston is being especially affected in this manner. New 
York was settled by emigrants from Holland, and though the eastern 
portion of the State has scarcely any traces of its origin left, the inte- 
rior possesses still many communities, which not only retain very 
many of the customs and chnraiteristics of the old settlers, but in 
which, until a very recent period, the Dutch language was spoken to 
a considerable extent by those born on the soil. Maryland was 
settled by Catholics, who have not yet lost their controlling influence 
in the State. Delaware and New Jersey were settled by the Swedes. 
Pennsylvania was colonized by English Quakers, who were followed 
by many German fiimilies. The descendants of these classes still 
control the State — the Quakers, as of old, living in the eastern, and 
the Germans in the southwestern, western, and central portions. 
Virginia was settled by the English, who were followed by many 
French Huo-uenots and Germans. These settled in three distinct 
parts of the State — the first settlers along the Chesapeake Bay and 
its tributaries, the French along the U})per James, above the falls, 
and the Germans in the rich valley of the Shenandoah. These dis- 
tinctions were strongly preserved as late as the period of the rebel- 
lion. North Carolina was settled by non-conformists from Virginia. 
South Carolina, by English Churchmen and French iTuguenots, who 
had not lost the control of the State at the time of the rebellion. 
Georgia by English prisoners for debt, followed by other classes from 
the mother country. Louisiana was settled by the French, and was 
inhabited chiefly by them when purchased from the French crown. 
Texas and California were originally Spanish, and, to a great extent, 
are still so. The latter State has a strong Chinese element in it. 
Florida was originally Spanish, and still retains its original character- 
istics along the Gulf Coast. The other States and the Territories 
were settled by adventurers from the older portions of the country, 
and by emigrants from Europe, who still continue to flock to our 
shores in great numbers. The following tables will show the number 



THE unitp:d states. 



73 



of arrivals of emigrants in this country for a period of fifty-one years, 
or from January 1st, 1820, to September 30tb, 1870, their national- 
ities and destinations : 



Wholly or nuniibj of English 
Speech. 

EriRland 501,316 

lirliiiid l,40ii,0;JO 

Sc.itliind 82,4():5 

Wiiles 12,213 

Other Great Britain 1,S24,078 

Briti8h America 271,1X5 

Australia 

Aiiores 

Beriiuidas 

St. Helena 

Cape cif GiKid Ilupe.... 

New Zealand 

Sandwich Islands 

Malta 

Jamaica < 



240 
6,036 
01 
33 
88 
17 
35 

127 
85 



Total English speech ...4,104,553 

Wliolly or m.ninly of Germanic 
and Scandinavian Speech. 

.822 
,983 
,904 
,104 
,221 
905 
850 
,209 
11 



Germany 2,250. 

PruHfia 100, 

Austria 7. 

Sweden and Norway 151. 

Denmark 23. 

Holland 30, 

Bel;;nim 16. 

Swit/eihind 61, 

Iceland 

Total Germanic 2,643,0r.9 



Wholly or mainly of Llavic Races. 

Russia 2,930 

Poland 3,95.5 

Hungary 

Total Slavic 



4S8 



7,373 

Wliolly or mainly Prench. Spanish, 
Portuguese and Ilalian. 

France '. 245,147 

Spain 23,090 

Portugal 4,416 

Italv 23,.-,S7 

Saniinia 2.103 

.MexiGO _ 20,039 

Central America 1,007 

Gniamt 53 

Venezuela 40 

Peru.. 36 

Chili 28 

Brazil 45 

Buenos Ayres 7 

Bolivia 3 

New Granada 2 

Paraguay 1 

Other South America...... 7.407 

Cuba 3,900 

Ilayti 81 

Porto Rico 50 

Other West Indies 45,458 

Cape de Verdes 71 

Madeira 313 

Canaries 290 



Miquelon 3 

Corsica 11 

Sicily 075 

Total French, etc 377,889 

Wholly or mainly nf Asiatic Uaces. 

China 108,010 

215 

178 

33 

i 

14 

24 

79 

7 

5 



Japan . 

India 

Arabia 

Syria 

Persia 

Asia (general) 

East India Islands.. 

Society Islands 

Pacific Islands 



Total Asiatic 109,109 

Wholly or mninh/ of Afri'-an Na- 
tions, with Turkey and Greece. 
64 
20 
5 
471 
11 
299 
195 



Liberia 

^:Kypt 

Abyssinia 

Africa (general) . 
Barbary States.. 

Turkey 

Greece 



Total, Africa, etc l,O05 

From countries not speci- 
fied 205,807 

Aggregate since 1820 7,448,925 



NUMBER OF EMIGRANTS IN EACH YEAR. 



1820 

1821 


8,385 

9,130 


1833 
1834 


1822 


6,911 


1835 


1823 


6,354 


1836 


1824 

1825 

1826 


7,912 

10.199 

10 837 


1837 
1838 
1 8:59 


1827 


18,875 


1840 


1828 


27,382 


1841 


1829 


22,520 


1842 


1830 

1831 

1832 


23,322 

22,633 

60,482 


1843 
1844 
1845 



58,640 


1846 


65.365 


1847 


45,374 


1848 


76,242 


1849 


79,340 


1850 


38,914 


1851 


68,072 


18.52 


84,000 


1853 


80,289 


18.54 


104,565 


1855 


52,496 


1856 


78,615 


1857 


114,371 


18.58 



154. 
234, 
226. 
297. 
309. 
379. 
371. 
308. 
427, 
200, 
200, 
251 
123. 



416 

,968 
527 
,041 
,903 
,406 
,603 
,615 
,833 
,877 
.436 
306 
,126 



1859 
18t>0 
1801 
1802 
1803 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1807 
IStiS 
18f,9 
1870 



(9 mos.) .. 
tal 



, 121,282 
153,040 

, [11,920 

. 91,987 

. 170,282 

. 193,418 

. 248,120 

. 318,554 

. 298,358 

. 297,215 

. 385,287 

. 285,422 

.7,448,925 



AVOWED DESTINATION OP EMIGRANTS LANDED AT CASTLE GARDEN, FROM 

AUGUST \, 1855, TO JANUARYS, 1870, BEING 2,340,928 PASSENGERS. 



New York and undecided.. 972,207 



Eistern Slates. 

M'line 

New Hampshire 

Vermont 

Massachusetts 

Rhode Island 

Connecticut 



4.013 

2,859 

4.405 

111.129 

21,430 

39,109 



Total Eastern States.... 183,005 
Central States. 



New Jersey 

Pennsylvania 

Maryland 

Delaware 

District of Columbia, 

Total Central States... 




Northwestern Slates. 

Ohio 120,428 

Michigan 52,205 

Indiana 29,576 

Illinois 213,315 

Wisconsin 121,660 

Minnesota 29,,360 

Iowa 44,286 

Missouri 44,309 

Kan8a.s 5,052 

Nebraska 4,198 



Total Northwest. States. 664,389 

Pacifc Slates and Territories. 

Nev.ada 80 

California 22,823 

Oregon 189 

317,162 1 Washington Territory 6 



Colorado 

New Mexico 

Idaho 

Dacotah 

Montana 

Utah 

Wyoming 

Total Pacific States 



Southeastern States. 




Virginia. 

West Virginia.... 
North Carolina., 
South Carolina., 

Georgia 

Florida 

Alabama 



47,172, 



8,235 
172 
784 
1,854 
1,623 
199 
577, 



Total Southeast. States. 13,444 



74 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



AVOWED DESTINATION OF EMIGRANTS— Connimed 



Southwestern Slates. 

Missouri 44,309 

Kentucky 11,057 

Tennessee 

Arkansas 

Mississippi 

Louisiana...: 

Texas 

Total Southwest. States. 




Other Places. 


60,828 

1,028 

816 


New Brunswick 




5.56 


Cuba 


349 




210 




141 




113 


Vancouver's Island 


6 







i;; 






2 






1 




1 


British Columbia 


466 
1 


China 




6 






.... 22 035 


Total 




.... 76.572 



Previous to 1820, no exact account was kept of the arrivals of emi- 
grants from foreign countries ; but as near as can be ascertained, the 
number was as follows : 

From 1790 to 1800 50,000 

" 1800 " 1810 . , 70,000 

" 1810 " 1820 . - . 114,000 

Total 234,000 

This added to the number of emigrants since 1820, gives a total 
number of 7,682,925 emigrants since the formation of the Federal 
Government. Since 1871, the number of arrivals has been unusually 
small, the "hard times" and other causes having operated to decrease 
emigration. 



AGRICULTURE. 

Agriculture is the principal interest of the United States, and is 
growing in importance every year. A brief glance at each of the 
great staples in detail will be interesting and useful. 

Maize, or Indian Corn. Maize is the principal production of the 
United States, and is cultivated in every State and Territory of the 
Republic. It is best adapted to the soil and climate of the country, 
and furnishes the largest amount of nutritive food. It is generally a 
sure crop where it is properly cultivated. The method of cultivation 
is substantially that of the Indians, from whom the white settlers 
learned it in 1608, in which year they first planted it in tlie vicinity 
of Jamestown. At present the yield varies from 20 to 135 bushels 
to the acre. In 1870, the total product of the country amounted to 
769,944,549 bushels. The States which produced the greatest num- 
ber of bushels that year, stand as follows: Illinois, 129,921,395 
bushels; Missouri, 66,034,075 bushels; Ohio, 67,501,144 bushels; 
Indiana, 51,094,538 bushels; Kentucky, 50,091,006 bushels; Ten- 
nessee, 41,343,614 bushels; and Iowa, 68,935,065 bushels. The 



THE UNITED STATES. 75 

product of the other States ranged from 9000 to 60,000,000 bushels. 
The first was the yield of Nevada, the smallest of all. 

Wheat. This graih ranks next to Indian Corn in importance, and 
when the climate and soil are adapted to its growth, is preferred bv 
the American farmer to all others. Considerable care is exercised in 
its culture, and the greatest ingenuity has been displayed in the effort 
to. improve the means of cultivation, and with best results. The 
wheat region of the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, is 
situated between the 30th and 50th parallels of North latitude. On 
the Pacific coast, however, it extends several degrees farther north. 
As a general rule the wheat of America, especially that of the great 
wheat producing States of the Atlantic coast, is superior to any other 
in the world. At the London Exhibition, wheat from Genesee County, 
New York, won the prize medal from the Royal Commissioners. 
The total yield of wheat for 1870 amounted to 287,745,626 bushels. 
The product of the principal wheat producing States was as follows : 
Illinois, 30,128,405 bushels; Wisconsin, 25,616,344 bushels; Iowa, 
29,435,692 busheh; Indiana, 27,747,222 bushels; Ohio, 27,882,159 
bushels; California, 16,676,702 bushels; and Pennsylvania, 19,672,- 
967 bushels. 

Rye is raised in all the States, but principally in the Eastern and 
Middle States. Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey produce 
more than half the quantity raised in the whole country. There is 
a decided increase in the Western States, and in Maryland and Dela- 
ware. In the New England States it has decreased. The total pro- 
duct for 1870 was 16,918,795 bushels. Pennsylvania raised 3,577,641 
bushels; New York, 2,478,125 bushels; New Jersey, 566,775 bush- 
els ; and Wisconsin, 1,325,294 bushels. 

Barley is grown in the Atlantic States, between the 30th and 50th 
degrees of North latitude, and on the Pacific coast between the 20th and 
62nd degrees of North latitude. The two-rowed barley is principally 
cultivated because of the fulness of its grain, and its exemption from 
smut. It yields from 30 to 50 bushels to the acre, and will average 
about 50 pounds to the bushel. Very little of it is exported, as 
nearly the whole crop is used at home for the manufacture of beer, 
ale, etc. The demand for it is increasing. The crop of 1870 
amounted to 29,761,305 bushels, or more than five times the amount 
produced in 18-50. The States yielded as follows: California, 8,783,- 
490 bushels; New York, 7,434,621 bushels; Ohio, 1,715,221 bush- 
els; and Wisconsin, 1,645,019 bushels. The smallest yield was that 
of Florida, 12 bushels. 



76 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Buckwheat is raised principally in the New England and Middle 
States. The average yield is from 30 to 45 bushels to the acre, 
though in some good soils it has yielded as much as 60 bushels. The 
crop of 1870 amounted to 9,821,721 bushels. Pennsylvania pro- 
duced 2,532,173 bushels; New York, 3,904,030 bushels ; and Ohio, 
180,341 bushels. 

Oats. This grain constitutes one of the most important crops of 
the country, and flourishes in sections where the heat or cold is too 
great for wheat or rye. It is grown principally in the Northern, 
Middle, and Western States. The crop of 1870 amounted to 282,- 
107,157 bushels. New York produced 35,293,625 bushels; Penn- 
sylvania, 34,702,006 bushels; Ohio, 25,347,549 bushels; Illinois, 
42,780,851 bushels; Wisconsin 20,180,016 bushels; and Iowa, 21,- 
005,142 bushels. The smallest yield was that of Louisiana, 17,782 
bushels. 

Peas and Beans were largely cultivated by the Indians before the 
settlement of the country by the whites. At present they are grown 
as a field crop, principally in the Eastern, Middle, and Southern 
States. The yield averages from 25 to 40 bushels per acre, weighing 
about 64 pounds per bushel. The crop of 1870 amounted to 5,746,- 
027 bushels. Mississippi produced 176,417 bushels; Georgia, 410,- 
020 bushels; North Carolina, 532,749 bushels; South Carolina, 
460,378 bushels; and New York, 1,152,541 bushels. The smallest 
yield was that of Nevada, 414 bushels. 

Rice was first introduced into Virginia by Sir William Berkeley, 
in 1647; into the Carolinas in 1694; and into Louisiana in 1718. 
It is confined chiefly to a few of the extreme Southern States, where 
the climate is favorable to it, and the supply of water plentiful. The 
yield is usually from 20 to 60 bushels to the acre, weighing from 45 
to 48 pounds to the bushel, when cleaned. The yield for 1870 was 
73,635,021 pounds. South Carolina produced 32,304,825 pounds; 
Georgia, 22,277,380 pounds; Louisiana, 15,854,012 pounds; North 
Carolina, 2,059,281 pounds; Mississippi, 374,627 pounds; and Ala- 
bama, 222,945 pounds. It has been grown in Illinois, California, 
Missouri, Kentucky, New York, and Virginia, though of an inferior 
quality. 

Potatoes. The Irish or White Potato ranks next to wheat and 
corn in the industry of the Republic. The yield depends upon the 
soil and climate, and the manner of cultivation, and varies from 50 to 
400 bushels, the average being less than 200 bushels to the acre. It 



THE UNITED STATES. 77 

suffers frequently from the " rot." The crop of 1870 amounted to 
143,337,473 bushels. New York produced 28,547,593 bushels; 
Pennsylvania, 12,889,367 bushels; Ohio, 11,192,814 bushels; and 
Illinois, 10,994,790 bushels; Indiana, 5,399,044 bushels; Massachu- 
setts, 3,025,446 bushels; Michigan, 10,318,799 bushels; New Plamp- 
shire, 4,515,419 bushels; New Jersey, 4,705,439 bushels; Vermont, 
5,157,428 bushels; and Wisconsin, 6,646,129 bushels. 

Sweet Potatoes. The sweet potato is a native of the E-ist Indies, 
and was introduced into the Colonies soon after the settlement of Vir- 
ginia. It is now extensively cultivated in the Southern and Western 
States. The crop of 1870 amounted to 21,709,824 bushels. Georgia 
produced 2,621,562 bushels; North Carolina, 3,071,840 bushels; 
Alabama, 1,871,360 bushels; Mississippi, 1,743,432 bushels; and 
South Carolina, 1,205,683 bushels. Louisiana, New Jersey, Ten- 
nessee, and Texas each produced over a million of bushels. 

Hay. The production of hay is confined principally to the Eastern, 
Middle, and Western States, comparatively little being raised in the 
Southern States. The product of 1870 amounted to 27,316,048 tons. 
New York produced 5,614,205 tons ; Pennsylvania, 2,848,219 tons;. 
Illinois, 2,747,339 tons; and Ohio, 2,289,565 tons. 

Hops. The hop crop for 1870 anaounted to 25,456,669 pounds, 
and of this the State of New York produced 17,558,681 pounds, or 
more than one-half of the entire amount produced in the United 
States. 

Tobacco is indigenous to Central America, and was cultivated in 
various parts of the Continent before the discovery by Europeans. 
Columbus, in 1492, was offered a cigar by an Indian Chief on the 
Island of Cuba. In 1585, Sir Richard Greenville found it and saw- 
it smoked in Virginia; and in 1616, it was extensively cultivated by 
the Colonists in that province. It is cultivated to a greater or less 
extent in nearly all the States. The crop of 1870 amounted to 262,- 
735,341 pounds. Virginia produced 37,086,364 pounds; Kentucky, 
105,305,869 pounds; Tennessee, 21,465,452 pounds; Maryland, 15,- 
785,339 pounds; North Carolina, 11,150,087 pounds; Ohio, 18,741,- 
973 pounds; Missouri, 12,320,483 pounds; and Connecticut, Indiana, 
and Massachusetts each produced more than 7,000,000 pounds. The 
rebellion almost destroyed the cultivation of tobacco in the Southern 
States, and it has not yet been fully resumed. 

Sugar and Molasses. The sugar-cane is said to have been intro- 
duced into Florida, Louisiana, and Texas at the period of their first 



78 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




AVESTEIiN HOMESTEAD. 



settlement by the French and Spaniards. It does not thrive beyond 
the 33d degree of North latitude, or the 35th of South latitude. A very 
small quantity (283 hhds. in 1860) was raised in the Avarmest section 
of Wisconsi-n. The crop of 1870 amounted to 87,043 hogsheads of 
one thousand pounds each, of which Louisiana produced 80,706 hhds. 
In the same year the amount of cane molasses manufactured was 6,- 
593,323 gallons. Louisiana produced 4,585,150 gallons. 

About the year 1858, a hardier species called the Sorghum, or Chi- 
nese sugar-cane, adapted to the climate of nearly all the States, was 
introduced. It has since been extensively cultivated, and is used ex- 
clusively for the manufacture of molasses, as it will not produce sugar. 
In 1870, while it was yet new to our people, the yield of Sorghum 
molasses was 16,050,089 gallons. 

In the same year, 28,443,645 pounds of maple sugar were produced 
in the United States, and 921,057 gallons of maple molasses. Of 
maple sugar. New York produced 6,692,040 pounds; Vermont, 
8,894,302 pounds; Ohio, 3,469,128 pounds; and Indiana, New 
Hampshire, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, each over a million. Of 



THE UNITED STATES. 79 

maple molasses, Ohio produced 352,612 gallons; and Indiana, 227,- 
880 gallons. 

Butter and Cheese. The total product of butter for 1870 was 514,- 
092,683 pounds. Of this amount. New York produced 107,147,526 
pounds; Pennsylvania, 60,834,644 pounds; Ohio, 50,266,372 pounds; 
Illinois, 36,083,405 pounds; Indiana, 22,915,385 pounds; and Iowa, 
Maine, Michigan, Vermont and "Wisconsin, each produced more thau 
20,000,000 pounds. 

The amount of cheese produced in the same year was 53,492,153 
pounds. New York produced 22,769,964 pounds, and Ohio, 8,169,- 
486 pounds. 

Wine. The culture of the vine has not yet attained the importance 
which the future holds out to it, and the returns of 1870 afford but 
an indifferent test of the wine producing capacity of the United 
States. The yield in 1870 was 3,092,330 gallons, a gain of 1,132,322 
gallons over the vintage of 1860. Of this, the State of Ohio pro- 
duced 212,912 gallons; California, 1,814,656 gallons; New York, 
82,607 gallons; North Carolina, 62,348 gallons; Illinois, 111,882 
gallons; Connecticut, 27,414 gallons; and Virginia, 26,283 gallons. 
The vine is cultivated in nearly all the States, but the great grape 
regions of the country are the Lower Ohio Valley, and the Valleys 
of the Pacific coast. 

Cotton. At the outbreak of the Rebellion, American Cotton con- 
trolled the markets of the world, as regards both the quantity and the 
quality furnished; but the war, by stopping the production of cotton, 
by disorganizing the system of labor, and by injuring the plantations 
in various ways, struck a blow at this branch of our industry, which 
will damage it for many years to come. In some States where free 
labor has been organized under control of the old planters, happy re- 
sults have been attained, with the brightest prospects for the future. 

Cotton is grown principally in the extreme Southern States. In 
Virginia and North Carolina it is becoming less important every year. 
The yield for 1860 amounted to 5,198,077 bales, of 400 pounds each. 
This amount was distributed as follows : 

Bales. 

Mississippi, 1,195,699 

Alabama, 997,978" 

Louisiana, 722,218 

Georgia, 701,840 

Texas, 405,100 

Arkansas, 367,485 



80 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bales. 

South Carolina, 353,413 

Tennessee, 227,4a0 

North Carolina, 14-5,154 

Florida, G3,322 

Virginia, 12,727 

Kentucky, . - 4,092 

New Mexico, 1,133 

Missouri, ICO 

Illinois, 6 

Total, 5,19ci,t/77 

The yield for the year ending September 1st, 1870, was 3,011,996 
bales, including 90,000 bales manufactured in the South, but counted 
in the following statement of the production of each State. 

Bales. 

Mississippi, 564,938 

Louisiana, 350,832 

Alabama, 429,482 

Florida, 39,789 

Georgia, 473,934 

Texas, 350,628 

South Carolina, 224,500 

North Carolina, 144,935 

Virginia, 183 

Tennessee, Arkansas, etc., 432,958 

Wool is grown in all the States to a greater or less extent. The 
yield for 1870 was 100,102,387 pounds, of which Ohio produced 
20,539,643 pounds; New York, 10,599,225 pounds; Michigan, 8,- 
726,145 pounds; California, 11,391,743 pounds ; and Illinois, and 
Indiana, each over 5,000,000 pounds; and Maine, New Hampshire, 
Tennessee and Texas, each over 1,000,000 pounds. 

Flax and Hemp. Flax is a native of Great Britain, and hemp of 
India. The second was formerly cultivated in this country to a greater 
extent than at present, having been to some degree superseded by the 
Southern cotton. In 1870 the yield of flax was 7,133,034 pounds — 
more than twice the amount grown in 1850. New York produced the 
largest amount, 3,670,818 pounds. In the same year 1,730,444 bush- 
els of flax-seed were produced, of which Ohio grew 631,894 bushels. 

Of hemp, 92,746 tons were grown in 1870. Kentucky produced 
7,777 tons; and Missouri 12,816 tons. 

Silk. Silk is said to be a native of Asia. Its production was 
introduced into the colony of Virginia in 1622, into Louisiana in 



THE UNITED STATES. 81 

1718, into Georgia in 1732, and into Connecticut in 1760. The total 
product of silk cocoons in 1870 was 3937 pounds, or 2625 pounds 
less than the yield of 1860. California produced 3587 pounds. 

Orchard ProducU. The value of the orchard crop of 1870 
amounted to $47,335,189. It was distributed amongst the leading 
States as follows: New York, $8,347,417; Ohio, $5,843,679; Penn- 
sylvania, $4,208,094; Indiana, $2,858,086; Illinois, $3,571,789. 

Market Garden Productions. These, in 1870, amounted to $20,- 
719,229, distributed among the principal States as follows: New 
York, $3,432,354; New Jersey, $2,978,250; Pennsylvania, $1,810,- 
016 : Massachusetts, $1,980,231 ; California, $1,059,779. 

Clover and Grass Seed. The yield of clover seed for 1870 was 
639,657 bushels. Pennsylvania produced 200,679 bushels; Ohio, 
102,355 bushels ; and New York, 98,837 bushels. 

The yield of grass-seed for the same year was 583,188 bushels, of 
which Illinois produced 153,464 bushels; and New Jersey, 72,401 
bushels. 

Beeswax and Honey. In 1870, 631,129 pounds of beeswax were 
produced in the United States. North Carolina produced 109,054 
pounds ; and New York 86,333 pounds. 

In the same year, 14,702,815 pounds of honey were produced. 
Illinois yielded 1,547,878 pounds; North Carolina, 1,404,040 
pounds; and Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee, each over 1,000,000 
pounds. 

Value of Home-Made Manufactures. The total value of home- 
made manufactures in the United States, in 1870, amounted to $23,- 
433,332. Tennessee produced $2,773,820 of this, and Missouri, 
1,737,606. 

The Value of Slaughtered Animals, in 1870, was $398,956,376. 
Illinois returned $56,786,944 of this amount, and Ohio, $40,498,375. 

Cash Value of Farms. Tn 1870, the cash value of farming lands in 
the United States amounted to $9,262,803,861. Of this amount, 
New York possessed $1,272,857,766 ; and Ohio, $1,054,465,226. 

In the same year the farming implements and machinery in the 
Union were valued at $336,878,429. Those of New York were 
valued at $45,997,712, and those of Pennsylvania at $35,658,196. 



82 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The three great staple manufactures of the United States are cottons, 
woollens, and iron. These are manufactured in twenty-five of the 
States, but principally in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York. The cotton manu- 
factures of the United States rank next to those of Great Britain. 
The woollen manufactures are of a more recent date than either of the 
others, but are growing in importance. In 1870, there were 252,148 
establishments in the Union engaged in manufactures and the 
mechanic arts. The capital invested in them amounted to $2,118,208,- 
769. They consumed $2,488,427,242 worth of raw material, and 
employed 2,053,996 hands, of which 1,615,598 were males, and 
323,770 females above sixteen years. The annual cost of the labor 
employed by them was $775,584,343, and the annual value of their 
products amounted to $4,232,325,442. 

The cotton manufactures of the United States, in 1870, employed a 
capital of $140,706,291, in operating 956 establishments. They con- 
sumed $117,737,686 worth of raw material. They paid annually 
$39,044,132 for labor, employed 118,920 hands, of whom 45,315 
were males, and 75,605 females. They received annually for their 
products the sum of $115,237,926. 

The Avoollen manufactures in the same year employed a capital of 
$35,520,527, in oj^erating 1909 establishments. They employed 
48,900 hands, of whom 28,780 were males, and 20,120 were females. 
They consumed $40,461,300 worth of raw material; paid $10,937,877 
for labor; and received $68,865,963 for their products. 

The iron manufactures, including pig, cast, and wrought iron, em- 
ployed, in 1870, a capital of $207,448,028, and 140,841 hands. They 
consumed $212,010,601 worth of raw material in the manufacture of 
pig iron, castings, bar iron, forged iron, etj3., and received for their 
products the sum of $346,952,694. 

The other more important manufactures amounted in value, during 
the year 1870, to the following sums : 

I Leather ' . . . $157,480,697 

Sawed and Planed Lumber ....... 252,032,229 

rionr 444,985,143 

Salt 4,890,629 

Malt Liquors 55,706.643 

Spirituous and Vinous Liquors 38,416,371 

In the year 1870 the product of fisheries was valued at $11,- 
096,522. 



THE UNITED STATES. 



COMMERCE. 

From the report of the Secretary of the Treasury for 1875 we find 
the tonnage of vessels of the United States to be 4,853,732 tons, an 
increase of 53,080 tons over that of the fiscal year ended June 30, 
1874, exclusive of the canal-boat tonnage, amounting to about 48,000 
tons, exempt from enrolment and license by the act of April 18, 1874. 

The actual increase is believed to be about 141,878 tons, this 
amount being the excess of gains over losses during the year ; but 
this aggregate has been reduced to 53,080 tons (the increase first 
above mentioned) by omitting the tonnage of the exempted canal- 
boats, and by corrections of tonnage returns, about 40,000 tons. 

The following table exhibits the total tonnage for the last two yearsi 

1874. 1875. 

Vessels. Tons. Vpssels. Tons. 

Registered .... 2,728 1,428.923 2.981 1.553.828 

Enrolled and licensed 29,758 3,371,729 29.304 3.299,904 

Total .... 32,486 4,800,652 32,285 4,853,732 

The tonnage of vessels built, as given by the Register, is 297,639, 
being a decrease from that of the preceding year of 135,086 tons, or 
over 31 per centum. The number of vessels built was 1301. 

The comparative value of the exports and imports of the United 
States for the last fiscal year, in coin, appears from official returns to 
the Bureau of Statistics to be as follows : 

Exports of domestic goods $499,284,100 00 

Exports of foreign goods 14,158,611 00 

Total exports 513,442.711 00 

Imports of goods 533,005,436 00 

Excess of imports over exports .... 19,562,725 00 , 

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1874, the excess of exports over 

imports was $18,876,698. 

Exports of specie and bullion $92,132,142 00 

Imports of specie and bullion 20,900,717 00 

Excess of exports over imports .... 71,231,425 00 

Total excess of exports of goods, specie 
and bullion, over imports of same . . $51,668,700 00 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

For many years after the States were settled by the whites, the thor- 
oughfares were in such a wretched condition that they could scarcely be 
called roads at all. It was not until some years after the war for in- 
dependence that a proper degree of attention was paid to them. Therj 
6 



84 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




VIEW OX HUDSON III VER— fillOWIXG THE STEA^riJOAT, TELEOIIAI'Il^ 
AKD RAILKOAD. 

it was held to be the duty of the General Government to provide the 
great routes of travel leading to the remote parts of the country, while 
the States themselves ought to look after their local highways. 

The first great public work constructed in America was the turn- 
pike from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, which was com- 
pleted near the close of the last century, and was for a long time the 
great highway across the Alleghany Mountains. This was followed 
by the National lload, from Wasliington city to St. Louis, constructed 
by the U. S. Engineer Corps, at the expense of the General Govern- 
ment, and by tlie road from Bangor to Hamilton, Maine, also built 
by the Govei-nment. The National Road, one of the best of its kind 
in the world, was carried successfully over the mountains, across the 
Ohio, via Wheeling and Cincinnati, and completed as far as the 
State of Illinois ; but the rapid growth of railroads has rendered it so 
comparatively useless that it Avill hardly be completed to St. Louis. 
Several other fine roads were constructed by the General Govcrnr.-icr.t 
in various parts of the country. 



THE UNITED STATES. 85 

At the same time that these turnpikes were engaging the attention 
of the cuuntry, the States were urgently entreated to inaugurate a sys- 
tem of canals, which should provide cheaper and more abundant 
transportation between the distant parts of the Union. AVashington 
exerted his influence to secure the speedy completion of canals from 
the head of tide water on the James and Potomac Rivers, to the Ohio. 
He appreciated the great advantages M'hich would have been derived 
from the prompt completion of these works, and was eager to secure 
them for the State of Virginia. His plans are remarkable for their wis- 
dom and their deep insight into the future, and had they been carried out 
would, beyond all doubt, have made Norfolk, Virginia, the largest and 
most important city in America. Pennsylvania and Maryland also 
began at an early day to lay out extensive canal systems, but, thanks to 
the genius and energy of De Witt Clinton, the State of New York was 
the first to reach the West with her Erie and Hudson Canal, and thus 
secured for her great metropolis the immense advantages which have 
never forsaken it. This canal Avas opened in 1824. In the West, 
Ohio and Indiana were the first to construct such works. Since 1850, 
howev'cr, the railroads of the country have rendered the further con- 
struction of canals unnecessary. In 1870 there were about 5000 
miles of canal navigation in the United States. 

The last, in point of date of construction, but the first in impor- 
tance, of the public works of the United States, were the railroads. 
The first railroad in this country was a mere tramway, for the trans- 
portation of granite, from the quarries at Quincy to the Neponsett 
River, in Massachusetts, constructed in the year 1826. This was 
followed by the Mauch Chunk Railway, from the coal mines to the 
Lehigh River, in Pennsylvania, in 1827. These were mere local 
works, and of but little importance, except in so flir as they helped to 
demonstrate to the public mind the possibility and usefulness of such 
enterprises upon a larger scale. 

Charters for roads of more importance were now obtained in Mas- 
sachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and 
South Carolina, whose example was rapidly followed by the other 
States. In 1828 work was begun on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road, and in 1829 on the South Carolina Railroad — at present two of 
the finest works in the country. 

It was not until about the year 1850, however, that our railroad 
system began to attain anything like its present importance. The fol< 
lowing table will show the increase in this branch of our industry 
?ince 1838 : 



86 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

;Numbei- of miles iu 1838 1,843 

'' '' '' 1842 2,ie7 

'•' '' '' 1844 4,863 

" '' '' "■ 184G 4,285 

'' '' " 1848 6,491 

"■ '' '' '' 1850 8,827 

" " '' 1852 12,.S41 

'' " " 1854 19,193 

" " '' 1856 23,721 

" "■ '' 18.58 27,158 

" " " " 1860 31,185 

'' '' " " 1865 35,935 

" '^ " 1869 42,245 

The number of miles in operation in 1875, was about 63,000. 
There is a continuous railway connection from Bangor, Maine, to New 
Orleans, on the Gulf coast, and San Francisco on the Pacific coast. 
All the prominent cities and towns of the Union are connected by 
means of railways, and the most distant parts of the country are 
brought within a few days' travel of each other. 

The electro-magnetic telegraph was invented by Professor Morse, 
about the year 1840, and in 1844 he erected between Washington and 
Baltimore, a distance of forty miles, the first line ever established in 
the United States or in the world. This line was extended north- 
ward, in 1845, through Philadelphia and New York, as far as Boston. 
Tiie telegraph wires of the United States now form a network over 
the Republic, and would make a continuous line of more than 60,000 
miles. This includes the overland line between the Missouri River 
and San Francisco, California, and Portland, Oregon. The American 
wires are also connected with those of Europe by means of the Atlan- 
tic cables, between New Foundland and Ireland, and France. It is 
proposed to construct another line from Portland, Oregon, along the 
west coast of North America to the northern part of Alaska, from 
which a cable is to be laid, via Kamtchatka, to the mouth of the 
Amoor River, in Asia, to connect with a line through Asia to St. 
Petersburg, in Russia. 

EDUCATION. 

The first settlers of the States, with a wise foresight, were prompt 
to provide for the education of their descendants. Almost their first 
act was to found a system of common schools, upon which the estab- 
lishments of the present day are modelled. They also made provision 
for securing the means of instruction in the higher and nobler branches 
of learning. William and Mary College, in Virginia, Harvard Col- 



*.*^<lf^'. 




■""' '''w'pmwmm^M:^JMii 



THE UNITED STATES. 89 

lege, in Massachusetts, Yale College, in Connecticut, and Columbia 
College, in New York, (or King's College, as it was formerly called,) 
were founded within a very short period after the settlement of the 
Colonies. 

" The general system of education in the United States may be ar- 
ranged under three heads, as follows : 1. Elementary or Primary 
Education, taught in the public schools ; 2. Academic or Secondary 
Education, pursued in academies, high schools, private seminaries, etc. ; 
and 3. Collegiate or Superior Education, acquired in such institu- 
tions as embrace a course of study usually made the condition of 
granting the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In addition to the above, 
the Hon. Henry Barnard extends the classification as follows : 

" 4, Professional or Special Education. 

a. Theology, b. Law. • c. Medicine, d. Engineering, e. Agricul- 
ture, f. Mechanics, g. Commerce, h. Teaching, i. Fine Arts, 
j. Deaf-mutes, k. Blind. 1. Idiots. 
**5. Supplementary Education. 

a. Evening Schools, b. Lyceums, c. Courses of Lectures, d. lA- 
braries of Circulation, e. Libraries of Eeference. f. Adult Schools. 
g. Mechanic Societies. 
*' 6. Reformatory Schools. 
" 7. Orphan Houses, 

" 8. Societies for the encouragement and advancement of science, the arts, 
and education. 

" The general system of public instruction in the United States 
originated with the pilgrim fathers of New England ; where, as early 
as 1628, provision was made for the education of ' every child ' in 
the settlements. In 1637, a school was ordered to be provided for 
every neighborhood of 50 families, and another for a higher grade 
of instruction for every 100 families. A sum sufficient to maintain 
these schools was annually raised by a town tax, voluntarily imposed, 
and each school district drew its proportion of the whole sum for its 
own school or schools. Thus the property of the town was made 
liable for the education of the children. 

" The same system, with various modifications, has gradually ex- 
tended itself to most of the States in the Union, and in part has been 
acted upon by the General Government. Chancellor Kent says : * It 
has been uniformly a part of the land system of the United States to 
provide for public schools. The Articles of Confederation, 1787, the 
Acts admitting into the Union, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, 
Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, etc., all provide for the appropriation of 



90 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



lands in each township for the use of public schools.' The amount of 
lands tl^us appropriated by the Federal Governraeqt, up to January 
Istj 1854, is exhibited in the subjoined table : 



states. 



I'lorida 
Alabama . 
Mississippi 
Jioaisiaua 
-Vrkansas . 
v'liio . . 
Micl.iiran . 
hidiana . 
Illinois 



AiM'es. 


Stut^s ^tid Territories. 


Acre?. 


908,530 


Missouri 


1,199,139 


002,774 


Iowa 


905,144 


837,584 


AVisconsin .... 


958, G48 


780,044 


California 


0,719,324 


8SG,4G0 


iMimiesola .... 


5,089,224 


704,483 


OreiTon 


12,140,907 


1,007,397 


Xow iMcxic > .... 


7,493,120 


050,317 i 


Utah 


G,G81,707 


Q7S,7.^5 1 








1 


Total 


48,909,535* 



" The table given on the following page shows the number of public 
schools, academies, and colleges, with their incomes and the number 
of pupils in attendance, and also the number of libraries and volumes, 
of the several States, as derived from the Census of 1860. 

" Maine has one pupil at school to every 3*2 of the whole popula- 
tion ; being a greater proportion than in any other State or country. 
In the whole United States the proportion at school is 1 to 4*9, not 
including slaves, or 1 to 5*7, including slaves, either of which is 
greater than in any other country in the world except Denmark, 
vyhere the proportion is 1 to 4'G. 

"A greatly increased interest in the subject of popular education 
has been manifested within the last few yeai-s; especially in the 
Northern and Western States. Public sentiment has demanded a 
higher standard of qualification in the teachers; and, as a consequence, 
normal schools, expressly designed for their instruction and training, 
have been established in several States; besides which, teachers meet 
regularly in convention, to inteix'hange views upon the best methods 
of teaching; thus opening a larger field of comparison^ and stimu- 
lating through emulation to far greater efforts for improvement. 
Tliese conventions, Ave believe, are now held in every free State in 
tli3 Union, and in some States they assemble twice annually in each 
county; the sessions generally continuing a week. The classification 
of schools is also undergoing a thorough revision. Union schools, or 
what is termed the 'graded system,^ which comprises high, grammar, 



"" Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1094:. 



THE UNITED STATES. 



91 



intermediate, and primary schools, are being established in all the 
principal cities, towns, and villages. By placing the classes iu the 
intermediate and primary schools, in charge of competent female in- 
structors, school committees are enabled to secure the services of male 
teachers of the highest qualifications for the more advanced pupils, 
without increasing the aggregate cost of tuition. 

Table — Exhihitmg tlie Schools and Libraries of the United Stales, 

for 1870. 



STATES & TERBITOKIES. 

Aliil)*ma ,.., 

Arizona 

Ai'kiiasas „.., 

Ciilifornia 

C'll'iiaiio 

Cutmecticut 

I nk,itii 

I wlrtware 

I'Utiict of Columbia 

riorida 

• Jeiirjcia 

hUli... 

Fliiiiois 

Iii(liaiiau„ 

I.IWII 

Kausiis 

Kentucky 

LiiiilNiana , 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

-Miihlftau 

Minnesota 

Mississipyi 

Missduii 

.Montana 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

.\e«' Hampshire 

New Jersey , 

New Mexico 

New Vork 

North Carolina 

•.(Iiio 

Oregoa , 

Pennsylvania 

Itliode Island , 

:juuth Caiolina 

Tennessee... 

Te.xas 

. UtHh 

Wrrnont 

\ irs^inia 

\V';uiliin;!,ton 

West Virginia 

M Isconsin 

Wymiing 

Total 



Schools. 


Teachers. 


2,969 


3,364 


1 


7 


1,978 


2 297 


1,548 


2,444 


142 


188 


1,917 


2,926 


45 


52 


375 


510 


313 


573 


377 


482 


1,88U 


2,4:32 


25 


33 


11,835 


24,056 


9.073 


11.652 


7.496 


9,319 


1.6S9 


1,955 


5,149 


6,316 


592 


1,902 


4,723 


6,986 


1,779 


3,287 


5,726 


7 561 


5,595 


9,559 


2,479 


2,886 


1.564 


1,728 


6,750 


9,028 


54 


65 


796 


840 


53 


84 


2,542 


3.355 


1,893 


3 889 


44 


72 


13,021) 


28,918 


2,161 


2 692 


11.952 


23,589 


637 


876 


14,872 


19,522 


561 


951 


750 


1,103 


2,794 


3,587 


548 


706 


267 


408 


3,1184 


5 160 


2 024 


2,697 


170 


197 


2,445 


2,838 


4,943 


7,955 


9 


15 


141,629 


221,042 1 



75,866 

132 

81,526 

65,507 

5,033 

98,621 

1,255 

19,575 

19.503 

14,670 

66.150 

1,208 

767,775 

464,477 

217,654 

59,882 

245,139 

60,171 

162,636 

107,384 

269 337 

266,627 

107,266 

43,451 

370,337 

1 745 

17,614 

2.373 

64 667 

129,8110 

1,798 

862 022 

64,968 

790,795 

32,693 

811,863 

32,596 

38,249 

125,831 

23,076 

21,067 

62,9.3 

60,019 

5,499 

104,949 

344,014 

305 



Income. 



$ 976,:J51 

6,000 

081 962 

2,946 308 

87,915 

1,856,279 

9,284 

212,712 

811,212 

154.569 

1.253,299 

19 938 

9.S)7O,O09 

2,499,511 

3,570,093 

787.226 

2,5.38,429 

1,199,681 

l,li 10,203 

1,998 215 

4 817,939 

2 550,018 

1,011,769 

780 339 

4,340 805 

41,170 

207 560 

110,493 

574,5-98 

2 982,250 

29.886 

1.5,936.783 

635,892 

10,24 l,t 41 

248,022 

9.628,119 

6t^5 012 

577,9.53 

1,050 692 

414,880 

1511447 

7U7 292 

1,155,586 

48,302 

698 061 

2,600 310 

8,376 



$95,402,726 



June 1, 1870. 



1.430 

6 

1,181 

1.617 

175 

63 

19 

473 

696 

253 

1,735 

43 

13 570 
6.301 
3,540 

574 

5,546 

2,332 

3,334 

3,353 

3,169 

20,763 

1,412 

2,788 

6,645 

141 

390 

314 

1.526 

2,413 

116 

20,9.9 

1,746 

17,790 

■/.361 

14 849 
769 

1,663 

3,506 

465 

133 

1,792 

4,i71 

102 

1,728 

2,883 

31 



164,815 



Volumes. 



576,882 

2,(XX) 

ia5,564 

474.299 

39,344 

286,937 

9.726 

183,423 

793.702 

112 928 

467,232 

10,625 

3,323,914 

1,125,553 

673,600 

218,676 

1.909,230 

847,406 

984,610 

1,713,483 

3 017.813 

2,174 744 

36:1,810 

488 482 

1,066,638 

19 790 

147,040 

158,040 

704.269 

895 291 

39,4 J5 

6,310,352 

541,915 

3,6-7,363 

334 959 

6,377,845 

693 387 

546,-44 

802,112 

87,111 

39,177 

727.--63 

1,107 3i3 

33,362 

37:^,745 

905.811 

2,603 



45,528,938 



Of late years efforts have been made, with success, to introduce 
into this country the system of education known a.s the Kindergarten. 
The system is becoming more and more popular every year, as its 
good results become more apparent. In 1873 there were about fifty 
Kindergarten in successful operation in the United States, and at 
present the number is believed to be much larger. The great obstacle 
in the way of the growth of the system is the difficulty of obtaining 
properly trained teachers. A Normal Kindergarten is in operation in 
Boston, and is meeting with success:. 



92 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" The effect of the system upon the physical and mental develop- 
ment," says Professor Hailman, of Louisville, " is more than satis- 
factory. The children grow strong, vigorous, and energetic; they 
attain full and conscious control of their muscles; become nimble 
and skilful ; the glow of health upon their cheeks, the fire of energy 
in their eyes, elasticity and decision in their movements. Mentally, 
they become so far the superiors of children who have not enjoyed 
Kindergarten culture that, for the first four years, at least, in the 
elementary school, they accomplish fully twice as much. 
This is due not only to their greater physical vigor and to the kno\\'l- 
edge and skill imparted by tlie Kindergarten, but more particularly 
to the habits of attention, concentration, industry and free obedience 
which they owe to Frobel's system." 

"All the reports received from teachers who have taken pupils from 
the Kindergarten," says the United States Commissioner of Educa- 
tion, '' mention the superiority of these children over others in their 
(rapacity for learning, owing to the careful cultivation of all their 
capabilities, particularly their observing faculties. They show great 
quickness of mental perception, and advance rapidly in the studies 
they undertake. The foundations of mathematical science are so well 
laid in the occupations and lessons of the Kindergarten, that geometry 
will not be to them the dry, unmeaning study it is to most, but be- 
comes an old, familiar friend when met with in the text book." 

Hon. William T. Harris, Superintendent of Public Schools in 
St. Louis, says of the public Kindergarten in that city : " The results 
during the short time this Kindergarten has been in operation have 
been so satisfactory, that the public school teachers desire nothing 
more heartily than to see the Kindergarten idea prevail in all the 
primary schools. The testimony of all who have a practical knowl- 
edge of the Kindergarten method is unanimous, that as a means to 
an end, nothing can be better, and that it will be found a matter of 
economy to make it a part of the public school system." 

THE PRESS. 

The press of the United States has kept pace with the wonderful 
growth of the country. In 1870, the number of newspapers and 
j)eriodicals published in the States and Territories of the Union 
was as follows : 



Weeklies 4295 I Quarterlies 49 

Monthlies 622 

Bi-Monthlies 13 Total 5775 



Dailies r.74 

Semi-Weeklies 1 15 

Tri-iVeeklies 107 

These were divided as follows : 

Political 4333 | Keligious 407 | Literary and Miscellimoons 503 



THE UNITED STATES. ^^ 

Their circulation was as follows : 

Dailies, 2,601,547 

Semi-Weeklies, ., 247,197 

Tri-Weeklies, 155,105 

Weeklies, 19,594,643 

Monthlies, 5,650,843 

Bi-Monthlies, 31,650 

Quarterlies, 211,670 

Taking the aggregate annual circulation (the above statements re- 
presenting the aggregate number of copies printed at each stated issue 
of the journals), we find that the whole number of copies of news- 
papers and periodicals printed annually in this country, in 1870, was 
1,508,548,250. 

POST OFFICES. 

According to the statistics of the Post Office Department of the 
United States for the year ending June 30th, 1863, there were 
29,047 post offices in the States and Territories of the Union. The 
aggregate length of mail routes was 139,598 miles. The annual ex- 
penditures of the Department were $11,314,206, and the receipts 
$11,163,789, leaving a deficit of $150,417. The receipts for the year 
ending June 30th, 1865, were $14,556,158, and the expenditures 
$13,694,728, leaving a surplus of $861,430. The number of postage 
stamps issued during the latter year was 387,419,455, which yielded 
the sura of $12,099,787. The number of stamped envelopes sold, 
25,040,425, which yielded $724,135. The foreign postage for the 
■^ame year reached the sum of $1,819,928. . 



RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

The Constitution of the United States forbids the establishment 
of any State religion, and places all religious sects upon a footing of 
equality by leaving every citizen of the Republic " free to worship 
God after the dictates of his own conscience." All churches and 
ministers, therefore, derive their incomes from the voluntary contri- 
butions of their own congregations. 

The principal religious sects, and their respective strength, in the 
year 1870, are shown by the following table: * 

* U. S. Census, 1870. 



94 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS, 



ACCORDING TO 



THE CENSUS OF 1870, 



DENOMINATIONS. 



15 i-tist (Re^'iiliir) 

Li iptist (other) 

Christian 

(yingregationul 

Episcopal (Protestant) 

Kvangelioal A.^siciatiun 

Friends 

Jewish 

Lutheran 

Methodist 

Miscellaneous 

Moravian {Unitus Fratniin) 

Mormon ,., : 

N'evv Jerusalem (Svvedenborgian) 

Presbyteiian ( Regular) , 

Presbyterian (other) 

lli'formed Church in America ( late Du'eh ReforniM) 
lieforined Church in the U. S. (late (Jerni. Refonn'd) 

Roman Catholic 

S'Cond Advent 

Shal<er 

Spiritualist 

Unitari;in 

United Brethren in Chris' 

Universalis t 

Unknown (Tjocal Missions) 

Unknown ( Union). 



All Denomination's 72,459 



Organiza- 

tiODS. 



Sittioga. 



12,857 

1,105 

2.822 

2,715 

2,601 

641 

662 

152 

2,776 

21,337 

17 

67 

171 

61 

5,683 

1,388 

468 

1,145 

3,806 

140 

18 

22 

310 

937 

'602 

27 

562 



3,997,116 

363.019 

865,602 

1,117,212 

991,061 

193,796 

224,664 

73,265 

977.332 

6,528.209 

6.935 

26,700 

87,838 

18.765 

2,198,900 

499,344 

227,228 

431,700 

1,990,514 

34,556 

8.850 

6,97" 

155,471 

265.025 

210,884 

11,926 

163,202 



63,(182 : 2 1.665,062 $354,483,681 



Property, 



$ 30,229,221 

2,378,977 

6,425,137 

25.069,698 

36,514,649 

2.301,650 

3,939,560 

5,155,234 

14,917,747 

69,854,121 

135,650 

709,100 

656,750 

869.700 

47,828,732 

6,436,524 

10.369,235 

5,776,215 

60,985,566 

306,240 

86,900 

100,150 

6,282,675 

],81<>.810 

5,692.325 

687,800 

965.295 



CITIES. 

The largest city in the United States is the city of New York, 
\vhich, in 1860, had a population of 813,669, and in 1870 a po[mla- 
tion of 942,337, according to the census of that year; though there 
can be but little doubt that the actual population exceeds 1,000,000. 
The following table shows the population of the principal cities of the 
Union according: to the last three censuses: 



GIT IKS. 

Philadelphia. Penn... 

Bruoklyn, N. Y 

St. Louis, Mo 

Chicago, III 

Baltimore, Md 

Boston, Mass 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

New Orleans, La 

San Francisco, Cal... 



1870. 


ISOO. 


1850. 


674,022 


565,629 


408,762 


:;96,:-!00 


26(i,661 


90,83s 


310,864 


212,418 


77,860 


298,977 


109,260 


29,963 


267.354 


212.418 


169,054 


250,526 


177,841 


136,881 


•J16,2/ifl 


161,044 


115,436 


191 322 


168,675 


116,376 


149,482 


66,802 


34,870 



CITIKS. 

Buffalo, N. Y 

Washington, D. C 

Newark, N. J 

Louisville, Ky 

Cleveland, Ohio .. 

Pittsburg, Pa 

Jersey City, N. J 

Detroit, Mich 

Milwaukee, Wis.. 



1S70. 


ISGO. 


117,115 


81,129 


109,204 


61,122 


105,059 


71,941 


100,764 


68,033 


92,846 


43,417 


86,235 


49.217 


82,547 


29,226 


79.68(1 


45.619 


71,499 


46,246 



1850. 

42,261 
40,001 
38,894 
43.194 
17,034 
46,601 
6,856 
21,019 
20,061 



/ 



THE UNITED STATES. 



95 



CITIES. 

Albany, jM. Y.., 

Providence, 15. I 

Rochester, N. Y 

Alleghany Cit.v, Pa.. 

Richmond, Va 

New IJaven, Conn... 

Charleston, S. C 

Troy.N.Y 

Syracuse, N.Y 

Worcester, Ma?.< 

Lowell, Mnss 

Memphis, Tenn 

Cambridge, Mass 

Hiirtford, Conn 

Indianapolis, Ind.... 

vScranton, Pa 

Reading, Pa 

Columbus, Ohio 

Patterson, N. .1 

Kansas City, Mo 

l)ayton, Ohio 

Mobile, Ala 

Portliind, Me 

Wilmington. I><'l 

Iiawrence, Ma.-'.-' 

Utica, N.Y 

Toledo, Ohio 

Chariestown, ,M:iss.. 

IiVnn, Masti 

Fall River, M;i8s 

Si>ringfipl(l, Mns.<.... 

Nashville, Tenn 

Covington, Kj' 

Salem, Mass 

Quincy, Ills... 

Manchester, N. H.... 

Harrisburg, Pii 

Trenton, N. .J 

Peoria, 111 

Evansville, Ind 

New Bedford, Ma>s. 

Osuego, N. Y 

Elizabeth, N. J 



69,422 
fi8,906 
62,;il5 
5:^,181 
51,(138 
60,840 
48,956 
46,465 
4.S,058 
41,105 
40,928 
40,226 
39,634 
37,180 
48,244 
35.093 
33.932 
31,274 
33,582 
32.260 
30,473 
32,184 
31.414 
30,841 
28,921 
28,804 
31,584 
28.323 
28,233 
26,786 
26.703 
25,865 
24,605 
24,117 
24,063 
23,536 
23,109 
22.S74 
22.849 
22,830 
21,320 
20.910 
20,838 



1860. 



62,367 
50,666 
48,204 
28,702 
37,91(1 
39,267 
40,522 
39,235 
28,119 
24.960 
36,827 
22,623 
26,060 
29,152 
18,611 
9.223 
23,162 
18.654 
19,586 



20,081 
29.258 
26.341 
21,258 
17,639 



1850. 



50,763 
41,513 
36,403 



27,570 
20,345 
42,985 
28.785 
22,271 
17,049 
33,383 

8,839 
15,215 
13,555 

8.034 



17,882 
11,334 



13,768 
25,065 
19,083 
14,026 
16.199 
16,988 



22,252 



20,107 
13,406 



11,045 
11,484 
22,30h 
16,816 



10,977 
20,515 
20.815 
13,979 
8,282 



3,829 
17,216 
14,257 
11,524 
11,766 
10,165 



20,264 



7,834 



3,235 
16,443 
12,205 



Bangor, Me 

Lancaster, Pa 

Savannah, Ga , 

Poughkeepsie. N. Y.. 

Camden, N. J 

Davenport. Iowa 

St. Paul, Minn 

Erie, Pa 

Wheeling. W. Va 

Norfolk, Va 

Taunton, Mass 

Chelsea. Ma-s 

Dubuque, Iowa 

Leavenworth, Kan... 

Fort Wnvne. Ind 

Springfield, III 

Auburn, N. Y 

Newburgh, N. Y 

Atlanta, Ga 

Norwich, Conn 

Sacramento, Cal 

Omahn, Neb 

Elmira, N. Y.. , 

Lockport. N. Y 

Gloucester, Mass 

Cohoes, N. Y 

New Brunswick, N. .1 

New Albany, Ind 

Gnlveston, Tcx:is 

Newburyport, Mass., 

Alexandriji, \n 

Wilmington, N. C... 

Newport, R. I 

Little Rock. Ark 

Concord, N. II 

Des Moines, Iowa.... 

W:iterbury, Conn 

Nashua, N. II 

Raleigh, N. C 

New London. Conn.. 

Portliind, Oreg 

Virginia City. Nev.. 
Topeka, Kan 



1870. 
20,600 


1860. 


ISfiO. 






20,233 


17,603 


12,369 


28,235 






20,080 






20,045 






20,042 


11,267 




20.031 


10,401 




19,646 






19,282 






19,256 


14,620 


14,326 


18,629 


15,376 




18,547 


13,395 




18,404 






17,849 


7,429 




17.718 






17,365 






17,225 






17,014 






16,986 






16,653 


14,048 




16,484 


13,785 




16.083 






16,863 






15,458 






15,387 


10,904 




15,367 






15,059 






15.396 


12,647 


9,895 


13.818 


';;.307 




12,595 


13,401 


9,572 


1.3,570 







13,446 






12,521 


10,508 




12,380 






12.241 






12,035 






10,826 


10.004 




10,543 


10,065 




10,149 






9,576 


10,115 




8,293 


2,874 




7,008 






5,790 







GOVERNMENT. 

The Government of the United States is a Confederation of the 
various States, each and all of which have delegated a certain share 
of their powers to a General Government for their mutual benefit and 
protection. This General Government is controlled by a written 
Constitution, which has been ratified by each State, and has thus been 
made the supreme law of the land. By the terms of this Constitu- 
tion, all powers not granted by it to the General Government are 
reserved to the several States and to the people thereof, but in the 
exercise of the powers delegated by the Constitution, the General 
Government is independent of and supreme over all the States. 

The Government of the Republic is divided into three c( ordinate 
branches — the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. 



96 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Executive branch consists of a President and Vice-President, 
elected for four years by electors chosen by the popular vote in each 
State. The number of electors chosen in each State is equal to the 
number of Senators and Representatives from that State at the time 
of the election. Thus a State having four Representatives in the 
lower House of Congress, and two Senators in the upper House, is 
entitled to six electors in an election for President. It is usual for 
the electors to cast their votes in accordance with the will of the 
majority of the people of the State, as expressed by the popular vote, 
but it seems certain that it was the original design of the Constitution 
that the electors upon being chosen by the people should be free to 
elect a President of their own choice. A majority of the whole num- 
ber of electoral votes is necessary to a choice. If no person be chosen, 
then the names of the three persons receiving the highest number of 
votes shall be presented to the House of Representatives, which shall 
proceed to vote by States (each State having but one vote, and a 
majority of States being necessary to a choice) for President, or Vice- 
President, as the case may be. In the event of a failure, by both the 
electors and the House of Representatives, to elect a President before 
the 4th of March, next following, then the Vice-President shall act 
as President. In case the electors fail to choose a Vice-President, 
the Senate of the United States shall proceed to choose a Vice-Presi- 
dent from the two highest numbers on the list, a majority of the 
whole number being necessary to an election. 

The President of the United States is the Constitutional Com- 
mander-in-cliief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He 
has power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the 
United States, except in cases of impeachment; he makes treaties, 
with the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate, nominates the mem- 
bers of his cabinet, foreign ministers, and other officers of the United 
States, which nomination must be confirmed by the Senate before the 
official can enter upon his office, and, by the terms of the Constitu- 
tion, may, at his pleasure, remove any officer of the Government sub- 
ject to his nomination. Pie may be impeached for high crimes and 
misdemeanors, and be removed, if convicted. The articles of impeach- 
ment must be presented by the House of Representatives, and tried 
by the Senate, sitting as a high court and presided over by the Chief 
Justice of the United States. In the event of the death, resignation, 
or removal of the President, the Vice-President succeeds to his office, 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate becomes the acting Vice- 



THE UNITED STATES. 97 

President of the United States. It is the duty of the President to 
execute, or cause to be executed, the laws of the United States as pre- 
scribed by Congress. 

The Vice-President is ex-ojicio President of the Senate, and in 
case of the death or disability of the President, as explained above, 
becomes President of the United States. Should he die, resign, or be 
removed from his office, tiie President pro tempore of the Senate be- 
comes the President of the United States. In the event of the dis- 
ability of all three of the officials named above, the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives becomes the President of the United States. 
The President pi^o tempjore of the Senate is usually chosen near the 
close of each session with a view to the contingency we have men- 
tioned. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is elected at 
the beginning of each Congress — that is, every two years. 

The Legislative branch consists of a Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives, which constitute the Congress of the United States. The 
Senate is composed of two members from eacth State, chosen by the 
Legislature thereof, for six years, so that one-third of the whole 
number of Senators shall retire at the end of every second year. A 
Senator must be at least thirty years of age, and must have been nine 
years a citizen of the United States. The Senate has power to ratify 
or reject all treaties between the United States and Foreign Powers, 
and to confirm or reject nominations to office under the Government 
submitted to it by the President of the United States. The House 
of Representatives is composed of Representatives chosen by the people 
of the States once every two years. A Representative must be at least 
25 years of age, have been seven years a citizen of the United States, 
and a resident of the State from which he is chosen. Representatives 
are apportioned among the States according to the number of inhabi- 
tants, excluding idiots and Indians not taxed. The ratio is changed 
with the increase of population. The number of Representatives is 
limited by law to 241, besides delegates from each Territory. Each 
State, whatever its population, must have at least one Representative. 
Delegates from the Territories are allowed seats on the floor of the 
House, and are permitted to participate in the debates, but have no 
votes. All bills for raising revenue and for taxation must originate 
in the House of Representatives. The Senate represents the States 
of the Union in their sovereign capacity (each State being made equal 
in that body by having two votes), and the House of Representatives 
the people,. 



98 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Congress has power to levy and collect taxes, duties, imposts, ancT 
excises, to provide for the common defence and general welfare of the 
United States, but is required to make all such impositions uniform 
throughout the United States. It has power to borrow money on the 
credit of the United States, to make laws for the regulation of the 
foreign and inter-State trade of the Union, and to regulate the 
traffic with the Indian tribes; to make all laws respecting the subjects 
of naturalization and bankruptcies; to regulate the coinage and value 
of money, to fix the value of foreign money, and to adjust the stand- 
ard of weights and measures ; to provide for the punishment of per- 
sons counterfeiting the money or securities of the United States; to 
establish post-offices and post-roads; to regulate the granting of copy- 
rights and patents ; to regulate the courts of the United States, inferior 
to the Supreme Court; to define and punish piracies and ofPenccs 
committed on the high seas ; to declare war, conclude peace, and regu- 
late all matters appertaining thereto; to raise an army and navy, and 
provide for their support; to call forth the militia when their services 
are needed, and provide laws for their government while in the ser- 
vice of the United States; and to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over 
all forts, arsenals, and other property of the United States, and over 
the District of Columbia, in which the seat of government is located. 

A bill must receive a majority of the votes necessary to form a 
quorum in each house, and receive the signature of the President of 
the United States before it can become a law. Siiould the President 
object to a bill, or a part of its provisions, he must send it, with his 
objections in writing, to the house in which it originated, when that 
house must proceed to reconsider it, and if two-thirds of each house 
sustain the bill, in spite of his objections, it becomes a law without 
the approval of the President. If the President does not return a 
bill in ten days, Sabbaths excluded, it becomes a law without his ap- 
proval, provided Congress is still in session at the expiration of the 
ten days; but if Congress shall adjourn before the ten days have ex- 
pired, the President may defeat the bill by keeping it over until after 
the adjournment. This is usually termed a " pocket veto." 

The Judiciary branch of the Government consists of one Supreme 
Court, 9 Circuit Courts, and 47 District Courts. The Supreme Court 
is the highest judicial tribunal in the Union, and consists of one 
Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices, who are appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and re- 
tain their offices during good behavior. The Supreme Court holds 



THE UNITED STATES. 99 

one session annually, commencing the first Monday in December. A 
Circuit Court is held twice a year in each State by a judge of the Su- 
preme Court and the District Judge of the State or district in which 
the court is held. The District Courts are held by special judges, 
usually one for each district. The United States or Federal Courts 
have jurisdiction in all cases of law and equity arising under the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, and treaties made under 
their authority; in all cases concerning foreign ministers and agents; 
in all cases of marine jurisdiction ; in all cases in which the United 
States is a party ; in all cases between States, or between a State and a 
citizen of another State, or between citizens of different States, between 
citizens of the same State claiming lands under the grants of another 
State, and between a State and citizens thereof, and foreign states, 
citizens, or subjects. Each District Court of the United States is 
provided with a prosecuting attorney and a marshal. 

The States are sovereign in themselves, and as regards their own 
affairs. The Government of each one is similar to that of the United 
States, consisting of an Executive or Governor, a Legislature, com- 
posed of two houses, all elected by the people, and a judiciary. Each 
State is independent of all the others, and subject only to the Consti- 
tution of the United States. Each is required to accord full faith 
and credit to tire transactions of the others, provided they are not 
contrary to the supreme law of the land. The States may not enter 
into any combinations with each other not provided for by the Con- 
stitution, nor keep troops in time of peace, nor make war nor conclude 
peace. A State may not impose any restrictions upon the trade be- 
tween the States, or levy or collect imposts of any kind upon any but 
its own citizens. 

The Territories are the common property of the United States, 
and are governed by Legislatures elected by their own inhabitants, 
and by Governors appointed by the President of the United States. A 
Territory having a number of inhabitants sufficient to entitle it to one 
representativ^e in Congress, may be admitted into the Union as a 
State. It must first adopt a State Constitution, which must be rati- 
fied by the people of the Territory at the polls, and submitted to 
Congress for its approval. If approved by Congress, the President 
shall issue his proclamation declaring the Territory duly admitted as 
a State, and the new State shall ratify the Constitution of the United 
States. 

Titles of nobility, acts of attainder, and ex-post facto laws are for- 



100 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Ijidden by the Constitution of the United States, and by the States. 
No criminal can be sheltered by the authorities of a State or Territory 
in which he may take refuge, from the autiiorities of the State or 
Territory in which his offence was committed. Citizenship of a State 
confers all such privileges in the several States. Trial by jury is se- 
cured for all offences. No preference shall be shown to any religion 
by the Government, but equal rights and privileges are secured to all 
sects. The privacy of the house of a citizen is secured against unlaw- 
ful violation by search, seizure, or by quartering a soldier upon him 
in time of peace. Excessive bail or fines, and cruel and unusual pun- 
ishments are forbidden, and no one may be tried twice for a capital 

oflfence. 

THE ARMY. 

The military establishment of the United States, as reorganized by 
the Act of July 28th, 1866, consists of 10 regiments, or 120 com- 
panies, of cavalry, 5 regiments, or 60 companies, of artillery, and 45 
regiments, or 450 companies, of infantry, making an effective force 
(should the maximum strength of all the regiments be attained) of 
76,000 men, divided as follows: artillery 7000, cavalry 14,000, in- 
fantry 55,000. At present the effective strength of companies has 
been fixed as follows : for infantry, cavalry, and artillery (heavy), 64 
privates, and for light artillery 122 privates; making an aggregate 
strength of 54,302 men. Besides this force, the militia of the States, 
which in many of them is well organized and effective, may be called 
into service by the General Government in case of emergency. The 
promptness with which such appeals have always been responded to 
by the States, shows that the real available force of the Republic is 
more than 1,000,000 men, the majority of whom are at present 
veteran soldiers. 

The President of the United States is the Constitutional Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the army, but it is usual for him to relinquish the 
active management of its affairs to the War Department and to the 
General of the Army, who is its immediate Commander-in-Chief, and 
has his headquarters in Washington City. The other officers of the 
regular establishment arc : 

One lieutenant-general; 5 major-generals; 10 brigadier-generals; 
1 chief of staff to the general, brigadier-general ; 1 adjutant-gene- 
ral, brigadier-general; 1 judge-advocate-general, brigadier- gene- 
ral ; 1 quartermaster-general, brigadier-general ; 1 commissary- 
general, brigadier-general; 1 surgeon-general, brigadier-general; 



THE UNITED STATES. 101 

I paymaster-general, brigadier-general; 1 chief" of engineers, briga- 
dier-general ; 1 chief of ordnance, brigadier-general ; 87 colonels ; 
99 lieutenant-colonels ; 327 majors ; 835 captains ; 857 1st lieuten- 
ants ; 683 2d lieutenants ; 6 chaplains. 

A considerable force is required at all times on the western frontier 
to protect the settler's against the attacks of the Indians. The remain- 
der of the army is employed in garrisoning and protecting the forts, 
arsenals, and other public property of the Republic. 

THE NAVY. 

The naval establishment of the United States consists of 206 ves- 
sels, carrying 1743 guns. Of these, 35 are first-rates, carrying 662 
guns. Each vessel is of at least 2400 tons ; the second-rates, of from 
1200 to 2400 tons, are 37 in number, and carry 483 guns; the third- 
rates, of from GOO to 1200 tons, number 76 vessels, and carry 414 
guns; the fourth-rates, under 600 tons, are 38 in number, and carry 
184 guns. Of the above force, 52 are iron-clads, carrying 129 guns;. 
95 are screw steamers, carrying 938 guns ; 28 are paddle-wheel 
steamers, carrying 199 guns; and 31 are sailing vessels, carrying 477. 
guns. 

The active list of the service is as follows : 

One admiral, 1 vice-admiral, 10 rear-admirals, 25 commodores, 49' 
captains, 89 commanders, 139 lieutenant-commanders, 45 lieutenants,. 
30 masters, 52 ensigns, 157 midshipmen, 67 surgeons, 37 passed as- 
sistant-surgeons, 36 assistant-surgeons, 79 paymasters, 56 passed as- 
sistant-paymasters, 52 chief-engineers, 90 first assistant-engineers, 137' 
second assistant-engineers, 24 third assistant-engineers, 19 chaplains, 

II professors, 7 naval constructors, 5 assistant naval constructors, 52, 
boatswains, 57 gunners, 39 carpenters, 31 sailmakers. In the Naval 
Academy, there are 34S midshipmen undergoing instruction, 16 third 
assistant-engineers, and 1 cadet engineer. 

The retired list is as follows : 

Eighteen rear-admirals, 60 commodores, 31 captains, 17 comman- 
ders, 3 lieutenant-commanders, 6 masters, 1 midshipman, 24 surgeons, 
3 passed assistant-surgeons, 3 assistant-surgeons, 14 paymasters, 14 
assistant-engineers, 8 chaplains, 2 professors, 6 boatswains, 6 gunners,. 
6 carpenters, 5 sailmakers. 



102 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

FINANCES. 

The financial condition of the United States is thus stated by the Secretary 
of the Treasury in his report for 1875 : 

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1875. 

Beceipts. 

The moneys received and covered into the Treasury by warrants during 
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875, were as follows : 

From customs $157,167,722 35 

From internal revenue 110,007,493 58 

From sales of public lands 1,413,640 17 

■ From tax on circulation and deposits of national banks 7,268,379 16 

From re-payment of interest by Pacific Railway companies.. 882,274 91 

From customs' fines, penalties, etc 228,870 23 

From labor, drayage, storage, etc 1,112,500 53 

From sales of Indian trust lands 243,671 66 

From fees — consular, letters patent and land 1,818,884 29 

From proceeds of sales of Government property 1,278,693 87 

From marine hospital tax 338,893 78 

From stenmboiit fees 260,944 75 

From profits on coinage, etc 452,657 40 

From tax on seal skins 317,494 75 

From miscellaneous sources ; 1,228,649 98 

Total ordinary receipts 284,020,771 41 

Premium on sales of coin 3,979,279 69 

Total net receipts, exclusive of loans 288,000,051 10 

Balance in treasury, June 30, 1874, including deposits of 
coin and United States notes represented by certificates 
outstanding 150,731,694 63 

Total available cash 438,731,745 73 

Expenditures. 
The net expenditures by warrants during the same period were : 

For civil expenses $17,346,929 53 

For foreign intercourse 1,265,418 23 

For Indians 8,384,656 82 

For pensions 29,456,216 22 

For military establishment, including fortification.--, river 

and harbor improvements and arsenals 41,120,645 98 

For naval establishment, including vessels, und machinery 

and improvements at navy yards 21,497,626 28 

For miscellaneous civil, including public buildings, light- 
houses, and collecting the revenues 50,528,536 22 

For interest on the public debt, including interest on bonds 

issued to Pacific Railway companies 103,093,544 57 

For payment of award to British claimants 1,929,819 00 

Total net expenditures 274,623,392 85 

Redemption of public debt 19,405,936 48 

Total net disbursements 294,029,329 33 

Balance in treasury, June 30, 1875 144,702,416 41 

Total 438,731,745 74 



THE UNITED STATES. 103 

This statement shows that the net revenues for the fiscal 

year were $288,000,051 10 

And the ordinary expenses (including the award to British 

claimants, $1,929,819) 274,623,392 84 

Leaving a surplus revenue, exclusive of provision for the 

sinking fund 13,376,658 26 

REDUCTION OF THE PUBLIC DEBT. 

By the monthly statement of the public debt issued June 30, 1875, the re- 
duction of the debt during the year was shown to be $14,399,514 84, viz. : 

Principal of the debt, July 1, 1874 $2,251,690,468 43 

Interest due and unpaid, and accrued interest to date 38,939,087 47 

Total debt 2,290,629,555 90 

Cash in treasury 147,5J1,314 74 

Debt, less cash in treasury 2,143,088,241 16 

Principal of the debt July 1,1875 2,232,284,531 95 

Interest due and unpaid, and accrued interest to date.... 38,647,566 19 

Total debt 2,270,932,088 14 

Cash in treasury 142,243,36182 

Debt, less cash in the treasury 2,128,688,726 32 

Showing a reduction, as above stated, of $14,399,514 84 

The number of jSTational Banks organized from the authorization of tlie 
system to November 1, 1875, is 2307, of which 2087 were doing business on 
the 1st of October last. From their reports of the date last named it appears 
that the aggregate capital of these banks was $504,829,769 : surplus. 
$134,356,076 ; circulation outstanding, $318,350,379 ; individual deposits^ 
$664,579.619 ; loans, $980,222,951 ; specie, iuclnding coin certificates, $8,050,329; 
legal tender notes, including United States certificates of deposit, $125,- 
268,734 ; and on deposit with the United States Treasurer, $19,686,960. 



HISTORY. 

There is reason to believe that the savages who were found in 
America by the first European settlers were not the original inhabi- 
tants of the Continent, but that they were preceded at a very remote 
period by another and a more powerful race, unknown and long ex- 
tinct, but which has left vague evidence of its existence in the curious 
mounds and earthworks which are to be seen in various parts of the 
Mississippi Valley. At the time of its discovery by the whites, how- 
ever, the red men were the sole human occupants of the Continent, 
which was covered with vast woods and plains abounding with game 
of every description, the pursuit of which formed the principal occu- 
Tjation of the natives, and furnished them with food and clothing. 



104 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Tlie Indians were really one people in physical appearance, man- 
ners, customs, religion, and in the observances of their social and 
political systems, but were divided into numerous tribes, each of 
which had a dialect distinct from that of the others. The tribes were 
for the most part bitterly hostile to, and constantly engaged in war 
with each other. They are generally divided into eight nations, 
S])eaking eight radically distinct languages. These were : 

I. The Algonquins, who inhabited the territory now comprised in 
flie six New England States, the eastern part of New York and Penn- 
sylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Caroliiia 
as far south as Cape Fear, a large part of Kentucky and Tennessee, 
and nearly all of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and 
Minnesota. This nation was subdivided into the following tribes : 
the Knistenaux, Ottawas, ChippcAvas, Sacs and Foxes, Menomonees, 
Miamis, Piankeshaws, Potawatomies, Kickapoos, Illinois, Shawnees, 
Powhatans, Corees, Nanticokes, Lenni-Lenapes or Delawares, Mohe- 
gans, Narragansets, Pequots, and Abenakis. 

II. The Iroquois, who occupied almost all of that part of Canada 
south of the Ottawa, and between Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron, 
the greater part of New Y''ork, and the country lying along the south 
shore of Lake Erie, now included in the States of Ohio and Pennsyl- 
vania. This territory, it will be seen, was completely surrounded by 
the domains of their powerful and bitter enemies, the Algonquins 
The nation was subdivided into the following tribes: the Senecas, 
Cnyugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks. These five were after- 
Avards called by the English the Five Nations. In 1722, they admitted 
the Tuscaroras into their confederation, and were afterwards called 
the Six Nations. The nation called itself collectively the Konoskioni, 
or " Cabin-builders." The Algonquins termed them Mingoes, the 
French, Iroquois, and the English, Mohawks, or Mingoes. 

III. TJie Catmobas, who dwelt along the banks of the Yadkin and 
Catawba Rivers, near the line which at present separates the States 
of North and South Carolina. 

IV. The Cherohees, whose lands were bounded on tlie cast by the 
Broad River of the Carolinas, including all of Northern Georgia. 

V. The Uohees, who dwelt south of the Cherokees, along the Sa- 
vannah, the Oconee, and the headwaters of the Ogeechee and Chatta- 
hoochee. They spoke a harsh and singular language, and are believed 
to have been the remnant of a once powerful nation. 

VI. The Mobilian Nation, who inhabited all of Georgia and South 



106 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Carolina not mentioned in the above statements, a part of Kentucky 
and Tennessee, and all of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Their 
territory was next in extent to that of the Algonqnins, and extended 
along the Gulf of Mexico from the AtlanJ;ic Ocean to the Mississippi 
River. The nation was divided into three great confederations — the 
Creeks or Muscogees, the Choctaws, and the Chickasaws — and was 
subdivided into a number of smaller tribes, the principal of which 
were the Seminoles and Yemassees, who were members of the Creek 
Confederation. 

VII. The Natchez, who dwelt in a small territory east of the Mis- 
sissippi, and along the banks of the Pearl River, They were sur- 
rounded on all sides by the tribes of the Mobilian language, yet 
remained until their extinctiim a separate nation, speaking a distinct 
laniriiage peculiar to tlicmselves, and worsliipping tlie sun as their 
god. They are believed to have been the most civilized of all the 
savage tribes of North America. * 

VIII. The Dacotahs or Sioux, M'hose territory was bounded on the 
north by Lake Winnipeg, on the south by the Arkansas River, on 
the east by the Mississippi, and on the west by the Rocky Mountains. 
TJie nation was divided into the following branches : the Winnc- 
bagoes, living between Lake Michigan and tbe Mississippi; the 
Assiniboins, living in the extreme north ; the Southern Sioux, living 
between the Arkansas and the Platte ; and the Minatarees, Mandans, 
and Crows, who lived west of the Assiniboins. 

The great plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific coast were 
lield by the powerful tribes of the Pawnees, Comanchcs, Apachees, 
Utalis, Black Feet, Snakes, Nezperces, Flatheads, and California 
Indians. 

Tliese were the inhabitants and possessors of the country at the 
time of its first settlement. 

In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, in 
Italy, sailing under the orders of the King and Queen of Sj)ain, dis- 
covered the West Indies; and thus proved beyond all doubt the ex- 
istence of a new world. There is a Scandinavian tradition that a 
Norwegian named Leif, in tiie year 1002, on his voyage from Iceland 
to Greenland, was driven southward by storms, to a country which 
was unknown to Europeans, and which he called Vinland, because 
of the wild grapes with which he found it covered. It is also said 
t'lat his discovery was followed by several Scandinavian settlements, 
«one of which proved permanent. It is supposed by some writers 



THE UNITED STATES. 107 

that the country alluded to as Vinland, in this tradition, was the 
State of Rhode Island ; but as the legend rests upon no solid founda- 
tion, the credit of having been the first to discover the New World 
must be accorded to Columbus. 

On the 24th of June, 1497, John Cabot, a Venitian, commanding 
a ship belonging to Henry VII. of England, discovered land, along 
Avhich he sailed to the southward for over 1000 miles, makino- fre- 
quent landings, and taking possession of the country in the name of 
the English King. The next year his son, Sebastian Cabot, left 
Bristol, England, with two ships, to seek a northwest passage to 
China. He Avas stopped by the ice, however, and turned about and 
sailed southward down the American coast as far as the capes of Vir- 
ginia — the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. In 1513, Ponce de Leon, 
acting under the authority of the King of Spain, discovered Florida, 
and took possession of the country near the present site of the town 
of St. Augustine. A short while after, he returned and attempted to 
establish a colony. He was attacked and killed, and his followers 
driven away by the natives. In the latter part of the year 1523, 
John Verazzani, a native of Flore'nce, was sent by Francis I., of 
France, to ex[)lore the New World. He was fifty days in crossing the 
ocean, being vexed by terrible storms all the way, and made land off 
the mouth of the Cape Fear River, near the present city of Wilming- 
ton, North Carolina. He sailed southward for 150 miles, in search 
of a convenient harbor, but, failing to find one, passed up the coast as 
far north as Nova Scotia. He visited New York and Newport har- 
bors, as they are now called, both of which are accurately described 
in the account of his voyage. In 1539, Hernando de Soto landed 
with several hundred men, in Tampa Bay, Florida, and marched 
across the continent, defeating the natives on his way, and discovered 
the Mississippi River, near the site of the present city of Helena, 
Arkansas. He passed through the region now comprising the States 
of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and penetrated 200 
miles west of the great river. Two years after his landing in Florida, 
he wandered back to the Mississippi, where he died, and was buried 
at midnight in the stream. His follow^ers, disheartened by his death, 
descended the river in boats to its mouth, and, crossing the Gulf, 
sought refuge in the Spanish settlements in Mexico, where they told 
marvellous stories of the country they had seen. 

For several years there was no further effort made to colonize the 
New World. In 1562, a band of French Calvinists, or Huguenots, 



108 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

acting upon the advice of Admiral Coligni, endeavored to found a 
colony here, for the purpose of establishing a refuge for French Pro- 
testants, who should be driven out of their own country by the perse- 
cutions of the Roman Catholics. A charter was granted by Charles 
IX. of France, and an expedition sent out, under Jean Ribault, which 
made a settlement at Port Royal, in a country which was called 
Carolina, in honor of the French King. This settlement Avas soon 
abandoned, however, and another established on the banks of the St. 
John's River, in Florida. In 1565, Spain renewed her efforts to 
colonize Florida. An expedition was sent out in that year, which 
destroyed the French settlement on the St. John's River, and mas- 
sacred the inhabitants. Having removed their rivals, the Spaniards 
then proceeded to found the town of St. Augustine, which is the oldest 
and first permanent European settlement in the present territory of 
the Union. 

The English paid little or no attention to the discoveries of the 
Cabots for nearly a century. Then, alarmed by the efforts which 
France and Spain were making to secure a footing in the New World, 
England began the task of colonizing her distant lands upon a larger 
scale than had been attempted by either of her rivals, and was not 
slow to assert the claim which the discoveries of the Cabots had given 
her, and which, indeed, she had never relinquished. 

The first colony was sent out in 1585, in the reign of Elizabeth, 
under Sir Walter Raleigh, and was established on Roanoke Island, 
in the present State of North Carolina, a site which Raleigh had dis- 
covered during the previous year, and where he liad been hospitably 
entertained by the natives. The whole country was called Virginia, 
in honor of the Virgin Queen of England. The colony did not pros- 
per, however, and in a few years it was utterly gone. In 1606, 
James I. divided the English possessions in America into two parts — 
North Virginia, extending from the mouth of the Hudson River to 
Newfoundland, and South Virginia, extending from the Potomac to 
Cape Fear. Two companies were formed in England for colonizing 
these regions, the London Company, which received from the king 
the grant of South Virginia, and the Plymouth Company, to which 
the king gave North Virginia. These companies agreed to colonize 
their respective grants with due promptness, and to regard the terri- 
tory lying between the Potomac and the Hudson as neutral ground, 
upon which both companies were free to make settlements at pleasure. 
The London Company went to work at once, and sent over an expe- 



THE UNITED STATES. 



109 




' ^"yuEn. ^ — ^ 



THE RUINS OF JAMESTOWN : THE FIRST PERMANENT ENGIilSH SETTLE- 
MENT IN AMERICA. 



dition commanded by Captain Newport, which made a lodgement 
on the north shore of the James River, in the present State of Vir- 
ginia, on the 13th of May, 1607. They called their settlement 
Jamestown, and the river on which it was located, the James, in 
honor of their sovereign. The command of this expedition was 
vested in Captain Newport, but the life and soul of the whole 
undertaking was the celebrated Captain John Smith, to whom 
alone is due the credit of carrying the colony firmly through the 
dangers and trials which surrounded its infancy, and planting it 
upon a permanent basis. He explored the Chesapeake and its 
tributaries, of which he made maps and sketches which are noted 
to-day for their accuracy. 

These voyages of discovery were made in an open boat, the 
crew of which he could not always depend upon. They were 
full of romantic adventure. In one of them he was captured 
and condemned to death by the Indians, but was rescued by 
Pocahontas, the daughter of king Powhatan. Captain Smith made 



110 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

several voyages between England and America, and in 1614 explored 
and made excellent drawings of the coast from Cape Cod to the Pen- 
obscot. To this part of the country he gave tlie name of New Eng- 
land, by which it has since been known. He won the friendship of 
the Indians for the whites in Virginia, and by his maps and descrip- 
tions did more in England than was done by any other man to arouse 
that enthusiasm which finally led to the successful planting of the 
whole Atlantic coast of America with English settlements. 

The government of the Colony of Virginia was at first vested in a 
council appointed by the king, but this arrangement was found to 
Avork so badly that a change was made, which was followed by seve- 
ral others, until at length a House of Burgesses, chosen by the people, 
was established. This Assembly, which was the first representative 
body that ever sat in America, met on the 19th of June, 1619. This 
event, so important in our history, Avas^ followed by two of equal 
moment, one in August, of the same year, when a Dutch man-of-war 
entered the James River and sold a cargo of 20 Africans to the 
planters of Virginia, thus introducing negro slavery into the Colonies; 
and another in 1621, when the cultivation of cotton was begun in 
Virginia. 

The Plymouth Company made extensive preparations on paper for 
the settlement of their immense territory. Their charter gave them 
absolute property in and authority over the vast region lying between 
the Atlantic and Pacific, and bounded by the 40th and 48th parallels 
of North latitude, and they prepared to make very hard bargains 
with those who wished to buy lands of them. The first settlement in 
their domain, however, was made without their consent or authority, 
by a band of Puritans, under the leadership of John Carver, AVilliam 
Brewster, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, and Miles Standish. 
This colony sailed from England on the 6th of September, 1620, in a 
vessel of 480 tons burthen, called the Mayfliower, and landed on the 
coast of Massachusetts Bay, on the 21st of December of the same year. 
They numbered 100 men, women, and children, and at once pro- 
ceeded to found a settlement, which they named Plymouth, in honor 
of the last English port from which they had sailed, and where they 
had been kindly treated. They had no charter from the king, or 
sanction from the Plymouth Company, but conducted their enterprise 
upon their own responsibility, looking to God for assistance and pro- 
tection. While still on their voyage, they arranged the form of their 
government. They organized it upon a basis of religion as well as 



THE UNITED STATES. 



Ill 




PLYMOUTH KOCK. 



of civil justice. Their religious system is well described by Robert- 
son, who says : " They united together in a religious society, by a 
solemn covenant with God, and with one another, and in strict con- 
formity, as they imagined, to the rules of Scripture. They elected a 
Pastor, an Elder, and a Teacher, whom they set apart by the imposi- 
tion of the hands of the brethren. All who were that day admitted 
members of the church, signified their assent to a confession of faith 
drawn up by their Teacher, and gave an account of their own hopes 
as Christians; and it was declared that no person should hereafter be 



112 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

received into communion until he gave satisfaction to the cliurch with 
respect to his faith and sanctity. The form of public worshij) which 
tliey instituted was without a liturgy, disencumbered of every su[)c r- 
fluous ceremony, and reduced to the lowest standard of Calvinistic 
simplicity." Their civil system was thoroughly republican. The 
governor was chosen by the people, and his acts Avere subject to the 
approval of a council consisting at first of 5 and afterwards of 7 as- 
sistants. In the beginning the legislative power was vested in the 
whole people, but as the colony expanded a legislature elected by the 
people was established. In 1629, the colony received a charter from 
Charles I. of England. It prospered from the first, and its success 
brought over other arrivals from England. In 1628, a settlement 
was made by a band of Puritans from England, under John Endicott, 
at Salem, on Massachusetts Bay, which general name was given to 
the new colony. In 1630, a fleet with 840 new settlers, under John 
Winthrop, arrived from England, and in September of that year 
founded the city of Boston, which they named in honor of the village 
in England from which the Hev. John Cotton, their pastor, came. * 
New settlers now came over by scores, the number of inhabitants in- 
creased rapidly, and in 1690 the colonies of Plymouth and Massa- 
chusetts Bay were united under one government. 

In 1623, Sir Fernando Gorges and John Mason took out a patent 
for a territory called Taconia, lying between the Atlantic and the St. 
Lawrence, arid the Merrimack and the Kennebec. In the same year 
they settled the cities of Portsmouth and Dover, in New Plampshire. 
A French colony had been planted in Maine in 1613, but had been 
broken up by an expedition from Virginia, and the first permanent 
settlements in Maine were made by the English at Saco and on 
Monhegan Island, in 1622 or 1623. These settlements some years 
later became a part of the territory of Massachusetts, and were re- 
tained by her until the formation of the State of Maine in 1820. 

In 1635, a company of emigrants from Massachusetts, under tlie 
pious Hooker, settled the region now comprised in the State of Co;i" 
necticut, by founding the towns of Hartford and Wethersfield. The 
Dutcli had built a trading post and fort at Hartford in 1633, and a 
few huts at Wethersfield in 1634, and claimed the territory in con- 
sequence of this, but their claim was not regarded by the English. 

* It is not a little curious that the Puritan Fathers should have given 
their metropolis the name of a famous Roman Catholic Saint. 



THE UNITED STATES. 



113 




THE FIRST SETTLi:MENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 



In 1636, Roger Williams, who had been exiled from Massachusetts 
on account of his religious opinions, founded the colony of Rhode 
Island, by settling the town of Providence, which is now the capital 
of the State. 

New York was settled by the Dutch, but the State was first entered 
by a French navigator named Samuel Champlain, who discovered the 
lake to which he has given his name, in July, 1609, and fought a 
battle on its shores with a band of Mohawks. He inflicted a severe 
defeat upon them, and from that time the Six Nations were the bitter 



114 OUE COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and lasting enemies of the French. On the 6th of September, 1609, 
Henry Hudson, an Englishman, sailing under the orders of the 
Dutch Bast India Company, entered the Bay of New York, discovered 
the great river which bears his name, and ascended it to within a few 
miles of the present city of Albany. He took possession of the 
country for the Government of Holland, by whkh it ^vas named New 
Netherlands. A few years later trading posts and forts M'ere estab- 
lished on Manhattan Island (New Y'ork City), at the mouth of the 
Hudson, and at Fort Orange (Albany). In 1623, thirty families settled 
on Manhattan Island, and called their settlement New Amsterdam, and 
in the same year eighteen families came over to Fort Orange. From 
this time the Dutch settlements grew rapidly. Tliey extended along 
the Hudson, as far eastward as Connecticut, and as far southward as 
the Delaware. Tlie Swedes, who had settled the latter river, and had 
villages along both banks of the Delaware, almost as far up as the 
present city of Philadelphia, resisted the Dutch encroachments, but were 
finally driven away in 1655 by a military expedition of the latter. The 
English, who claimed the whole country by right of Cabot's discovery, 
finding that all diplomatic efforts to induce the Dutch to abandon their 
American settlements were vain, terminated the controversy by taking 
forcible possession of the province of New Netherlands in 1664. They 
changed the names of the province and the principal settlement, New 
Amsterdam, to New Y^'ork, and that of Fort Orange to Albany, in 
honor of the Duke of York and Albany (afterwards James XL, of 
England), to whom Charles II. had granted the territory. 

That portion of New Jersey lying along the Hudson was settled by 
the Dutch about the same time that the colony of New Amsterdam 
beffan to attract emigrants from Holland. The Swedes settled the 
southwest portion along the Delaware, in 1627. It fell into the 
hands of the English when New York was seized by them, and at 
the same time acquired the name which it bears at present. Sir 
George Carteret and Lord Berkeley purchased the territory from the 
Duke of York, and made it a distinct colony, naming it New Jersey, 
after the island of Jersey, of which Sir George had been governor. 

Delaware was settled by the Dutch in 1630. They established 
their settlement near Lewes. In 1633, it was entirely destroyed by 
the Indians. In 1637, a company of Swedes and Finns made a set- 
tlement on the island of Tinicum, a few miles below Philadelphia. 
Several other settlements were formed, and the country was called 
New Sweden. The Dutch, after protesting against this occupation of 



THE UNITED STATES. 



115 




THE FIRST SETTLERS OF AMERICA CLEARING THE LAND. 



the territory by the Swedes, made war upon tliem, and in 1655 re- 
duced the Swedish forts, and sent back to Europe all the colonists 
who refused to swear allegiance to Holland. The Delaware settle- 
ments were held by the Dutch until the final conquest of New 
Netherlands by the English. The title to the Delaware lands was 
disputed by I-iord Baltimore, but was held by the Duke of York, 
who sold it to William Penn. Penn's rights were sustained by the 
Eufflish authorities, and the three counties of Delaware remained a 
part of Pennsylvania until 1703, when they were allowed the liberty 



116 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES, 

of forming a separate establishment. Until 1776, however, the same 
governor administered the affairs of Pennsylvania and Delaware. 

In 168lYWilliam Penn procured a grant of the lands west of the 
Delaware, and in 1682 he brought over a colony of Friends, or 
Quakers, and founded the city of Philadelphia. His colony flourished 
from the beginning, and by treating the Indians with kindness and 
justice in his dealings with them, he secured their warm friendship, 
and a consequent immunity from the savage warfare to which the 
other colonies were subjected. There was peace between the Indians 
and the whites for nearly one hundred years. About the year 1710, 
there was a large emigration of Germans to Pennsylvania. They 
settled in the southern counties of the colony, which are to this day 
strongly marked by German characteristics. 

Maryland, so called in honor of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles 
I., was originally settled by a band of adventurers, under Captain 
William Clayborne, who went from Virginia, and established them- 
selves on Kent Island, near the head of Chesapeake Bay. The 
province was granted by Charles I. to Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, 
in 1632. The next year the first colony, consisting of 201 persons, 
mostly Roman Catholics, sailed for America in two vessels, called the 
Ark and the Dove. They lauded on St. Clement's Island, on the 
25th of March, 1634, and on the 27th began the settlement of St. 
Mary's, in what is now St. Mary's County in that State. Their first 
legislative assembly met .in 1639, and in 1649 passed the first law 
ever enacted in America granting religious freedom to all persons. 
This memorable Act will be found in the historical sketch of the State 
of Maryland farther on. 

In 1670, the settlement of South Carolina was begun by English 
colonists, who first located themselves at Port Royal, but soon re- 
moved to Charleston. The country south of Virginia was given the 
general name of Carolina, and was governed by the propiuetors under 
an absurd constitution prepared by John Locke. In 1727, the King 
of England bought out the proprietors, and divided the territory into 
two provinces, called respectively North and South Carolina. Settle- 
ments in North Carolina were formed by emigrants from Virginia as 
early as 1653. From that time this part of the province continued 
to increase in population as rapidly as the southern part. A very 
large number of French Calvinists, about the year 1690, after the 
revocation of the Edict of Nantes, settled in South Carolina. Some 
years later they were followed by a number of Swiss, Irish, and 
Germans. « 



THE UNITED STATES. 117 

Georgia, originally a part of Carolina, was settled in 1733, by a 
band of English emigrants, under General James Oglethorpe. The 
first settlement was made at Yamacraw Bluff, the site of the present 
city of Savannah. The province was named in honor of George II. 
of England. 

Georgia was the last settled of all the English colonies, having been 
founded 127 years after the landing at Jamestown. During the in- 
terval which elapsed between these two events, the French had firmly 
planted themselves in Canada, and had established settlements along 
some of the great lakes and the upper Ohio, and in portions of Indi- 
ana, Illinois, and Louisiana, and the Spanish had settled Florida and 
New Mexico. The English, after the settlement of Georgia, pos- 
sessed thirteen vigorous and flourishing colonies in America, which 
were rapidly growing in importance, wealth, and power. They had 
an aggregate population of about 2,000,000, and were actively en- 
gaged in agriculture, manufactures, and commerce. The majority of 
the inhabitants were from England, or of English parentage, but 
there was also a liberal admixture of Scotch, Irish, French, and Ger- 
man elements. The prevailing religious sentiment of the New- 
England colonies was .Calvinistic. Quakerism predominated ini 
Pennsylvania, and Roman Catholicism in Maryland; while the' 
Church of England claimed as her children the majority of the people- 
of New York and of the southern colonies. African slavery had be- 
come, firmly established in th^ South, and the industry of that section, 
nad been based upon it. The institution of slavery, and the presence- 
of considerable wealth in all the colonies of the South, had rendered it 
useless for the better classes of the people to labor for their own sup- 
port, and had engendered habits of aristocratic luxury, while the 
climate had cast over all ranks that fatal spell of indolence and lack 
of energy which has always been the bane of that section. In the 
Northern colonies labor was a necessity with all classes. They had 
been originally poorer in wealth than their Southern neighbors, and' 
had also a less generous climate, and a soil which required to be- 
worked with the utmost energy and fidelity. Nature did but little 
for them, and they were forced to make up the deficiency by their 
own efforts, a necessity which, though hard at first, eventually proved 
their greatest blessing. They were thus trained in habits of patient 
and intelligent industry, which they have left to their children. By 
the period of which we are writing (1732) they had made their bleak, 
country to blossom as a rose, had established thriving;- dties, and' 



118 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

towns, and, besides laying the sure foundations of an enormous system 
of manufactures and trade, had already acquired considerable wealth. 
Learning and the refining arts were common amongst them. Eng- 
land, it is true, did much to hamper and destroy the industry of all 
the colonies, hoping by this short-sighted policy to ensure their de- 
pendence upon her, but American energy flourished in spite of the 
mother country. 

Nor were the material interests of the country the only ones con. 
suited. One of the very first cares of the settlers was to establisli a 
system of common school education. This system was simple enough 
at first, but it steadily improved, as the colonies continued to prosper. 
Schools were established in Virginia in 1621, in the Plymouth 
Colony soon after, and in New Amsterdam shortly after its settle- 
ment. In 1637, Harvard College was founded in Massachusetts; in 
1692, William and Mary College was established in Virginia ; in 
1701, Yale College was founded in Connecticut; in 1738, the College 
of New Jersey was established; and in 1754, King's (now Columbia) 
College was founded in New York. With the exception of William 
and jNlary College, which was destroyed by fire during the late civil 
war, all of these institutions are in operation to-day. 

It does not belong to this portion of our work to present a detailed 
statement of the difficulties which lay in the path of the colonies dur- 
ing the first century after the settlement of the country. A more 
minute account will be presented in the historical sketches oi the 
States, and we must confine ourselves here to a mere general outline 
of the progress of events. 

The first settlers found the Indians very friendly, and for some 
time maintained kindly relations with them ; but as the number of 
the whites increased, decided encroachments were made upon the 
hunting grounds of the savages, and this, with various other causes 
df quarrel, brought about a series of long and bloody wars with the 
Indians, which continued with but slight intermission from the death 
of King Powhatan, the great Virginian chief and the friend of the 
whites, in 1622, until the red men were driven west of the Mississippi, 
after the close of the second war with England. They were expelled 
from the greater number of the Atlantic States, or forced to submit to 
the authority of the whites, by-ihe close of the Revolution. Their 
power was broken in Virginia by the death of Opecancanough, in 
1644; in New England by the death of King Philip, in 1676 ; and 
in the Carolinas by the destruction of the Yemassees, in 1715. West 



THE UNITED STATES. 



119 




BURNING OF DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. 



of the mountains and along the northern frontier they were trouble- 
some for many years later. 

The French, as we have said, had been as energetic as the English 
in colonizing America. They had made Canada a thriving province, 
had settled Acadie, and had established a line of posts between Mon- 
treal and New Orleans. There were sixty of these j)osts in all, some 
of which, as Fort Duquesne (Pittsburg), Detroit, Kaskaskia, Vin- 
cennes, and New Orleans, have since become important cities. They 
were located with an almost intuiti\'« perception of their importance 
in securing the command of the country, and, as they completely 
liemmed in the settlements of the English, were not slow in exciting 
the alarm and jealousy of Great Britain, who claimed the entire 



120 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Nor was the jealousy en- 
tirely upon the part of the English. The French, believing that 
they had securely established themselves in Canada and the north- 
west, were very anxious to dislodge their powerful neighbors from 
their growing possessions, and towards the close of the seventeenth 
century began to incite the Indians to commit depredations upon the 
English colonies, supplying them with arms and ammunition, and 
sometimes joining with them in such expeditions. New England 
and New York suffered severely from them, and several towns 
(Dover, N. H., Schenectady, N. Y., and Deerfield and Haverhill, 
Mass.,) were destroyed by bands of Indians, or French and Indians, 
and their inhabitants massacred or carried into captivity. Open hos- 
tilities between the French and English in America broke out in 
1690. This war was really caused by the English Revolution of 
1688, and is known in American history as King William's War. 
It lasted seven years, and was terminated by the Treaty of Ryswick, 
September 20th, 1697. During its continuance the English colonies 
suffered greatly from the incursions of the French and Indians, and, 
in ' retaliation, made several attempts to conquer Canada, but were 
unsuccessful. 

Five years after the Peace of Ryswick, the War of the Spanish 
Succession, or, as it is known in America, Queen Anne's War, began 
in Europe (in 1702). It soon spread to America, and embroiled the 
English and French in this country. The English settlements on the 
western frontier of New England were almost annihilated by the 
Indians, while the French were unusually active. Massachusetts, 
New Hampshire, and Rhode Island made a combined attempt in 
1707 to conquer Acadie, but without success. In 1710, an expedition 
from Boston drove the French out of Acadie, and annexed the 
province to the British Crown, with the name of Nova Scotia, which 
it still bears. In 1711, two vigorous efforts were made to conquer 
Canada, but both proved unsuccessful. On the 11th of April, 1713, 
the Peace of Utrecht closed the war, " and the land had rest for thirty 
years." 

King George's War, or, as it is called in European history, the 
War of the Austrian Succession, began in Europe in March, 1744, 
and soon extended to America, it lasted a little over four years, and 
was brought to a close by the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle, Octobei 
18tii, 1748. The principal event of this war was the capture of 
Louisburg, the strongest position of the French in America, by a vol- 



THE UNITED STATES. 121 

unteer force from New England, led by William Pepperell, a wealthy 
merchant of Maine. This event did much to encourage the martial 
spirit of the colonists, and was hailed with delight in the mother 
country. At the conclusion of peace, however, Louisburg was re- 
stored to the French. 

In 1749, the Governor of Virginia received orders from England 
to grant to the "Ohio Company" half a million acres of land lying 
on the Ohio River, and between the Monongahela and the Kanawha. 
This region was claimed by France, and as soon as the English com- 
pany began to form settlements in it, they were resisted by the French 
commander at Fort Duquesne, to whom the authorities of the province 
of Virginia resolved to address a letter of remonstrance, before pie- 
paring to meet force with force. Their message was entrusted to 
George Washington, then a young man of less than twenty-two years 
of age, but with a reputation for bravery, prudence, and ability far 
beyond his years. He> performed the long and dangerous journey 
between the Virginian frontier and Fort Duquesne, delivered the 
letter, and returned with the reply of the French commandant, who 
positively refused to comply with the demand of the English. Vir- 
ginia then prepared to maintain her claim by force of arms, and an 
expedition, in which Washington was assigned the second place, and 
of which he finally became the commander, was dispatched towards 
the Ohio, to occupy the country. On the 28th of May, 1754, it was 
attacked and cut to pieces by a French force under Jumonville, who 
was slain in the fight. This affair began the determined struggle 
which is known in our history as the Old French, or the French and 
Indian War, and in Europe as the Seven Years' War. Hostilities, 
however, were not immediately declared in Europe. France and 
England did not come to blows in the Old World until about the year 
1756. Each country professed to be at peace with the other, but 
both were busily engaged in sending aid to their colonies. The prin- 
cipal events of the campaign of 1755 in America were as follows: 
I. The unfortunate expedition of General Braddock against the 
French at Fort Duquesne, in which Washington first displayed those 
great qualities which won for him the leadership of our armies in the 
struggle for liberty. Braddock's army was ambushed by the Indian 
allies of the French, about ten miles from Fort Duquesne, and cut to 
pieces, the general himself being mortally wounded. II. The expe- 
dition against Niagara and Frontenac, led by Governor Shirley, of 
Massachusetts. This attempt proved abortive. Shirley was delayed 



122 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

by storms and sickness among his troops, and bis Indian allies, wha 
belonged to the tribes of the Six Nations, deserted him to such an 
extent that their aid amounted to nothing. Disheartened, he aban- 
doned his attempt and retraced his steps eastward. III. The expe- 
dition against the French posts on the Bay of Fundy, led by General 
Winslow, of New England. This was successful. The posts were 
captured and held by the English. Subsequently General Winslow 
received positive orders from his Government to remove the neutral 
French from Acadie to the English colonies, which duty he per- 
formed. There was no actual necessity for the removal of these 
})eople, and this harsh and cruel measure of the English Government 
caused great suffering to them. IV. The expedition against Crown 
Point, led by Sir William Johnson. Johnson's troops were princi- 
pally from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. He 
met the French, under Dieskau, at the head of Lake George, on the 
6th of September, 1755, and was at first repulsed by them, but, 
thanks to General Lyman, the second in command, and an American, 
he succeeded in rallying his army and utterly routing the French, 
whose commander was fatally wounded and made a prisoner. He 
lost the fruits of his success, however, by lingering on the field of his 
victory until it was too late in the season to advance upon Crown 
Point. 

Dieskau was succeeded by the Marquis de Montcalm, to whom Avas 
assio-ned the command of all the French forces in America. He was 
an officer of experience, energy, and skill, and opened the campaign 
of 1756 with a series of successes which continued for two years, and 
which taught the English that he was no insignificant foe. In 1756, 
he captured Oswego, with its immense military stores, "which had been 
placed there by the English. In 1757, he compelled Fort William 
Henry, at the head of Lake George, to surrender, a disaster which 
was made the more appalling by the massacre of a part of the garri- 
son, after the capitulation, by the Indian allies of the French. 

Thus far fortune had smiled upon the French, but their enemies 
were not disheartened. The English people were convinced that the 
disasters which had befallen their arras were due to the incompetency 
of their Government, and demanded a change of the Ministry. The 
popular demand was unwillingly complied with, and William Pitt 
was placed by the king at the head of affairs. From the moment 
that liis great mind began to direct the war, the prospects of the 
English improved. Pitt appreciated the efforts the Americans had 
made during the struggle, and called on them to volunteer for fresh 



THE UNITED STATES. 123 

service under able generals who were sent out from England. His 
calls were well responded to, and when the campaign of 1758 opened, 
the English took the field with 50,000 men, commanded by officers 
of experience and skill. The principal events of this campaign were: 
the capture of Louisburg by Generals Amherst and Wolfe, after a 
siege of fifty days ; the capture of Fort Frontenac, on Lake Ontario, 
by a force of Colonial troops, under Colonel Bradstreet ; the capture 
of Fort Duquesne, in which the forces of the colony of Virginia were 
commanded by Washington ; and the defeat of Abercromble at Ticou- 
deroga. The British in this engagement attacked Ticonderoga with 
a force four times as great as that with which Montcalm defended the 
position. Their army was commanded by General Abercrombie and 
Lord Howe, the latter of whom was an officer of great promise, and 
warmly loved by the army. Howe was killed at the head of his 
column, and Abercrombie proved himself so incompetent for the task 
before him, that Montcalm defeated him, and compelled him to re- 
treat with the loss of 2000 men. This event closed the campaign, 
and more than counterbalanced the successes of the English at the 
outset. 

The English authorities at once removed Abercrombie, and put 
Amherst in his place, who opened the campaign of 1759 by advancing 
upon Ticonderoga and Crown Point, from which the French retreated 
without risking an engagement. About the same time Sir William 
Johnson took Niagara, and routed a large French force which was 
marching to its relief. On the 13th of September, 1759, the great 
event of the war occurred. Quebec was taken by the British army, 
under General Wolfe, after a battle on the heights of Abraham, in 
which both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed. The capture of Quebec 
is justly regarded as one of the most remarkable events in modern 
history, not only because it decided the war in America, but because 
it broke the power of France and confirmed that of England in the 
Now World. " It gave to the English tongue and the institutions 
of the Germanic race," says Bancroft, " the unexplored and seemingly 
infinite west and north." The war in America virtually ceased after 
the fall of Quebec, but continued on the ocean and in Europe for 
nearly four years longer. Peace was restored by the Treaty of Paris, 
in 1763, by which Canada and its dependencies, including the posts 
along the lakes and the Ohio, were forever ceded to Great Britain. 

This very treaty, however, was the cause of another war. The 
French, by their friendly and conciliatory policy, had generally won 
the friendship of the Indians, but the English, by their arrogance and 



124 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

harshness, had rarely failed to excite their hostility, and the transfer 
of Canada and the northwest made by the Treaty of Paris was bitterly 
resented by the Indians of that region. One of their chiefs, Pontiac, 
a leader of great courage and ability, persuaded his countrymen to 
join him in an attempt to drive out the English. He was successful, 
and the first blow was struck in June, 1763. In the two weeks 
which followed the outbreak, the savages captured all the forts west 
of Oswego, except Niagara, Detroit, and Pittsburg, and mtissacred 
the garrisons. No English settler of either sex or any age who fell 
into the hands of the savages was spared. Siege was laid to Detroit, 
which was invested for six weeks. It was finally relieved, and the 
Indians were in their turn pressed with so much vigor that they were 
compelled to sue for peace. Pontiac, however, refused to yield to his 
conquerors, and set off towards the Mississippi, inciting the western 
tribes against the English, until he was murdered in 1769. 

The old French war was the only one of the* struggles between 
France and England in which the Colonies bore a part, which origi- 
nated in America. These conflicts, though they at length resulted in 
removing the hostile French and Indians from the very doors of the 
Colonies, left them greatly exhausted in both men and money. They 
had shown the devotion of America to the mother country in a most 
conspicuous manner, and had certainly earned for the colonists at 
least the considerate forbearance of the Home Government. As for 
the Americans themselves, they had learned valuable lessons in 
modern warfare, had seen for themselves that British generals were 
not infallible, nor British troops invincible, and had gained a very 
decided confidence in their own prowess as shown by their achieve- 
ments. 

Great Britain, however, did not regard her Colonies with either 
motherly wisdom or kindness. Jealous of their growing commercial 
and manufacturing wealth, she sought in numerous ways to cripple 
their industry. Always a law-abiding people, the Americans bore 
all the harsh measures of the mother country in silence, so long as 
they were kept within the limits sanctioned by the constitution of the 
realm. In 1761, however, the Home Government threw off its con- 
stitutional restraints. A law was enacted by Parliament, empowering 
sheriffs and customs officers to enter stores and private dwellings, 
upon the authority of " writs of assistance," or general search war- 
rants, and search for goods which it was suspected had not paid 
duty. 

The first attempt to use these writs was made in Massachusetts, 



THE UNITED STATES. 125 

where obedience was refused to them by the indignant people, on the 
ground that they were issued in violation of the laws of England and 
of the Colony. The persons refusing obedience to them were brought 
to trial. James Otis, the eloquent attorney for the Crown, refused to 
sustain them, resigned his office, and in the trials which ensued 
pleaded the cause of the people with such force that, in the language 
of John Adams, " every man of an immense crowded audience ap- 
peared to go away ready to take arms against the writs of assistance." 
The judges decided to avoid a decision, and the writs were never used, 
though they were granted in secret. 

It was now proposed by the British Government to levy a direct 
tax upon the Colonies, and at the same time to deny them any voice 
in the imposition of this tax. An Act for this purpose, generally 
called the Stamp Act, was passed by the Commons on the 22d of 
March, 1705, by a majority df nine-tenths of the members, and on 
the 1st of April by the House of Lords with scarcely a dissenting 
voice. The king at once signed the bill. This Act required that 
every written or printed paper used in trade, in order- to be valid, 
should have affixed to it a stamp of a denomination to be determined 
by the character of the paper, and that no stamp should be for a less 
sum than one shilling. The Colonies had earnestly protested against 
the measure while it was being discussed in Parliament, but the only 
notice which the Government took of these protests was to send over 
a body of troops for the purpose of enforcing obedience to the Stamp 
Act, and the Ministers were authorized by Parliament to compel the 
Colonies to find " quarters, fuel, cider or rum, candles and other 
necessaries " for these troops. 

Such infamous measures produced great excitement in America. 
Patrick Henry introduced a series of resolutions into the General As- 
sembly of Virginia, which were adopted by that body, declaring that 
the Colonists were bound to pay only such taxes as should be levied 
by their own legislatures. The Legislature of Massachusetts author- 
ized the courts of that province to proceed to transact their business 
without the use of stamps. In the other Colonies the opposition was 
strong, but not so vehement, and associations called " Sons of Liberty " 
were formed all over the country, consisting of men who pledged 
themselves to oppose the Stamp Act and defend the rights of the 
Colonies when assailed. The determination not to use the stamps 
was general, and when the 1st of November, 1765, the day on which 
the hated law was to go into operation, arrived, it was found that all 



126 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the officials appointed to distribute the stamps had resigned their 
places. The bells in all the Colonies were tolled, and the flags lowered 
in mourning for the death of liberty in America. The merchants 
pledged themselves to import no more English goods, and the people 
agreed to use no more articles of English manufacture until the law 
was repealed. 

Previous to this, in June, the Legislature of Massachusetts had is- 
sued a call for a general Congress of delegates from all the Colonies 
to meet in New York, on the first Tuesday in October, to consider 
the state of affairs. Nine of the Colonies were represented in this 
body, which met at the appointed time. The Congress drew up a 
declaration of rights for the Colonies, a memorial to Parliament, and 
a petition to the king, in which, after asserting their loyalty to the 
Crown and laws of England, they insisted upon their right to be taxed 
only by their own representatives. Thfee documents were submitted 
to and approved by the provincial legislatures, and were laid before 
the British Government in the name of the United Colonies. 

These popular demonstrations brought up the subject in Parlia- 
ment, and the friends of America urgently demanded a rej)eal of the 
Act. Pitt and Burke advocated the repeal with powerful eloquence. 
The Commons examined a number of witnesses as to the temper and 
condition of the Colonies. One of these was Benjamin Franklin, 
who was sojourning in London. He told the House that his country- 
men were not possessed of a sufficient amount of gold and silver to 
buy the stamps, that they were already greatly burdened by debts 
contracted by them in support of the recent war, in which they had 
borne more than their just share of the expenses, that they were loyal 
and attached to the mother country, but that the harsh acts of the 
Government could only result in destroying their loyal friendship, 
that unless the Acts complained of were repealed, the Colonies would 
cease to trade with England, and that they would never consent to 
pay any taxes except those imposed upon them by their own legis- 
latures. Influenced by these representations, the Parliament resolved 
to retrace its steps, and on the 18th of March, 1766, the Stamp Act 
was repealed. The repeal was celebrated with great rejoicings in 
both America and England, the latter country having become alarmed 
by the decrease in its trade with the Colonies. 

The British Government, however, did not relinquish its determi- 
nation to tax America, and on the 29th of June, 1767, the king 
signed an Act of Parliament imposing duties on glass, tea, paper, and 



THE UNITED STATES. 127 

some other articles imported into the Colonies. The Americans met 
this new aggression with a revival of their societies for discontinuing 
the importation of English goods. Massachusetts led this opposition, 
and in Boston the custom house officers were mobbed for demandinir 
duties on the cargo of a schooner owned by John Hancock. The 
officers sought refuge from the mob in the fort in the harbor, and in 
September, 1768, the Government ordered General Gage to occupy 
" the insolent town of Boston " with a strong military force. This 
measure but increased the disaffection of the Bostonians, and on the 
5th of March, 1770, a collision occurred between the citizens and the 
troops, in which three of tlie former were killed and five wounded. 
This " massacre," as it was called, produced great excitement in all 
the Colonies. The soldiers who had fired on the crowd were tried 
for murder in Boston, and were defended by John Adams and Josiah 
Quincy, who were resolved that they should have impartial justice 
dealt out to them. The evidence showing that the troops did not fire 
until provoked to it by the people, the jury acquitted all the pris- 
oners but two, who were convicted of manslaughter. 

The feeling of the Colonies was so unmistakable that Parliament 
resolved to remove the obnoxious duties. The king, however, ex- 
pressly ordered that at least one nominal duty should be retained, as 
he did not mean to surrender his right to tax the Colonies. In ac- 
cordance with this command, a duty of three per cent, on tea was re- 
tained, and all the others removed. The Americans, however, objected 
to the principle of taxation without representation, and not to the 
amount of the tax, and resolved to discontinue the use of tea until the 
duty should be repealed. Meetings for this purpose were held in the 
principal seaports of the country. When it was ascertained that 
several ships loaded with tea were on their way to Boston, a large 
meeting of citizens was called, at which it was resolved to send the 
vessels back to England. Three ships loaded with tea reached Bos- 
ton soon after, and their owners, in compliance with the public de- 
mand, consented to order them back to England, if the Governor 
would allow them to leave the port. Governor Hutchinson, how- 
ever, refused to allow the ships to go to sea, and on the night of the 
18th of December, a band of citizens, disguised as Indians, seized the 
vessels, emptied the tea into the harbor, and then quietly dispersed 
without harming the vessels. This bold act greatly incensed the 
British Government, and Parliament adopted severe measures for the 
purpose of punishing the Colonies. The harbor of Boston was closed 



128 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to all commerce, and the Government of the Colony ordered to be 
removed to Salem, soldiers were to be quartered on all the Colonies 
at the expense of the citizens, and it was required that all officers who 
should be prosecuted for enforcing these measures should be sent to 
England for trial. 

The excitement in the Colonies over th'ese acts was tremendous. 
Boston was everywhere regarded as the victim of British tyranny, 
and was in constant receipt of assurances of sympathy, and of money 
and provisions for the poor of the town, sent to her from all parts of 
the country. Salem refused to accept the transfer of the seat of Gov- 
ernment, and the authorities of Marblehead requested the merchants 
of Boston to use their port free of charge. Even in London £30,000 
were subscribed for the relief of Boston. The excitement continued 
to increase throughout the country, and the breach between the Colo- 
nies and the mother country grew wider every day. 

On the 5th of September, 1774, a Congress of 55 delegates, repre- 
senting all the Colonies except Georgia, whose royalist governor 
prevented an election, met in Philadelphia. It was composed of the 
ablest men in America, among whom were Washington, Patrick 
Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Edward Rutledge, John Rutledge, 
Christopher Gadsden, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Roger Sherman, 
Philip Livingston, William Livingston, John Jay, Dr. Witherspoon, 
Peyton Randolph, and Charles Thomson. This body, after consider- 
ing the grievances of the Colonies, adopted a declaration setting forth 
their rights as subjects of the British crown to a just share in the 
making of their own laws, and in imposing their own taxes, to the 
right of a speedy trial by jury in the community in which the offence 
should be committed, and to the right to hold public meetings and 
petition for redress of grievances. A protest against the unconstitu- 
tional Acts of the British Parliament was adoped, as well as a petition 
to the king, an appeal to the British people, and a memorial to the 
people of the Colonies. The Congress proposed, as a means of re- 
dress, the formation of an "American Association," whose members 
should pledge themselves not to trade with Great Britain or the West 
Indies, or with any persons engaged in the slave trade, and to refrain 
from using British goods or tea. The papers drawn up by the 
Congress were transmitted to England. The Earl of Chatham (Wil- 
liam Pitt) was deeply impressed by them, and declared in Parliament 
that "all attempts to impose servitude upon such a mighty continental 
nation must be vain." The English people, as a general rule, were 



THE UNITED STATES. 129 

sincerely anxious that the demands of the Americans should be com- 
plied with, and even Lord North, the Prime Minister, who carried 
the measures in question through Parliament, was in his hsart op- 
posed to them, and only continued in office to uphold them at the 
express command of the king, who was obstinately determined upon 
whipping his American subjects into submission. 

Few of the leaders of the Colonists now doubted that hostilities 
would soon begin, and with a view to prepare for the emergency, the 
Colonies began to take steps for raising and arming troops at a 
minute's warning. These preparations were especially vigorous in 
Massachusetts, and alarmed General Gage, who fortified Boston neck, 
and commenced to seize all the arras and munitions of war he could 
find in the province. The Colonial authorities of Massachusetts had 
established small stores of arras and ammunition at Worcester and 
Concord, and General Gage resolved to secure them. On the night 
of the 18th of April, 1775, he sent a large detachment of troops to 
destroy the stores at Concord. It was his design that the movement 
should be secret, but he was so closely watched by the patriots that 
the march of 'his troops was instantly discovered, and the alarm 
spread through the country by messengers. The people at once flew 
to arras, and when the troops reached Lexington, a village half way 
between Boston and Concord, on the morning of the 19th, Major Pit- 
cairn, their commander, found his progress opposed by a considerable 
number of the country people. He ordered his men to fire upon 
thera. The order was obeyed, and the citizens were driven oif with 
a loss of eight killed and several wounded. The troops then pro- 
ceeded to Concord, where they destroyed some stores, but upon reach- 
ing the north bridge over Concord River, they met with a de- 
termined resistance from the people, who had now assembled in con- 
siderable force, and were obliged to retreat to Boston. The Colonists 
followed them closely on their retreat, pouring in a galling fire from 
every convenient point. The total loss of the British on this occasion 
was 273 men killed and wounded. 

This battle, if a battle it can be called, put an end to the long dis- 
pute between America and Great Britain, and inaugurated the Revo- 
lution. Previous to this, no one ever heard, as Jefferson remarks, 
"a whisper of a disposition to separate from Great Britain," but after 
the first surprise of the shock had worn off, the people of the Colonies 
commenced to take up arms for freedom. On the 22d of April, the 
authorities of Massachusetts ordered that a New England army of 



130 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




KUINS OF TICONDEROGA. 



30,000 men should be put in the field, and that Massachusetts should 
furnish 13,000 of these. Troops were raised with rapidity under this 
authority, and by the 1st of May, an army of 20,000 men was en- 
camped before Boston. 

In the other Colonies equally important measures were set on foot. 
The fortresses of Ticonderoga and Crown Point were seized by vol- 
unteers from Connecticut and Vermont, led by Benedict Arnold and 
Ethan Allen. The cannon and stores taken with them were of in- 
calculable service to the Americans, who were sadly in need of mili- 
tary supplies. 

In Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia, the people took up 
arras as soon as the news from the North was received, and in North 
Carolina a convention was held at Charlotte, in Mecklenburg county, 
which body, in May, 1775, proclaimed the independence of the 
people of North Carolina, and prepared to resist the authority of Great 
Britain by force of arms. 



THE UNITED STATES. 131 

On the 10th of May, 1775, the second Colonial Congress met at 
Philadelphia. It was composed of the most eminent men of the 
country, among whom were Washington, Franklin, Hancock, John 
Adams, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Jay, 
George Clinton, Jefferson, and others. The proceedings of this body 
were eminently moderate. The first step taken was to elect John 
Hancock President of the Congress. A petition to the king was 
drawn up, and forwarded to him, denying any intention to separate 
from Great Britain, and asking only for redress of the wrongs of 
which the Colonies complained. A federal Union of the Colonies 
was formed, and the Congress assumed and exercised the general gov- 
ernment of the country. Measures were taken to establish an army, 
to procure military supplies, and to fit out a navy. A loan of 
$2,000,000 was authorized, and the faith of the " United Colonies " 
pledged for its payment. The troops before Boston were organized 
as a Continental army, and placed under the control of the Congress, 
and Washington was elected Commander-in-Chief. As soon as he 
received his commission, he set out for Boston, but did not arrive 
there until after the occurrence of the events now to be related. 

Alarmed by the presence of the American forces before Boston, the 
British commander in that town formed the plan of seizing and forti- 
fying Bunker Hill in Charlestown. His plan was betrayed to the 
A.mericans, who at once sent a force under Colonel William Prescott 
to fortify the hill. Prescott misunderstood his instructions, and pro- 
f^eeded to fortify Breed's Hill, which, though inferior in height to 
Bunker Hill, was nearer to Boston, and more perfectly commanded 
the harbor. He threw up a slight breastwork during the night of 
the 16th of June, which was discovered by the British on the morn- 
ing of the 17th. A force of 3000 regulars was detailed to carry the 
hill, assisted by the fire of the royal ships in the harbor. The Ameri- 
can force was scarcely more than half this number, and consisted of 
raw and undisciplined provincials. They repulsed two assaults, 
however, inflicting upon their enemies a loss of 1045 men killed and 
wounded ; but were at length, after their ammunition had given out, 
driven from the hill. They retreated across Charlestown neck to 
Cambridge, which was held by the Continental army, having lost 449 
men killed, wounded, and prisoners. Among the killed was General 
Joseph Warren, of Boston, one of the most valuable of the American 
leaders. This battle, though an actual defeat for the Americans, was 
Regarded by them as a victory, inasmuch as it demonstrated their 



132 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ability to hold their ground against the regular troops of Great 
Britain, and inspired them with a confidence which attended them 
during the entire war. • 

Washington reached the army before Boston several days after the 
battle of Bunker Hill, and immediately took command. He was re- 
ceived with enthusiasm by the troops and people. He was accom- 
panied by General Charles Lee, an officer who had seen service before. 
Congress had appointed a full complement- of general officers for the 
army, all of whom were with their commands. The Major-Generals 
were : Charles Lee, of Virginia, Philip Schuyler, of New York, Arte- 
mas Ward, of Ma.ssachusetts, and Israel Putnam, of Connecticut. 
The Brigadiers were : Horatio Gates, Seth Pomeroy, Richard Mont- 
gomery, David Wooster, William Heath, Joseph Spencer, John 
Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathanael Greene. Of all these. Gates 
was the only man who possessed sufficient experience to be of much 
assistance to Washington in the task of perfecting the organization of 
the army, which was in reality little better than a mere rabble in dis- 
cipline, clothing, and equipment. By extraordinary exertions, Wash- 
ington and Gates at length succeeded in bringing the force to a 
tolerably effective condition. Boston was at once regularly besieged, 
and closely invested until March 17th, 1776, when, Washington 
having secured a position from which his cannon could render the 
city untenable, the British forces evacuated the place, and sailed for 
Halifax. They were accompanied by a large body of loyalists, who 
feared to remain in the town after its occupation by the Americans. 

Meanwhile, during the progress of the siege of Boston, other opera- 
tions had been going on elsewhere. General Montgomery had been 
sent into Canada with a small, weak force, to conquer that province, 
which was believed to be disaffected towards England. His second 
in command was Benedict Arnold, who rendered brilliant service 
during the campaign. The principal event of the invasion was a joint 
attack upon Quebec by Montgomery and Arnold, which was unsuc- 
cessful, and in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded. 
The expedition accomplished nothing of importance, and was com- 
pelled to return to the Colonies, after suffering great losses and con- 
siderable hardships. 

A British fleet attacked and burned Falmouth (now Portland, 
Maine) on the New England coast, and committed many outrages on 
the coast of Virginia. A powerful force, under Sir Peter Parker, 
attacked Fort Sullivan, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina^ 



THE UNITED STATES. 



133 




INDEPENDENCE HALL IN 1776. 



and was repulsed with heavy loss. The Americans managed 
during the year to fit out several cruisers, which were fortunate 
enough to capture a number of prizes loaded with military stores 
for the British army, and which proved of infinite service to the 
Americans. 

Indeed, these captures seemed providential, for often when the 
stock of arras and munitions was running low, a cruiser would 
make its way into port with a prize laden with the supplies most 
needed, which it had taken from the enemy. 

Congress took measures for the active prosecution of the war. 
Supplies were drawn from the West Indies, and a regular system for 
that purpose inaugurated ; powder mills and cannon founderies were 
provided for; thirteen frigates were ordered to be built (a few of 
which eventually got to sea) ; a committee of war, one of finance, and 
a secret committee, to which was entrusted the negotiations of the 
Colonies with the individuals and authorities of foreign States, were 
appointed; and an energeticj if defective, system of government for 
9 



184 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the "United Colonies" was fairly established. Finally, on the 4tb 
of July, 1776, Congress adopted a declaration on behalf of" the Colo- 
nies, declaring their independence of the English crown, and pro- 
claiming that henceforth the Colonies were free and independent 
States. This declaration changed the entire nature of the strus-gle. 
" The war," says Bancroft, " was no longer a civil war ; Britain was 
become to the United States a foreign country. Every former subject 
of the British king in the thirteen Colonies now owed primary allegi- 
ance to the dynasty of the people, and became citizens of the new 
republic; except in this, everything remained as before; every man 
retained his rights; the Colonies did not dissolve into a state of na- 
ture, nor did the new people undertake a social revolution. The 
affairs of internal police and government were carefully retained by 
each separate State, which could, each for itself, enter upon the career 
of domestic reforms. But the States which were henceforth indepen- 
dent of Britain, were not independent of one another; the United 
States of America assumed powers over war, peace, foreign alliances, 
and commerce." 

As he supposed that New York would be the next object of attack 
by the British, Washington transferred his army to that j^lace imme- 
diately after his occupation of Boston. He had not long to wait, for 
in June, Admiral I^iord Howe entered New Y''ork bay Mith a formi- 
dable fleet and 30,000 troops, consisting principally of German mer- 
cenaries hired by the King of England. The troops were landed on 
Staten Island, and preparations made for attacking the city of New 
York. Lord Howe issued a proclamation to the people of America, 
offering a free pardon to all who would lay down their arms and ac- 
cept the king's clemency; but the proclamation produced no effect 
whatever upon the patriots, who were convinced that they could ex- 
pect but a poor regard for their rights and liberties at the hands of 
King George. 

Washington's force was vastly inferior to that c^ the enemy in 
every respect. He was compelled to divide it, and to place a portion 
of it on Long Island, in order to cover the approaches to the city of 
New Y^ork. The force on Long Island was attacked and defeated by 
the British on the 27th of August, 1776, and compelled to abandon 
the island. The enemy followed up their successes, and finally 
obliged Washington to give up INIanhattan Island and the lower 
Hudson. Disasters now fell thickly upon the Americans, and by the 
close of the year Washington had been driven across the Delaware, 



THE UNITED STATES. 135 

and had with him less than 4000 half-starved and miserably equipped 
troops. The British had by this time taken possession of the island 
of Rhode Island, and had made a descent upon Baskingridge, New 
Jersey, and had captured General Ciiarles Lee. By December, 1776, 
the cause of the Colonies seemed so desperate that the people generally 
began to abandon the hope of liberty and apply themselves to the task 
of making their peace, individually, with the royal authorities. In- 
fluenced by this state of affairs, Sir William Howe, the British 
Commander-in-Chief, refrained from making a vigorous eifort to fol- 
low up his antagonist and crush him. 

At this hour, when everything was so gloomy, Washington was 
calm and hopeful. He had expected reverses, and they did not dis- 
may him. He did what lay in his power to cheer and encourage the 
little band of heroes who remained faithful to him, and watched the 
enemy with sleepless vigilance, and at length discovered an opportu- 
nity for striking a powerful blow in behalf of his country. Perceiving 
that the Advanced wing of the English army occupied an exposed 
position at Trenton, New Jersey, he crossed the Delaware witli his 
army, in open boats, in the midst of snow and ice, on the night of the 
25th of December, and falling suddenly upon the enemy at daybreak 
the next morning, completely routed them, capturing 1000 prisoners, 
1000 stand of arms, 6 brass field pieces, and 4 standards. On the 
night of the 2()th, he recrossed the Delaware, and returned to his 
camp in Pennsylvania. On the .3d of January, 1777, he again de- 
feated a strong British detachment at Princeton, New Jersey, and in 
a short while had cleared that State almost entirely of the enemy. 

These victories, so brilliant and so audacious, completely startled 
the British, who had believed the war virtually over in the North, 
and aroused, as if by magic, the drooping spirits of the Americans. 
Congress, which had remained unmoved by the disasters of 1776, now 
inaugurated a series of more vigorous measures than had yet been de- 
termined upon. Washington was invested with almost dictatorial 
powers; troops were ordered to be enlisted for three years, instead of 
one year, which was the term of the first levies; a central government 
was established, and a constitution, known as the ''Articles of Con- 
federation," was adopted by the States (Maryland did not ratify these 
articles until the next year) ; and agents were sent to foreign 
countries to procure the recognition of the independence of the United 
States. 

When the campaign of 1777 opened, the prospects of the country 



136 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

had so far improved that Washington found himself at the head of 
an army of 7000 men. Sir William Howe made repeated efforts to 
bring on a general engagement, but Washington skilfully avoided it, 
and (he British General finally withdrew his army from New Jersey, 
and occupied Staten Island. Soon after this, he sailed with 16,000 
men for the Chesapeake, and, landing at Elk River, in Maryland, 
advanced through Delaware towards Philadelphia, which was the 
seat of the Federal Government. Washington endeavored to check 
•the progress of the enemy on the Brandywine, September 11th, but 
was defeated with a loss of 1000 men. The British occupied Phila- 
de]i)hia a few days later, and Congress withdrew to Lancaster, and 
then to York, Pennsylvania. On the 4th of October, Washington 
made a vigorous attack upon the British force at Germantown, 7 
miles from Philadelphia, but was rej)ulsed with severe loss. This 
event closed the campaign in the ]\Iiddle States. 

In the North, the American forces had been more successful. 
General Burgoyne, with 7000 regular troops and a considerable force 
•of Canadians and Indians, entered the United States from Canada 
during the summer of 1777, and advanced as far as Fort Edward, on 
the upper Hudson. From this point a strong detachment was sent 
•to Bennington, in Vermont, to destroy the stores collected there by 
the Americans. This force was routed with a loss of 800 men, by 
the militia of New Hampshire and Vermont, under General Stark. 
The battle occurred at Bennington, on the 16th of August, 1777. 
■Burgoyne then advanced towards Saratoga, New York, making his 
way through the woods until he reached the vicinity of that place, 
rwhen he was met by the American army, under General Gates, to 
;whom the command of the Northern department had been recently 
assigned. An indecisive battle was fought between the two armies 
on the 19th of September, and a second and more decisive engage- 
ment occurred on the 7th of October, on nearly the same ground. 
Burgoyne was considerably worsted, and endeavored to return to 
Canada, but finding his retreat cut off, surrendered his entire army to 
the American forces, upon favorable terms, on the 17th of October. 

This victory, the most important of the war, greatly elated the 
Americans and their friends in Europe, while it depressed the Tories 
or loyalists in America to an equal degree. It advanced the bills of 
-the Continental Congress, and had the effect of inducing the French 
Government, Avhich had secretly encouraged and aided the Colonies 
from the first, to recognize the independence of the States, and in 



THE UNITED STATES. 137 

February, 1778, a treaty of friendship, commerce, and alliance was 
signed at Paris, by the French King and the American Commission- 
ers. Great Britain seemed to realize now, for the first time, that she 
was about to lose her Colonies, and endeavored to repair her mistaUes. 
On the 11th of March, 1778, Parliament repealed the Acts which had 
proved so obnoxious to the Colonies, and subsequently sent three 
commissioners to negotiate a reconciliation witii the Americans. As' 
these commissioners had no authority to consent to the independence 
of the States, Congress refused to treat with them until the king 
should withdraw his forces from the country, and rejected the terms 
offered by the British Government. 

Washington's army went into winter quarters at the Valley Forge, 
20 miles from Philadelphia, about the middle of December, 1777. 
The troops suffered terribly from exposure, hunger, and the dreadful 
privations to which they were subjected, but remained with their 
colors through it all. Their devotion was rewarded in the spring by 
the news of the alliance with France, which reached them in May, 
1778, and was greeted with demonstrations of the liveliest joy. 

The first result of the French alliance was the arrival in the Dela- 
ware of a fleet, under Count D'Estaing. D'Estaing had been ordered 
to blockade the British fleet in the Delaware, and arrived off the 
Capes in June, but before his arrival the enemy's ships had taken 
refuge in Raritan B.iy. The British army in- Philadelphia was now 
commanded by Sir Henry Clinton, who had succeeded General Howe. 
On the ISlh of June, Clinton withdrew his force from that city, and 
began his retreat through New Jersey to New York. Washin'j'tou 
pursued him promptly, and came up with him, on the 28th of June, 
on the [)lains of Monmoutii, near the town of Freehold, N. J., where 
a severe engagement took place. Although the result was indecisive, 
Clinton resumed his retreat to New York, and remained there for the 
rest of the summer, without making any effort to resume hostilities. 

In August, an attempt was made by the Americans, assisted by the 
French fleet, to drive the British from Rhode Island, but without 
success. D'Estaing withdrew from the coast soon after this, and re- 
turned to the West Indies, having rendered little practical aid during 
his presence in American waters. 

The finances of the country were now in the greatest confusion, and 
nothing but the wisdom and unshrinking patriotism of Robert Mon-is 
saved t!ie infant republic from utter bankruptcy and ruin. It is 
worthy of remark that a grateful country suffered this man to die in 



1^8 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

a debtor's prison. On the whole, however, the cause of the States 
Avas much improved. Besides the alliance with France, they had the 
secret encouragement and assistance of Spain. They had confined the 
British to the territory held by that array in 1776, and had a larger 
and better disciplined army than they had yet possessed. 

In 1779, the principal mrlitary operations were transferred to the 
South. Savannah had been already captured on the.29th'of Decem- 
ber, 1778, by an expedition sent from New York by Sir Henry 
Clinton, and by the summer of 1779, the whole State of Georgia was 
in the hands of the British. In September, 1779, the French fleet 
and a land force of Americans under General Lincoln attempted to 
recover Savannah, but were repulsed with a loss of 1000 men. 

On the 16th of June, 1779, Spain declared war against England, 
and, in the summer of that year, the French King, influenced by the 
appeals of Lafayette, who had visited France for that purpose, agreed 
to send another fleet and a strong body of troops to the assistance of 
the Americans. The cruisers of the United States Avere doing con- 
siderable damage to the British commerce at sea and in British 
waters, and Paul Jones, on the 23d of September, fought and won 
one of the most desperate battles known to naval warfare, in 2:)lain 
sight of the English coast. 

Sir Henry Clinton, in obedience to instructions received from 
England, now withdrew his forces from Rhode Island, and concen- 
trated his entire command at New York. Early in 1780, he pro- 
ceeded with the main body of his troops to the South, leaving General 
Knyphausen in command at New York, and at once laid siege to 
Charleston, South Carolina, Avhich Avas held by General Lincoln with 
a force of 2500 men. The city Avas surrendered Avith its garrison, on 
the 17th of May, 1780, after a nominal defence. By the 1st of June, 
the British were in possession of the whole State of South Carolina, 
and Clinton AA^as so Avell convinced of the completeness of its subju- 
gation that he Avent back to New York on the 5th of June, leaving 
the command in the South to Lord Cornwallis. 

Small bands of partisan troops, under Marion, Sumter, Pickens, 
and otiier no less devoted though less famous leaders, now sprang up 
in various parts of the State, and maintained a A'igorous guerilla war- 
fare, from Avhich the enemy suffered greatly. Congress soon after sent 
an army under General Gates into South Carolina to drive the enemy 
frum the State. Gates' success at Saratoga had made him the idol 
of the hour, and there were persons who seriously desired that he 



THE UNITED STATES. 139 

should even supersede Washington himself; but his northern laurels 
soon wilted in the South. Cornwallis met him at Camden, routed 
him with a loss of 1000 men, and drove him into North Carolina. 
By the close of the summer, the only American force in South Caro- 
lina was the little band under General Marion. Cornwallis, feeling 
assured that his communications with Charleston were safe, followed 
Gates' beaten army into North Carolina, towards the middle of Sep- 
tember. On the 7th of October, a strong detachment of his army 
was totally defeated, with a loss of 1200 men, by the militia of North 
Carolina, at King's Mountain. This was a severe blow to him, and 
checked his advance. At the same time Marion and Pickens renewed 
their warfare in South Carolina so actively, and rendered Cornwallis' 
communications with the sea so uncertain, that he withdrew towards. 
Charleston. 

In the North, the British commander vainly endeavored to draw 
Washington into a general engagement, in which he felt confident 
that his vast preponderance of numbers would give him the victory.. 
AV^ashington warily avoided being caught in the trap; and on the 23d 
of June, General Greene inflicted such a stinging defeat upon a 
British force at Springfield, N. J., that Clinton withdrew to New 
York, and remained there for the rest of the year. After the battle 
of Camden, General Greene was sent to the Carolinas, to take com- 
mand of Gates' army. 

On the 10th of July, 1780, a French fleet and 6000 troops, all: 
under the Count de Kochambeau, reached Newport, Rhode Island* 
In September, during the absence of Washington at Hartford, Conn.,, 
whither he had gone to arrange a plan of operations with the French, 
officers, it was discovered that General Benedict Arnold, one of the- 
most brilliant officers of the Continental army, had agreed to deliver 
into the hands of the British the important fortress of West Point,, 
which he commanded at that time. The plot was promptly frus^ 
trated, and the traitor escaped, but Major Andre, a British officer- 
who had concluded the arrangement with him, and whose capture had. 
revealed the plot, was hanged as a spy. 

Towards the close of the year. Great Britain having discovered that 
Holland and the United States were secretly negotiating a treaty of 
alliance, declared war against the Dutch. The war against America,, 
however, still continued unpopular with the English people. 

The campaign of 1781 opened with the brilliant victory at the 
Cowpens, in South Carolina, won over the British under Colonel 



140 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Tarleton by General Morgan, on the 17th of January. On the 15th 
of March the battle of Guilford Court House was fought in North 
Carolina, and resulted in a partial victory for the British. In Sep- 
tember, 1781, the royal forces were terribly beaten in the bloody 
battle of Eutaw Springs, in South Carolina, and compelled to retire 
to the sea coast, to which they were confined until the close of the war. 

Meanwhile, Cornwallis, after the battle of Guilford Court House, 
had advanced into Virginia, driving before him the handful of forces 
under Lafayette, Wayne, and Steuben, wdiich sought to oppose his 
march. He occupied himself chiefly while in V^irginia in destroying 
private property, and at length, in August, 1781, in obedience to 
orders from Sir Henry Clinton, to occupy a strong defensive position 
in Virginia, intrenched himself at Yorktown, near the entrance of 
the York River into Chesapeake Bay. This movement led to an 
immediate change in the plan of operations which had been resolved 
upon by Washington, whose army had been reenforced on the Hudson 
by the French troops under Count de Rochambeau. It had been his 
intention to attack the British in New York with his combined force, 
aided by the French fleet, but Cornwallis' situation offered such a 
tempting opportunity that he at once resolved to transfer his army to 
Virginia. Skilfully deceiving Sir Henry Clinton into the belief that 
New York was the threatened point, and thus preventing him from 
sending assistance to Cornwallis, Washington moved rapidly to Vir- 
ginia, and arrived before the British works at Yorktown, with an 
;army 12,000 strong, on the 28th of September, 1781. The enemy's 
jposition W'as at once invested by land, and the French fleet cul off" all 
fhope of escape by water. The siege was prosecuted with vigor, and 
«on the 19th of October, Cornwallis surrendered his whole army, which 
• consisted of 7000 well equipped troops. 

This victory virtually closed the war. It produced the wildest joy 
in America, and compelled a change of Ministers in England. Lord 
North and his Cabinet retired from oflSce on the 20th of March, 1782, 
and the new administration, perceiving the hopelessness of the 
struggle, resolved to discontinue the war. Orders were sent to the 
^British commanders in America to desist from further hostilities, and 
on the 11th of July, 1782, Savannah was evacuated by the royal 
^troops, which event was followed by the evacuation of Charleston on 
the 14th of December. A preliminary treaty of peace was signed at 
Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, and a formal treaty on the 3d 
of September, 1783. By this formal treaty Great Britain acknow- 



THE UNITED STATES. 141 

ledged her former Colonies to be free, sovereign, and independent 
States, and withdrew her troops from New York on the 25th of No- 
vember, 1783. 

The great war was now over, and the new Republic took its place 
in the family of nations ; but it w'as terribly weakened by its efforts. 
Its finances were in the most pitiful condition, and it had not the 
money to pay the troops it was about to disband, and who were really 
suffering for want of funds. Considerable trouble arose on this account, 
and it required all the great influence of Washington to allay the dis- 
content. The army was disbanded immediately after the close of the 
war, and on the 23rd of December, 1783, Washington resigned his 
commission into the hands of Congress, and retired to his home at 
Mount Vernon. 

It was found that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate to 
the necessities of the Republic, and a new Constitution was adopted by 
the States after much deliberation. It went into operation on the 4th 
of March, 1789. The city of New York was designated as the 
seat of Government. Washington was unanimously chosen the first 
President of the Republic, Avith John Adams as Vice-President, He 
went into office on the 30th of April, 1789. The first riieasures of his 
administration greatly restored the confidence of the people in the Gov- 
ernment, Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, inaug- 
urated a series of financial reforms, which were eminently beneficial. 
The debts of the old Confederated Government and the debts of the 
States themselves, were all assumed by the United States ; a bank of 
th(j United States (which went into operation in February 1794) was 
incorporated, and a national Mint w^as established at Philadelphia. 
An Indian war in the West was firmly and vigorously prosecuted to 
a successful termination, and theneutrality of the Republic with regard 
to the various parties of the great Revolution in France, faithfully 
maintained. 

Washington and Adams were reelected in 1792. The principal 
events of the second term were the firmness with which the President 
met the efforts of the French Republic to embroil the United States 
in another war with England; the demand for the recall of M. Genet, 
the French Minister, which was at length complied with ; the British 
Treaty of 1794 (commonly known as Jay's Treaty), which was so 
Avarmly discussed by the Federalist and Republican parties in this 
country ; the outrageous decrees by which the French Government 
sought to cripple American commerce in revenge for the supposed 



142 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

partiality of our Government for England ; the admission into the 
Union of the States of Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), and Ten- 
nessee (1796); and the Whiskey Insurrection, in 1794, which was a 
formidable outbreak in Western Pennsylvania against an odious excise 
law. Washington promptly suppressed it. 

Washington was urgently importuned to be a candidate for another 
term, but declined, although it was sure that there would be no oppo- 
sition to him. In September, 1796, he issued a " Farewell Address" 
to his countrymen, warning them of the evils to which their new system 
was exposed, and urging them to adhere firmly to the principles of the 
Constitution as their only hope of liberty and happiness. 

The third Presidental election occurred in 1796, and was marked 
by a display of bitterness between the opposing parties never surpassed 
in the subsequent history of the Republic. The Federalists presented 
John Adams as their candidate, while the Republicans advocated the 
claims of Thomas Jefferson. Adams received the highest number of 
votes, and Jefferson the next. By the terms of the Constitution as it 
then existed, Jefferson M-as declared the Vice-President. President 
Adams was opposed with considerable bitterness by his political 
enemies throughout his whole term. The administration of the Navy 
was removed from the War Department in 1798, and a Navy Depart- 
ment established. On the 15th of May, 1797, the President convened 
Congress in extra session to consider the relations of this country with 
France. The French Directory had been j)ursuing for some yeai-s a 
systematic course of outrage towards the ships and citizens of the 
United States, and had carried this to such an extent as to leave little 
doubt that it was their deliberate intention to destroy American com- 
merce. Three envoys were sent to France by President Adams, with 
authority to adjust all differences between the two countries. The 
Directory refused to receive them, but they were given to understand 
that the payment of a large sum of money by their Government would 
greatly tend towards securing proper treatment for our vessels ; and it 
was plainly intimated that if the American Government refused to 
pay this bribe, it would have to go to war for its obstinacy. When 
this message was delivered to the Commissioners, one of their number, 
Charles C. Pinckney, returned this memorable and patriotic reply, in 
which his associates heartily joined: "War be it then; millions for 
defence, but not a cent for tribute." The French Government then 
informed Mr. Gerry, who was a Republican, that he could remain in 
France, but ordered Messrs. Pinckney and Marshall to quit the country. 



THE UNITED STATES. 143 

Great indignation prevailed throughout the Union, when these in- 
sults to the American Commissioners became known. The Govern- 
ment at once took measures to raise an army and navy adequate to 
the struggle which seemed imminent. Washington was appointed Com- 
mander-in-Chief, with the rank of Lieutenant-General, and hostilities 
actually began at sea, where the cruisers of the Republic won several 
brilliant successes over French ships of war. 

The energy and determination thus manifested by the United States 
had a happy effect in France, and the war was finally averted by the 
accession of Napoleon to the dignity of First Consul. The new ruler 
of France intimated his willingness to reopen the negotiations with 
America, and a treaty of peace and amity between the two countries 
was definitely concluded, on the 30th of September, 1800. 

During- the existence of hostilities with France, two laws were 
enacted by Congress, which are generally known as the "Alien and 
vSedition Laws." They empowered the President to send out of the 
country such aliens as should be found conspiring against the peace 
and safety of the Republic, and to restrict the liberty of speech and 
of the press. It was true beyond all doubt, as the Government claimed 
in defence of its course, that the country was overrun with English 
and French agents, who were here for the express purpose of embroil- 
ing the United States in the quarrels in progress in the Old World, 
and that the press, which was controlled mainly by European adven- 
turers, had become so corrupt and licentious as to be highly dangerous 
to the peace of the country. Nevertheless, these Acts aroused such 
a strong opposition throughout the States, that the Federalists were 
overwhelmingly defeated in the next Presidential election. During 
President Adams' term, the seat of Government was removed to Wash- 
ington City. 

In the fourth contest for the Presidency, the votes of the Republican 
party were equally divided between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. 
Each received 73 electoral votes. This threw the election Into the 
House of Representatives, where Jefferson was chosen President and 
Burr Vice-President. This circumstance also occasioned an amend- 
ment to the Constitution (adopted finally in 1804), requiring the elec- 
tors to vote separately, as at present, for President and Vice-President. 
]Mr. Jefferson entered upon his office in March, 1801, 'and soon after 
began to remove the Federalist office-holders under the Government, 
appointed by his predecessor, and to fill their places with Rej)ublicans, 
or Democrats as they now began to call themselves. He justified his 



144 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

course by declaring that Mr. Adams iiad appointed none but Fede- 
ralists to office, and that it was not fair for one party to have all the 
offices, or even a majority of them. This was the beginning of the 
system of removals from office for political causes, which has been the 
bane of our Government ; but it should be added, in justice to Mr. Jef- 
ferson, that he was not guilty of such wholesale political decapitation 
as has usually been pratitised by his successors. His removals Avere 
few in proportion to the whole number of officials. His first term 
was marked by wisdom and vigor. The domestic affairs of the nation 
prospered, and the finances were managed in a masterly manner by 
Albert Gallatin, the great Secretary of the Treasury. Louisiana was 
purchased from France, and the insolence and piracies of the Barbary 
States of Africa punished and stopped. 

In 1804, Mr. Jefferson was reelected, receiving all but^ 14 of the 
electoral votes. Burr was succeeded in the Vice-Presidency by Geori;;(» 
Clinton, and two years later was arrested and tried for a suj)posiul 
attempt to separate the Western States from the Union. He wi.|!5 
acquitted of the charge, and his innocence is now generally admitted. 
American commerce was much injured by the retaliatory decrcei? 
and orders in Council of the French and British Governments, under 
the sanction of which American ships were seized with impunity in 
gross violation of the laws of nations. Great Britain was not content 
with these outrages, but asserted a right to impress American seamen 
into her navy, and to stop and search American vessels for deserters 
from her ships of war. These searches were generally conducted in 
the most aggravating manner, and hundreds of American sailors, 
owing no allegiance to King George, were forced into the British 
service. In June, 1807, the American frigate Chesapeake, on her 
way to the Mediterranean, was stopped off the Chesapeake Bay, by 
the British frigate Leopard, whose commander produced an order 
requiring him to search the ship for deserters. The American vessel 
refused to submit to the search, and was fired into by the Leopard, 
and, being in a helpless condition, was forced to yield with a loss of 
twenty-one of her crew. Four men were taken from her and sent on 
board the Leopard. Three of these afterwards proved to be native- 
born Americans. This outrage aroused a feeling of the most intense 
indignation in America, and the Federal Government at once de- 
manded reparation at the hands of Great Britain, which was evaded 
for the time, but finally made in 1811. 

On the 11th of November, 1807, England issued an order in 



THE UNITED STATES. 145 

Council, forbidding neutral vessels to enter the ports of France until 
they had first touched nt a British port and paid a duty; and the 
next month Napoleoxi .replied to this, by issuing a decree from Milan, 
ordering the confi^cp.t'.O of every vessel which should submit to search 
by or pay any duties to the British authorities. These two piratical 
decrees, each of which was enforced by a powerful navy, meant simply 
the destruction of all neutral commerce, and that of America in par- 
ticular. Mr. Jefferson recommended to Congress, in December, to 
lay an embargo, detaining all vessels, American or foreign, in the 
ports of the United States, and to order the immediate return home 
of all American vessels. This measure, which was a most singular 
expedient, was adopted, and gave rise to such intense dissatisfaction 
in all parts of the country, that it was repealed in February, 1809. 

As Mr. Jefferson declined to be a candidate for a third term, the 
Democratic party supported James Madison, of Virginia, for the 
Presidency, and George Clinton, of New York, for the Vice-Presi- 
dency, and elected them in 1808. They were inaugurated in March, 
1809. The measures of Mr. Jefferson's second term, and especially 
the embargo, had given rise to considerable opposition to the Demo- 
cracy, and this opposition was now directed against the new adminis- 
tration with no little bitterness, and followed it persistently until its 
withdrawal from power. 

Great Britain, instead of discontinuing her outrages upon American 
seamen and commerce, increased them every day, persistently refusing 
to be influenced by the protests and representations of the United 
States ; and our Government, having at length exhausted all peace- 
able means of redress, was compelled to defend its rights with arms. 
War was declared against England on the 3d of June, 1812, and 
measures looking to the conquest of Canada were at once set on foot. 
The nation was poorly prepared for war. The embargo iiad almost 
entirely destroyed the revenue of the Government, and the finances 
were in a state of sad confusion ; the navy consisted of only eight 
frigates and seven other vessels ; and the army was a mere handful 
of inefficient recruits. Still, America possessed this advantage. Great 
Britain was forced to make such tremendous exertions to carry on her 
war with France, that she did not have much vStrength left to expend 
upon this country. This is shown by the fact that England made no 
effort to blockade our coast until the 20th of March, 1813, when, 
having sent a strong fleet to our waters, she proclaimed the blockade 
of the entire American coast, except the shores of New England. 



146 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Congress authorized the President to increase the regular army by 
25,000 men, and to call for 50,000 volunteers. The calls were 
responded to promptly in some of the States, tardily in some, and 
almost ignored in others, for the country was far from being united 
in support of the war. 

Hostilities began in the Northwest. Previous to the war, the 
Indians of that region, instigated by British emissaries, commenced to 
make war upon the American settlements, under the leadership of the 
famous Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. General Harrison (afterwards 
President), the Governor of the Territory of Indiana, as soon as he 
learned of this, organized a considerable force of Western militia, and 
marched against the savages, whom he defeated with terrible loss, in 
a sanguinary battle at Tippecanoe, on the banks of the Wabash River, 
on the 7th of November, 1811. Though defeated in this battle, Te- 
cumseh was not conquered. He passed the next six months in re- 
organizing his forces, and with the beginning of the summer of 1812, 
renewed hostilities. General Hull, then Governor of Michigan, was 
sent to meet him with a force of 2000 men. He had just begun his 
march when war was declared against England, and he was ordered 
to discontinue his expedition against the Indians, and invade Canada. 
His force was utterly inadequate to such an undertaking, but the War 
Department was too stupid to perceive this. He entered Canada from 
Detroit, was met by a superior force of British and Indians, under 
General Brock, and was driven back to Detroit with a loss of 1200 men. 
This reduced his army to 800 men, with which he could do absolutely 
nothing. On the 16th of August, he surrendered Detroit to the 
enemy, who had followed him from Canada. This placed the whole 
of Michigan in the hands of General Brock. An invasion of Canada 
fi"om the Niagara frontier was also undertaken by our forces during 
the fall of 1812. It was a most disastrous failure. 

These defeats on land, however, were partly atoned for by our suc- 
cesses at sea. The navy had been utterly neglected by the Govern- 
ment at the outset of the war, and had been left to win by good service 
whatever encouragement it afterwards received. It achieved during 
the latter part of 1812 a series of brilliant victories, which placed it 
in the proud position it has since held. On the 19th of August, the 
frigate Constitution, Captain Hull, captured the British frigate 
Guerriere ; on the 1 8th of October, the sloop of war Wasp, Captain 
Jones, captured the British brig Frolic ; on the 25th of October, the 
frigate United States, Captain Decatur, captured the British frigate 



THE UNITED STATES. 147 

Macedonian ; and on the 29th of December, the Constitution, Captain 
Bainbridge, captured the British frigate Java. Privateers were sent 
to sea in great numbers, and, by the close of the year 1812, had cap- 
tured over 300 English merchant vessels. 

The Government renewed its efforts against Canada with the open- 
ing of tiie campaign of 1813. An army, under General Harrison, 
was collected near the head of Lake Erie, and styled the Array of the 
West ; an Army of the "Centre, under General Dearborn, was stationed 
along the Niagara frontier; and an Army of the North, under General 
Wade Hampton, was posted in northern New York, on the border of 
Lake (^ham plain. There were numerous engagements between these 
forces and the enemy, but nothing definite was accomplished during 
the first half year. In April, General Pike, with a force of 1700 
Americans, captured' York (now Toronto), the capital of Upper 
Canada, but was himself killed by the explosion of a mine fired by 
the enemy. The town was not held, however, and the success of the 
attack was fully balanced by the terrible disaster which had befallei^ 
the Western Army, in January, at River Raisin, in which a detach- 
ment of 800 men, under General Winchester, had been defeated and 
the greater portion of them massacred by the Indians, who were now 
the open allies of the English. In May, the British made an attack 
on Sackett's Harbor, on Lake Ontario, but were repulsed. In the 
same month, an American force, under General Boyd and Colonel 
MilLer, captured Fort George, in Canada, inflicting upon the British 
a loss of nearly 1000 men. Nothing definite was accomplished on 
the Niagara frontier, owing to the quarrels between Generals Wilkin- 
son and Hampton, and the grand invasion of Canada, from which so 
much had been expected, never took place. The great events of the 
year, however, were the destruction of the British fleet on Lake Erie, 
by the squadron of Captain Oliver H. Perry, on the 10th of Se[)tember, 
wiiich caused the enemy to abandon the lake and with it the shores 
of Michigan and Ohio ; and the battle of the Thames, in Canada, in 
which the Western Army, under General Harrison, on the 6th of 
October, utterly defeated a strong British column, under General 
Proctor, and a force of 2000 Indians, under Tecumseh, inflicting upon 
them a severe loss in killed and wounded — Tecumseh himself being 
among the former — and taking 600 prisoners, 6 pieces of cannon, and 
large quantities of stores. 

At sea, this year, the American brig Hornet, Captain Lawrence, 
captured the Peacock. On the 24th of February, Captain Lawrence 



148 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SCENE OF THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 



was put in command of the frigate Chesapeake, which was captured 
by the British frigate Shannon, off Boston, on the 1st of June. Law- 
rence was mortally wounded in this engagement. On the 5th of 
September, the American brig Enterprise, Lieutenant Burrows, cap- 
tured the British brig Boxer, Lieutenant Blythe. Both commanders 
were killed in the fight. 

The campaign of 1814 was more»important. The war in Europe 
having closed, large numbers of Wellington's veteran troops were 
sent over to America. They reached this country during 'the latter 
part of the year. On the 5th of July, the American army, under 
General Brown, defeated the British at Chippewa. On the 25th of 
the same month, General Brown won a second victory over the enemy 



THE UNITED STATES. 149 

at Lundy's liane, or Bridge water. General Winfield Scott held an 
important command in each of these engagements, and was wounded 
in the latter. Towards the close of the summer, Sir George Prevost, 
having been strongly reenforced from Wellington's army, invaded the 
United States from Canada, at tlie head of 14,000 men. He was ac- 
companied hy a powerful fleet, which moved up Lake Champlain. 
He was me"t at Plattsburg, New York, on the 3d of September, by 
the little army of General Macomb and a small fleet under Commo- 
dore Macdonough. Macdonough inflicted a terrible defeat on the 
British squadron, utterly routing it with heavy loss, and General 
Macomb at the same time repulsed every effort on the part of the 
land forces of Sir George Prevost, who, dismayed at his disasters, 
retreated hastily into Canada, with a loss of 2500 men and the greater 
part of his fleet. 

In August, a British army, under General Ross, landed on the 
shore of the Patuxent Piver, in Maryland, and advanced upon the 
city of Washington, defeating the small American force which so ight 
to bar its way at Bladensburg. General Ross succeeded in occupying 
Washington, from which, after burning the public buildings, he re- 
tired to his fleet, which had ascended the Potomac to Alexandria, to 
meet him. He then passed up to Baltimore, landing at North Point, 
near that city, ^vhile his fleet made a sharp attack upon Fort Mc- 
Henry, which commanded the approach by water to the city. The 
fleet was repulsed by the fort, and Ross was killed in a skirmish near 
North Point. His successor at once reembarked the army, and 
abandoned the effort against Baltimore. At sea, the American frigates 
Essex and President were taken by superior forces of the enemy, 
while the British sloops of war, Epervier, Avon, Reindeer, Cyane, 
Levant, and Penguin were captured by the American cruisers. 

During the remainder of the year, nothing of importance occurred 
on land, but in January, 1815, a British force of 12,000 of Welling- 
ton's veteran troops made an attack upon the city of New Orleans, 
but were defeated with the loss of their commander and 2000 men, 
by 5000 American troops under General Jackson. This battle was 
fought after a treaty of peace had been signed in Europe between the 
United States and Great Britain, but before the news had reached 
America. The victory was most important to the Americans, for had 
the result been different, there can be little doubt that England would 
have disregarded the treaty and have clung to a conquest which would 
have given her the control of the mouth of the Mississipjji. In this 
10 



150 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




THE PLAIN OF CHALMETTE : SCENE OF THE BATTLE 
OF NEW ORLEANS. 



case, either the war would have been prolonged upon a more formid- 
able scale, or the destiny of the great West would have been marred 
forever. 

The restoration of peace in Europe upon the downfall of Napoleon 
removed many of the vexatious issues which had produced the war in 
this country, and disposed the British Government to be just in its 
dealings with America. Negotiations were begun in 1814, and a 
treaty of peace was finally signed at Ghent, on the 24th of December, 
1814. By the terms of this treaty, the two Governments agreed to 
settle the vexed question of a boundary between the United States 
and Canada, and to mutually return all territory taken during the 



THE UNITED STATES. 151 

war,' and arranged some minor details relating to their future inter- 
course, but nothing was said of the question of the impressment of 
American seamen, the chief cause of the war. Inasmuch, however, 
as Great Britain has never since then attempted such outrages, this 
question also may be regarded as settled by the war. During the 
war, the Barbary States resumed their old acts of piracy upon Ameri- 
can vessels, notwithstanding the pledges which they had given, and 
upon the return of peace with England, a strong naval force under 
Commodores Bainbridge and Decatur was sent to the Mediterranean. 
This expedition forced the Barbary Powers to make indemnity for 
their piracies, and to pledge themselves to cease to molest American 
vessels in the future. 

The Federalist party had always opposed the war with England, 
and during its continuance gave it no assistance beyond the aid which 
the laws of the land extorted from them. The strength of this party 
lay in the New England States, "vvhere the losses occasioned by the 
war fell heaviest. The Federalists denounced the war as unnecessary 
and unjust, and waged in reality for the benefit of France rather than 
of America, and complained that while they lost heavily by it, the 
Government did nothing for the protection of the Eastern States. 
To remedy the evils of which they complained, their leaders met in 
Convention at Hartford, Conn., near the close of the war. The Con- 
vention recommended certain measures to the Legislatures of the 
Eastern States limiting the power of the General Government over 
the militia of the States, and urged the adoption of several amend- 
ments to the Constitution. The news of the treaty of peace put a 
stop to all further proceedings of this body. The Convention resulted 
in nothing but the ultimate destruction of the Federalist party, Avhich 
came to be regarded by the people at large as having been untrue to 
the Republic in its hour of need. 

Mr. Madison was reelected President, and Elbridge Gerry chosen 
Vice-President, in 1812. Thus the former had the satisfaction of 
condu(!ting the war, which had been begun during his administration, 
to a successful close. He declined to be a candidate for a third term, 
and James Monroe, of Virginia, was nominated by the Democratic 
party, and elected in 1816, with Daniel D. Tompkins, of New York, 
as Vice-President. Mr. Monroe had been Secretary of State during 
the greater part of Mr. Madison's administration. 

The return of peace found the country burdened with a debt of 
$80,000,000, and with almost a total absence of specie in its mercan- 



152 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tile transactions, the majority of the banks having suspended payments 
of gold and silver. In 1817, Congress established a National Bank 
at Philadelphia, with a charter for twenty years and a OiUpital of 
$35,000,000. The notes of this institution supplied to a great extent 
the demand for a circulating medium of uniform value throughout the 
country, and did much to relieve the financial distress of the period. 

Two States were added to the Union during Mr. Madison's admin- 
istration, Louisiana (in 1812) and Indiana (in 1816). 

Mr. Monroe had been exceedingly popular as Secretary of State, 
and the good will of the people followed him into the Presidential 
chair. His administration proved so acceptable to all parties that he 
was reelected in 1820 by every electoral vote but one. Five new 
States were admitted into the Union during his continuance in office, 
viz: Mississippi (1817), Illinois (1818), Alabama (1819), Maine 
(1820), and Missouri (1821). 

For some years the opposition to African slavery in America had 
been spreading through the Northern States, and had been steadily 
gathering strength. When the territory of Missouri presented its pe- 
tition to Congress for admission as a State with a Constitution sanc- 
tioning slavery within its limits, there was a very general determination 
expressed on the part of the Fi'ce-labor States to oppose the admission 
of another Slaveholding State. The Southern members of the Con- 
federacy, on the other hand, insisted upon the right of Missouri to 
choose its own institutions, and threatened to withdraw from the 
Union if this right was denied her by excluding her from the Union. 
A bitter contest with regard to the subject of slavery now developed 
itself between the two section^ of the Republic, which ceased only 
with the late Rebellion. The country was agitated in every portion, 
and the best men of the land expressed grave fears that the Union 
would be torn to pieces by the violence of the contending parties. 
After much wrangling, however, Henry Clay succeeded in procuring 
the passage of a series of measures known as the " Missouri Com- 
promise." By this arrangement, Missouri was admitted into the 
Union with her slaveholding Constitution, and slavery was forever 
prohibited in that portion of the Territory of the Republic lying north 
of 36° 30' N. latitude. This Compromise was regarded as a final 
settlement of the slavery question, and had the effect of securing about 
thirty years of quiet and repose for the country. 

During Mr. Monroe's Presidency, the Spanish Republics of South 
America declared their independence of Spain, and successfully main- 



THE UNITED STATES. 153 

tained it for several years. In 1822, they were ' recognized by the 
United States. In his annual message for the year 1823, Mr. Monroe 
gave utterance to the following principle, which has since been dis- 
tinctly recognized by successive administrations as the unwavering 
policy of the United States : " That as a principle the American con- 
tinents, by the free and independent position which they have assumed 
and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for 
future colonization by any European power." This declaration is 
commonly known as the " Monroe Doctrine." 

• Mr. Monroe declined to be a candidate for reelection in the political 
campaign of 1824. A' number of candidates were presented to the 
people, but the popular vote merely threw the election into the House 
of Representatives, when John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, was 
chosen President. John C. Calhoun, of South Carolina, had already 
been chosen Vice-President by the people. The principal event of 
this administration was the adoption for the first time of a high tariff 
for the purpose of protecting American manufactures from the com- 
petition of foreign importations. This act was sustained by the 
Northern people, who were engaged in manufactures, and for whose 
benefit it was adopted, but was bitterly denounced by the South, 
which, being an agricultural country, naturally desired the liberty of 
buying her goods where they could be procured best and cheapest. 
The division of sentiment thus produced grew more distinct every 
day, and brought about considerable trouble in the end. There can 
be no doubt that it was one of the principal causes of the late civil 
war. 

In 1828, Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, was elected President 
over Mr. Adams, and John C. Calhoun chosen Vice-President a sec- 
ond time. The President, at the outset of his term, increased the 
number of his Constitutional advisers by inviting the Postmaster- 
General to a seat in his Cabinet. The right of the Postmaster-General 
to such a place had never been conceded before, but has always been 
acknowledged since 1829. 

The new President began his career by advising Congre.'ss, in his 
annual message, not to extend the 0[>erations of the Nationiil Bank, 
whose directors sought a renewal of its charter. He declared that 
the existence of such an institution was not authorizetl by the Consti- 
tution. This inaugurated a long and bitter contest between the ad- 
ministration and tiie friends of the. bank, which was sustained by 
almost the entii-e mercantile community. In 1832, Congress passej 



154 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

a bill renewing the charter of the bank, which was vetoed by the 
President. An effort was made to pass the bill over the veto, but 
failed for want of the constitutional number of votes. The charter of 
the bank, therefore, expired by law in 1836. 

The tariff question assumed formidable proportions, during this 
administration. In 1832, Congress increased the rate of duties. 
South Carolina immediately declared her intention to resist the efforts 
of the General Government to collect duties in the port of Charleston, 
and prepared to maintain her position by force of arms. The great 
leader of this opposition to the Government was John C. Calhoun, 
M'ho had a short time previous resigned the office of Vice-President, 
to become a United States Senator from South Carolina. His princi- 
pal coadjutors were Robert G. Hayne, Senator from South Carolina, 
and George McDuffie, the Governor of the State. The party of which 
these brilliant men were the leaders, boldly declared that a State might 
at pleasure nullify any law of Congress which it believed to be uncon- 
stitutional. The danger to the country was very great, and it seemed 
that open war would prevail between the General Government and 
South Carolina; for President Jackson, who had been reelected in 
1832, with Martin Van Buren of New York as Vice-President, 
declared his determination to enforce the lavv. He sent a ship of war 
to Charleston, ordered General Scott to proceed to that place with all 
the available troops under his command, issued a proclamation deny- 
ing the right of a State to nullify the laws of the Federal Government, 
and warning all persons engaged in sustaining the State of South 
Carolina in its unlawful course that the extreme penalty of the law 
against treason would be inliicted upon them. He also caused the 
leaders of the rebellion to be privately informed of his intention to 
seize and hang them as soon as they should commit the first overt act 
against the United States. The President's firmness averted the 
troubles for the time. He was sustained by the great mass of the 
people throughout the country, and the vexed question was finally 
settled by the introduction of measures into Congress for the gradual 
reduction of the obnoxious duties. This compromise was projDOsed 
by Henry Clay, and accepted by the nullifiers, who were now con- 
vinced that " Old Hickory " was sincere in his threat to enforce the 
law. 

The bank question came up again, just as the nullification excite- 
ment died out. The public funds were required by law to be de- 
posited in the Bank of the United States, the charter of which was 



THE UNITED STATES. 155 

about to expire by limitation. The President, in December, 1832, 
recommended the removal by Congress of these funds, but that body 
refused to take this step. The President then ordered the Secretary 
of the Treasury, Mr. McLane, to remove the funds and deposit them 
in specified State banks. Mr. McLane refused to do so,. and was 
transferred to the State Department, which was then vacant. Wil- 
liam J. Duane was then appointed to the Treasury, but he, too, re- 
fused to remove the funds, and was deprived of his office and suc- 
ceeded by Roger B. Taney, who promptly transferred the funds from 
the Bank of the United States to the State banks designated by the 
President. This step left no doubt on the part of the people of tlie 
intention of the President to destroy the National Bank, and producedi 
a severe panic in business circles. The President lost many friends,, 
and was severely denounced throughout the country. In the Senate, 
Clay, Calhoun and Webster, the leaders of the opposition, assailed 
him bitterly, and the Senate passed a resolution censuring his course,." 
by a vote of 26 ayes to 20 noes. He was sustained by the House of" 
Representatives, whose endorsement, considering the origin of that 
body, was more important than the censure of the Senate. In March,. 
1837, the Senate expunged its resolution of censure from its journal.. 

During President Jackson's administration, the national debt was. 
paid, and the States of Arkansas (in 1836) and Michigan (1837) were- 
admitted into the Union. France, Spain, Naples, and Portugal were- 
forced to make good their depredations upon American commerce;, 
important commercial treaties were negotiated with foreign countries ;- 
and the war against the Seminole Indians in Florida was begun and 
prosecuted with vigor. This war lasted until 1842, and cost tlm- 
country $40,000,000. 

In 1836, Martin Van Buren, of New York, the candidate of the- 
Democratic party, was elected President. The contest for the Vice- 
Presidency was thrown into the Senate, and resulted in the choice of 
Richard M. Johnson. Mr. Van Buren began his administration at the 
outset of the great commercial crisis of 1837, and was seriously ham- 
pered during the whole of his term, by the troubles arising from that 
disaster. The ])rincipal measures of his administration were designed to> 
remedy the financial evils from which the country was suffering. The 
most important was the establishment of the Sub-Treasury of the 
United States, which is still in operation. 

In 1840, William Henry Harrison of Indiana, and Jalm, Tyler 
of Virginia, the candidates of the Whig i)arty, were elected President 



156 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and Vice-President. General Harrison did not long survive his in- 
auguration. He died on the 4th of April, 1841, and was succeeded 
by John Tyler, the Vice-President. Tiie Whigs were in favor of a 
National Bank, and Congress passed several Acts chartering such an 
institutiop, all of which were vetoed by the President, whose views on 
the subject accorded with the principles of the Democratic party. In 
consequence of these Acts, he was abandoned by the party which had 
elected him, and was supported by the Democracy, with which he 
thenceforth identified himself. During Mr. Tyler's term, the question 
of the northwestern boundary between the United States and British 
America was settled by a treaty, which was ratified by the Senate on 
the 20th of August, 1842. A more real service was rendered, how- 
ever, by the measures resulting in the annexation of the Re[)ublic of 
Texas to the United States, which were carried to a successful issue 
in spite of a determined opposition by the Whig party. The admis- 
sion of Texas as a State of the Union, occurred on the 1st of March, 
1845. It was a most important step, as it not only increased the ter- 
ritory of the Republic, but forever prevented Great Britain from 
acquiring a foothold on the Gulf Coast of America. Mr. Tyler's last 
official act was to approve the admission of the States of Florida and 
Iowa into the Union, on the 3d of March, 1845. 

In 1844, James K. Polk, of Tennessee, was elected President, with 
George M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania, as Vice-President. This was a 
Democratic triumph. When Mr. Polk came into office, the country 
was involved in a dispute with the Republic of Mexico respecting the 
boundary between the State of Texas and Mexico. This dispute re- 
sulted in hostilities between the two countries, which began on the 
Rio Grande, between the armies of Generals Taylor and Arista, in 
April, 1846. General Taylor defeated the Mexican army on the Rio 
Grande, at Palo Alto, May 8th, 1846, and at Resaca de la Palma, the 
next day. On being recnforced, he drove the Mexicans into the inte- 
rior, capturing their strong city of Monterey, and defeating their best 
.army, under their President himself, at Buena Vista (Feb. 22, 1847). 

Taylor's operations were now brought to a close in consequence of 
troops being taken from him to reenforce General Scott, who was col- 
Jecting his forces for an expedition against the city of Vera Cruz. 
Scott landed before that city on the 9th of March, 1847, and captured 
it, after a vigorous siege, on the 29th. Moving into the interior, he 
defeated the enemy in a series of hard fought battles at Cherubusco, 
Cerro Gordo, Chapul tepee, and Molino del Rey, and captured the 



THE UNITED STATES. 157 

city of Mexico, which he entered in triumph on the 14th of Septem- 
ber, 1847, and held until the close of the war. 

In 1846, General Stephen Kearney conquered New Mexico, while 
Commodore Stockton and Colonel Fremont drove the enemy out of 
and occupied California. Kearney marched from New Mexico into 
California in January, 1847, and on the 8th of February assun)ed the 
office of Governor of the territory, and proclaimed its annexation to 
the United States. About the same time Colonel Doniphan, with 
1000 Missouri volunteers, made a forced march across the Plains, and 
on the 28th of February defeated a force of 4000 Mexicans and cap- 
tured the city of Chihuahua. 

A treaty of peace between the United States and Mexico was signed 
at Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the 2d of February, 1848. Mexico yielded 
the boundary of the Rio Grande, and ceded California and New 
Mexico to the United States, and the latter Power agreed to pay 
Mexico the sum of $15,000,000, and to assume the debts due by 
Mexico to American citizens, to the amount of $3,750,000. 

Great Britain had claimed the territory of Oregon as a part of 
British America, and our Government had insisted upon it as a part 
of the common property of the Republic, and had even declared its 
intention to go to war with England rather than be satisfied with 
anything less than the whole of Oregon. Nevertheless, as a measure 
of peace, the administration of Mr. Polk proposed to England the 
49th parallel of North latitude for a boundary, our original claim 
having extended to the line of 54° 40'. As this compromise gave to 
Great Britain all of Vancouver's Island and the present colony of 
British Columbia, it was accej^ted. Recent events have proved that 
the territory was worth fighting for, and that our Government parted 
with it too readily. Free trade ideas prevailed during this adminis- 
tration to an extent sufficient to secure a modification of the high 
protective tariff of 1846. In May, 1848, Wisconsin was admitted 
into the Union. 

In 1848, Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, was elected President, and 
Millard Fillmore, of New York, Vice-President, by the AVhigs. In 
this campaign, the anti-slavery party presented Martin Van Buren as 
their candidate for the Presidency. This organization had grown by 
degrees into considerable prominence upon the principle of opposition 
to the extension of slavery, and its strength in 1848 is shown by the 
fact, that although Van Buren secured no electoral vote, he received 
a jiopular vote of 291,263. 



158 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The slavery question now presented itself again, this time in a most 
aggravated form, for both the friends and enemies of that system of 
labor had become more powerful since the temporary settlement of 
1820. A strong anti-slavery party had developed itself at the North, 
which was avowedly determined to oppose the further extension of 
slavery, and which was believed in the South to be working for the 
overthrow of that institution in the States in which it already existed. 
The contest was resumed in Congress, in 1846, while measures were 
on foot looking to peace with Mexico, by a proposition from a 
Northern member that in the territory which should be acquired by 
the war then going on, there should be neither slavery nor involuntary 
servitude, except for crime. This measure, known as the " Wilmot 
Proviso," passed the House of Representatives by a large majority, 
but the Senate adjourned before a vote could be had upon it. The 
next year the House readopted the " Proviso," \f hich was rejected by 
the Senate. The House then abandoned it. The measure was bit- 
terly assailed by the South, which claimed that inasmuch as it had 
furnished the larger number of the troops by which the war was 
fouo-ht and the territory won, its institutions should receive the same 
encouragement and protection in the new Territory as those of the 
North. The dispute became very bitter, and made the Presidential 
election of 1848 one of the most memorable in our history. Fresh 
excitement was added to the quarrel by the events in California. 

Gold was discovered in that Territory in February, 1848, and it at 
once attracted a large emigration from the Eastern States and all parts 
of the world. In a few months the population of the Territory was 
over 100,000. Early in 1849, it was found that an organized gov- 
enmient was an absolute necessity, and that there were inhabitants 
enouo-h to entitle the Territory to admission into the Union as a 
State; and in September, 1849, a Convention was held at Monterey, 
which adopted and submitted to Congress a Constitution prohibiting 
slavery. The Southern States took strong ground against the erection 
of California into a free State, and even went so far as to threaten to 
withdraw from the Union if slavery were interfered with any further 
by the Government. They held a Convention at Nashville, Tennes- 
see, in 1850, and pledged themselves to a united course of action. 
The tone assumed by them was belligerent and threatening in the ex- 
treme. They demanded in Congress not only the rejection of the 
free Constitution of California, but an amendment of the Constitution 
of the United States which should equalize the power of the Free and 



THE UNITED STATES. 159 

Slave States in the General Government. New Mexico now asked 
admission into the Union, and Texas set up a claim to a western 
boundary which included a large part of New Mexico. These minor 
questions very greatly complicated the main issue. The excitement 
throughout the country was even greater than that of 1820, and 
for a while it seemed that the Union would surely be destroyed. 
Finally a compromise, known as the " Compromise of 1850," was 
proposed in the Senate by Henry Clay, and carried through Congress 
by great exertions on the part of the moderate men of both sections. 
This Compromise admitted California as a free State; erected Utah 
and New Mexico into Territories, leaving the question of the exclusion 
of slavery to the people thereof when they came to form State Con- 
stitutions ; arranged the western boundary of Texas ; abolished the 
slave trade in the District of Columbia; and substituted a new law 
for the rendition of fugitive slaves, in place of the old Act, which was 
ineffective. This Compromise was bitterly opposed by the extreme 
men of both the North and the South. The former denounced the 
concessions to Texas in the boundary question, and fiercely assailed 
the refusal to forbid slavery in the Territories ; and the fugitive slave 
law was not only denounced as unchristian and unconstitutional, but 
was opposed on the part of the Free States by a series of j)rohibitory 
acts which the candid student of history is compelled to regard as as un- 
lawful as the disunion measures of the pro-slavery party. The South, 
on the other hand, was furious over the admission of California as a 
free State, and the refusal of Congress to sanction and protect slavery 
in the Territories. Still, as it was plain that these measures embodied 
the only settlement possible at the time, the great body of the nation 
accepted them in good faith, and the Government honestly executed 
the fugitive slave law in all cases in which its aid was invoked, put- 
ting down the resistance of mobs by force. 

In the midst of the struggle over the "Compromise," General Tay- 
lor died (on the 9th of July, 1850), and was succeeded by JNIillard 
Fillmore, the Vice-President, who opened his administration with a 
change of Cabinet ministers. He gave his hearty support to the 
Compromise measures, and contributed greatly towards securing their 
passage. The principal events of his term were, the invasion of 
Cuba by Lopez, in 1851, which was defeated by the Spaniards; the 
visit of Kossuth to the United States, in 1851 ; the disputes with 
England concerning the fisheries, in 1852, which were satisfactorily 
settled; and the expedition of Commodore Perry to Japan, by means 



160 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of which an important treaty was negotiated with the Japanese Gov- 
ernment, and the ports of the empire opened to the commerce of all 
nations. 

The slavery question entered largely into the Presidential campaign 
of 1852, and so greatly weakened the Whig party as to defeat it. 
Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, and William R. King, of Ala- 
bama, the candidates of the Democracy, were elected President and 
Vice-President by handsome majorities. 

This administration is memorable for the violent political contests 
which prevailed during its term. It began by settling a dispute with 
Mexico, by purchasing from it the Territory of Arizona. In 1853, 
Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, inaugurated the surveys for a 
railway to the Pacific, by sending out an expedition of U. S. Engineers 
for that purpose. In December, 1853, Mr. Douglas, the Senator from 
Illinois, introduced a bill organizing the Territories of Kansas and 
Nebraska, lying west of the Missouri River, and north of the line of 
36° 30' N. latitude, in which region tfie Act of 1820 had forever pro- 
hibited slavery. This new bill repealed the Missouri Compromise Act 
of 1820, and reopened the slavery question in that region. The ad- 
ministration and the leaders of the Democratic party supported the 
measure, which was opposed by the great mass of the people of the free 
States without regard to party, and denounced by them as a violation 
of the plighted faith of the nation. It was hotly debated in Ctmgress, 
but passed the Senate by a vote of 37 to 14, and the House by a vote 
of 113 to 100, and at length received the Executive approval on the 
31st of May, 1854. The passage of this bill created the most intense 
excitement in the country. It greatly increased the strength of the anti- 
slavery party, which now began to be known as the Republican party, 
and alienated many Democrats from their party. The Act left the Ter- 
ritories free to decide between slavery and free labor, and thus opened 
the way for a long and bloody warfare within their limits; the events 
of which will be related in another part of this work. An effort was 
made by the administration to purchase Cuba fi-om Spain ; but that 
Power declined to sell the island. An expedition of filibusters, under 
General William Walker, succeeded in conquering the Central Ameri- 
can State of Nicaragua. Walker at once sent an envoy to AVashing- 
ton, who was formally recognized by the President. 

The anti-slavery, or Republican party now exhibited its strength 
by electing Mr. Banks, of Massachusetts, Speaker of the Lower House 
of Congress, and in the Presidential contest of 1856, nominated John 



THE UNITED STATES. 161 

C. Fremont as its candidate, and secured for him 114 electoral votes 
and a popular vote of 1,341,264. A new element in this contest Mas 
the Know-Nothing, or American party, which supported Mr. Fillmore 
for the Presidency. It was founded upon a principle of hostility to 
the influence of foreigners, and especially of Roman Catholics, in our 
Government. Mr. Fillmore received 8 electoral votes, and 874,534 
popular votes. The election resulted in the choice of the candidates 
of the Democratic party; James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, was 
elected President, and John C Breckenridge, of Kentucky, Vice- 
President. 

Mr. Buchanan's administration was entirely Southern in its sym- 
pathies, and was marked by a constant struggle in Congress and 
throughout the country over the slavery question. The struggle in 
Kansas went on with great bitterness until the close of his term, the 
power of the Government being generally cast against the free settlers 
of that Territory, who were forced to take extraordinary measures for 
their defence. An effort was made to force a pro-slavery Constitution 
upon the Territory, and it split the Democratic party into two wings — 
the larger of which, led by Stephen A. Douglas, united Avith the He- 
publicans in opposing the Constitution ; while the smaller, led by the 
extreme Southern men in Congress, received the aid of the adminis- 
tration, and secured the adoption of the Constitution by Congress after 
a severe and protracted struggle. 

In 1858, Minnesota was admitted into the Union as a State, and 
was followed by Oregon in 1859. In 1857, the Mormon settlers of 
Utah Territory took up arms against the authority of the General 
Government. The rebellion continued for some time, and a military 
force was sent against the rebels ; but the trouble was at length quieted 
without bloodshed. 

In October, 1859, John Brown, with a small band of followers, 
seized the United States Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and endeavored 
to incite the slaves of Virginia to revolt against their masters. He 
and his men were captured by the United States troops, a number of 
them being killed by the soldiers in the fight. The survivors were 
turned over to the authorities of the State of Virginia, by whom they 
were tried, convicted, and hanged. This attempt was regarded in the 
South as incontestable evidence of the determination of the North to 
destroy slavery, while at the North a formidable party denounced the 
execution of Brown as a murder, and by their unwise and unpatriotic 
course greatly strengthened the hands of the leaders of the disunion 
movement in the South. 



162 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Presidential election of 1860, turned mainly upon the question 
of slavery in the Territories. The Democratic party, already weak- 
ened by the Kansas question, now finally split into two fragments. 
The larger wing nominated Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, as their 
candidate. They held that Congress had no power either to sanction 
or forbid slavery in the Territories, but that the question could be 
decided only by the people thereof, who were most interested in it. 
The smaller wing chose John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, as their 
candidate, and declared it to be the express duty of Congress to sanc- 
tion and protect slavery in all the Territories of the Republic, main- 
taining that the Constitution of its own force carried slavery into 
thera. The Republican party nominated Abraham Tiincoln, of Illi- 
nois, as its candidate. This party denied any intention to interfere 
with the domestic institutions of any of the States, but avowed its de- 
termination to prevent the introduction of slavery into tiie Territories 
by Congressional legislation, and denounced as false the doctrine that 
the Constitution established slavery in any part of the Union. It 
asserted the right of every community to manage its domestic affairs 
in its own way, and denounced the invasion of Virginia by John 
Brown as wicked and unjustifiable. A fourth party, known as the 
"Constitutional Union Party," nominated John Bell, of Tennessee, for 
the Presidency, and adopted the following very vague and indefinite 
platform of principles: "The Union, the Constitution, and the en- 
forcement of the laws." The contest was bitter beyond all precedent. 

When the election took place, the result at the polls was as follows: 

Popular vote for Lincoln 1,866,452 

" " " Douglas 1,375,157 

" " " Breckenridge 847,953 

" " " Bell 590,631 

The electoral vote was divided as follows : For Lincoln, 180; for 
Breckenridge, 72; for Bell, 39; for Douglas, 12. 

The election of Mr. Lincoln was seized upon by the extreme pro- 
slavery leaders as a pretext for the withdrawal of the Southern States 
from the Union. The Gulf States had, indeed, during the early part 
of the Presidential contest, declared their deliberate determination to 
secede, in case of the election of a Republican President. Their peo- 
ple honestly believed that such a result of the campaign Avould be 
fatal to their institutions, inasmuch as they expected a Republican 
President to destroy the institution of slavery, forgetting in their alarm 



THE UNITED STATES. 163 

that that official could have no power to harm them. The disunion 
leaders took pains to deepen this vague fear. How well they suc- 
ceeded is shown by the result. 

As soon as the election of Mr. Lincoln was definitely ascertained, 
the Legislature of South Carolina summoned a Convention of tlie 
people of that State, which met on the 17th of December, 1860. This 
Convention adopted an ordinance of Secession, and withdrew the State 
from the Union, on the 20th of December. The cause of this action 
was declared to be as follows : " We assert that fourteen of the States 
have deliberately refused for years to fulfil their Constitutional obli- 
gations, and we refer to their own statutes for proof. .... In 
many of these States the fugitive is discharged from the service of 
labor claimed, and in none of them has the State government com- 
plied with the stipulations made in the Constitution 

Thus the Constitutional compact has been deliberately broken and 
disregarded by the nou-slaveholding States ; and the consequence fol- 
lows that South Carolina is released from her obligation." Another 
cause was declared to be, " the election of a man to the high office of 
President of the United States whose opinions and purposes are hostile 
to slavery." This declaration may be regarded as embodying the 
principal reasons assigned by the other States for their action. The 
secession of South Carolina was followed by that of Mississippi, Janu- 
ary 9th, 1861, Florida, January 10th, Alabama, January 11th, 
Georgia, January 19th, Louisiana, January 26th, and Texas, Febru- 
ary 1st. The forts, arsenals, and other public property of the United 
States in these States were seized by the State authorities, and held by 
their troops, except Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, and Fort 
Pickens, near Pensacola, Florida. Fort Sumter was occupied by 
Major Robert Anderson with 80 men. Major Anderson had origi- 
nally occupied Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, but knowing the 
purpose of the State authorities to seize the public property at 
Charleston, he evacuated his post on the night of December 25th, 
1860, and threw himself with his command into Fort Sumter. 

The General Government was at this time almost helpless. The 
army, but 16,000 strong, was posted on the remote frontier, and the 
available vessels of the navy were nearly all in foreign waters. Many 
of the most prominent officials, including several of the Cabinet Min- 
isters, were in open sympathy with the seceded States, and the Presi- 
dent seemed only anxious to delay any definite action in the matter 
until the inauguration of his successor. His recommendations to 



164 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Congress were not equal to the emergency. He was in favor of con- 
ceding everything but separate independence to the Soutli, not seeing 
that the leaders of the secession movement would accept nothing but 
separation, and by his timidity lost the advantages which the Gov- 
ernment would have gained by a bold and firm course. Still, he 
refused to yield to the pressure which was brought upon him for the 
purpose of securing the surrender of Fort Sumter to the State of South 
Carolina. He also refused to sell the fort to the State, or to order 
Anderson back to Fort Moultrie, as he was urged to do. 

Various plans were proposed in Congress and by the States for the 
settlement of the national troubles, but none were attended with suc- 
cess. A Border State Convention met in Washington on the 4th of 
February, 1861, for this purpose, but adjourned, after a session of 
three weeks, without having accomplished anything of a definite 
character. The quarrel waxed hotter every day. 

An attempt on the part of the Government to send reenforcements 
and supplies to Fort Sumter was resisted by the forces of South Caro- 
lina, and the vessel charged with that duty was fired on, and turned 
back. South Carolina, through her Legislature, declared that any 
future attempt to send aid to Fort Sumter would be regarded as an 
act of war, and would be resisted by force. On the other hand, the 
Legislatures of New York, Ohio, and Massachusetts pledged those 
States to assist the President with their whole military force " in put- 
ting; down the rebellion." 

The seceded States now formed a league for their common defence. 
The various State Conventions elected delegates to a Convention 
which met at Montgomery, Alabama, on the 4th of February, 1861. 
This Convention at once organized a new Republic, to which it gave 
the name of the Confederate States of America. On the 8th of 
February, a Provisional Constitution having been adopted, the Con- 
vention elected Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, President, and 
Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, Vice-President of the Confeder- 
ate States. The action of the Convention was approved by all the 
States comprising the new Confederacy, and the Provisional Govern- 
ment at once entered upon its duties. Montgomery was made the 
seat of government. 

On the 4th of March, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated 
President of the United States. As it was feared that an attempt 
would be made to prevent the inauguration, the city of Washington 
was held by an armed force under the command of Lieutenant-General 



THE UNITED STATES. 165 

Scott. The ceremonies passed off without interruption. In his 
inaugural address Mr. Lincoln announced his determination to collect 
the revenue in the ports of the seceded States, and to " hold, occupy, 
and possess " the forts, arsenals, and other public property seized by 
those States. At the time of his entrance upon the duties of his office 
Forts Sumter and Pickens were still held by Federal garrisons. 

The Confederate Government, convinced that a struggle was in- 
evitable, prepared with energy for it. Nearly all the officers of the 
army and navy of the United States, who were natives of the seceded 
States, resigned their commissions and entered the service of the- 
Confederacy. The troops assembled at Charleston and Pensacola 
were reinforced from other States. The command at the former place- 
was conferred upon General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, and of the latter 
upon General Braxton Bragg, both of whom had been distinguished 
officers of the old army. 

In the meantime the Federal Government had determined to send 
an expedition to Charleston for the relief of Fort Sumter. A fleet 
of seven ships and 2400 men was prepared, and sailed from New 
York early in April. On the 8th of April, after the fleet had sailed,, 
Governor Pickens was informed of the departure of the expedition, 
and of the purpose of the Government to relieve Fort Sumter at all 
hazards. The Governor communicated the intelligence to the Con- 
federate authorities, who ordered General Beauregard to demand of 
Major Anderson the surrender of the fort. ' The demand was refused,, 
and on the morning of the 12th of April the Southern batteries, 
opened fire upon Fort Sumter, and continued it until the afternoon 
of the 14th, when the fort, which had been greatly injured, surren- 
dered. The Federal fleet arrived in the offing during the bombard- 
ment, but made no effort to assist the fort. The garrison embarked 
on board of it after the surrender, and it returned to New York. 

The attack upon Fort Sumter put an end to the last hope of peace.. 
Both sides at once flew to arms. On the 15th of April President 
Lincoln called upon the States to furnish 75,000 troops for the 
suppression of the rebellion, and issued a proclamation convening 
Congress in extra session on the 4th of July. The Northern and 
Western States quickly responded to the call, and promptly forwarded 
their troops to the designated points. The Southern Government 
also called for troops to resist the Federal forces, and its call was 
responded to with alacrity. 

Until now the States of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, 
11 



166 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri, generally known as 
the border States, had remained in the Union in the hope of effecting 
a peaceful settlement of the quarrel. Each of these States was 
included in President Lincoln's call for troops; but their sympathies 
were with the South, and they refused to furnish the quotas demanded 
of them. All but Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri cast their lot 
with the South. Virginia seceded on the 17th of April ; Arkansas on 
the 6th of May ; North Carolina on the 20th of May ; and Tennessee 
on the 8th of June. All these States subsequently ratified the Con- 
stitution of the Confederate States, and became members of the new 
Republic. Kentucky and Missouri attempted to remain neutral, but 
were ere long drawn into the struggle. Harper's Ferry and the 
Portsmouth Navy Yard, in Virginia, were seized by the State forces, 
and the other important points in the South were occupied by the 
Confederate forces. The western counties of Virginia refused to 
follow the eastern portion of the State, and declared their independ- 
ence. In November, 1861, a Convention at Wheeling organized 
the new State of West Virginia, which was at length admitted into 
the Union by Congress on the 20th of June, 1863. 

The call of President Lincoln for troops w^as answered by 300,000 
volunteers. In a short time a sufficient force was assembled at 
Washington to insure the safety of the capital, and Alexandria and 
the Virginia shore were seized and fortified. Baltimore was occu- 
pied, and the communications of Washington with the North were 
secured. On the 19th of April the President issued a proclamation 
declaring all the ports of the South in a state of blockade. On the 
10th of May he declared the writ of habeas corpus suspended in 
certain localities. A little later the Legislature of Maryland, which 
was largely Southern in its sympathies, was prevented from meeting 
:by the arrest and imprisonment of a large number of its members by 
•order of the Secretary of War. Congress met on the 4th of July, and 
measures were adopted without delay for putting in the field an army 
of half a million of men, and for collecting and equipping a powerful 
navy, and the sum of $500,000,000 was appropriated for the prosecu- 
tion of the war. 

In the meantime the Confederates had collected troops in West 
Virginia, at Harper's Ferry, at Manassas Junction, near Washington, 
and on the Peninsula, between the York and the James rivers. 
Norfolk was also held by a strong, force. On the 10th of June a 
column of Federal troops attacked a Confederate force at P>ethel 



THE UNITED STATES. 167 

Church, near Fortress Monroe, and was defeated. I„ West Virginia 
the Federal forces were more successful. General McClellan defeated 
the Confederates at Rich Mountain on the 11th of July and drove 
tliem across the mountains- with the loss of their leader, General 
Garnett. 

The main Federal force was assembled before Washington, and 
was placed under the command of General McDowell. An advance 
upon the Confederates at Manassas Junction, under General Beaure- 
gard, havmg been determined upon. General Patterson was sent into 
the vallej^ of Virginia to prevent General Johnston from marcldng 
from Harpers Ferry to Beauregard's assistance. On the 17th of 

.n nnn ''". ^'^'" ^'' ''^^^^"^" ^^^"^ '^'^ Potomac with over 

50,000 men and 49 pieces of cannon. Upon learning of this move- 
ment Johnston skilfully eluded Patterson and marched to Manassa.. 
arnving thei^ with the bulk of his army in time to take part in the 
battle. On the 21st of July McDowell attacked the Confederate army 
which was 31,400 strong, with. 55 guns, on the banks of Bull Run 
and after a severe battle, which lasted from sunrise to nearly sunset' 

Jnnn ''T tn' "'' ""'' '""' "P"" Alexandria, with a loss of between 
4000 and 5000 men and 28 cannon. The Confederates made no 
eflort at pursuit. 

'As soon as it had recovered from the first shock of the disaster, the 
Federa Government set to work with vigor to repair its losses. 
General George B. McClellan was appointed to the chief command 
of the forces of the Union, and was ordered to take charge of the 
Army of the Potomac, which was assembling before Washino-ton 
He made of this force the best disciplined army in America In 
Virginia the fall and winter were passed by both armies in preparing 
ior the struggle which was to begin in the spring. On the 21st of 
October a Federal force under Colonel Baker was repulsed with 
heavy loss in an effort to drive in the Confederate left wing at 
i^eesburg. , '^ 

In order to be near the scene of operations the Confederate seat of 
government was removed on the 21st of May to Richmond, Virginia 
Ihat city remained the capital of the Confederacy throughout 
the war. "^ • *= 

^ Indecisive but severe fighting marked the latter months of the year 
in West Virginia. The result was that the Confederates were unable 
to regain the footing they had lost in that section. 

The efforts of Missouri to remain neutral met the unqualified oppo- 



168 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

sition of the Federal authorities, and the Governor and State officials 
took up arms and formed a league with the Confederate States. The 
Federal troops under General Lyon drove the State forces from 
Jefferson City on the 15th of June, and defeated them in an encounter 
at Booneville on the 17th. The Missourians then retreated into the 
southwestern part of the State, and on the 5th of July repulsed the 
attack of a Federal column under General Sigel, at Carthage. The 
next day the Missourians were joined by a Confederate force under 
General McCulloch. The combined forces advanced into the interior 
of the State, and on the 10th of July were attacked by General Lyon 
at Wilson's Creek, near Springfield. Lyon was killed and his army 
defeated. On the 20th of September the State forces under General 
Price captured Lexington after a short siege. By the close of the 
year the Confederates had been driven out of Missouri into Arkansas. 
The State was by these decisive measures saved to the Union. 

Neither party respected the neutrality of Kentucky, which State, 
like Missouri, furnished troops to both armies. The Federal forces 
were poured into Kentucky, and the Confederates seized Columbus 
and Bowling Green. On the 7th of November General Grant, with 
a small force, attacked a Confederate force at Belmont, on the 
Missouri shore of the Mississippi, opposite Columbus, but was 
repulsed. 

At the outset of the war the Confederates held the principal points 
on the southern Atlantic coast, which they fortified as well as the 
means at hand would permit. In order to render the blockade 
effectual, the Government determined to capture these as soon as 
possible. The first expedition was despatched in August, 1861, from 
Fortress Monroe, and resulted in the capture of the Confederate works 
at Hatteras Inlet, which commanded the entrance to Albemarle and 
Pamlico Sounds. On the 7th of November a powerful fleet reduced 
the works at the entrance to Port Royal, South Carolina, and secured 
that magnificent harbor. It remained during the war the principal 
naval station of the Federal fleet on the southern coast. Efforts were 
made to render the blockade effective, but " blockade runners," built 
and owned principally in England, managed to elude the vigilance . 
of the fleet, and kept up a regular communication between the South 
and Europe, by way of the Bahamas and West Indies, until near the 
close of the war. 

In the fall of 1861 James M. Mason, of Virginia, and John 
Slidell, of Louisiana, were sent by the Confederate Government as 



I 



THE UNITED STATES. ) 169 

Commissioners to England and France. They ran the blockade and 
reached Havana in safety. There they embarked for England on 
board the British mail steamer " Trent." This vessel was stopped 
on the high seas by the United States steamer '' San Jacinto," Captain 
Wilkes. Wilkes removed the Southern Commissioners to his own 
vessel, and suffered the "Trent" to proceed on her voyage. He then 
sailed to Boston, where the Commissioners were consigned to Fort 
Warren. The " Trent " reached England in safety, and her com- 
mander reported to his government the indignity offered to its flag. 
Great Britain promptly demanded of the United States the immediate 
and unconditional release of the Confederate Commissioners, and 
satisfaction for the insult to her flag. The Federal Government 
disavowed the action of Captain Wilkes in seizing the Commissioners, 
and those gentlemen were released and allowed to continue their 
voyage. They reached Europe in due time. Mr. Mason proceeded 
to London, INIr. Slidell to Paris ; but neither was received in an 
official capacity by the English or French Governments, nor could 
they at any time during the struggle secure the countenance of those 
governments for their cause. 

The opening of the year 1862 found both parties better prepared 
for the conflict. The war had by this time assumed colossal propor- 
tions. The military operations extended almost across the continent 
and engaged a number of powerful armies and a formidable navy. 
The opening of the year found the United States with an effective 
army of over half a million of men, splendidly equipped, and supplied 
with everything necessary for the prosecution of the war. Specie had 
disappeared from circulation on both sides of the Potomac, and both 
the General Governnient and that of the Confederacy had resorted to 
papef money as a means of supplying the lack of currency. In the 
Korth a heavy government loan was readily negotiated with the 
capitalists of the Eastern States, and furnished the Federal Govern- 
ment with the funds needed for the prosecution of the war. 

In the South volunteering had ceased, and the Confederate Govern- 
ment, after trying various expedients, was driven to the adoption of a 
conscription law which placed every able-bodied male white between 
the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years in the military service. 

The military operations of the year began in the West. On the 
19th of January General George H. Thomas defeated a Confederate 
force under General Zollicoffer, at Mill Spring, in Kentucky, and 
broke the right of the Confederate line of defence, the centre of which 



170 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

was at Bowling Green and the left at Columbus. This success was 
followed by the capture of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river, on 
the 6th of February, by the troops of Brigadier-General Ulysses S. 
Grant and the gunboat fleet under Commodore Foote. After this 
success the gunboats moved around to the Ohio and entered the 
Cumberland, while Grant's army marched acix)ss the country to Fort 
Donelsou on the latter river, below Nashville. This strong work 
was invested, and was captured on the 16th of February, after three 
days of hard fighting. Over 5000 prisoners fell into the hands of the 
victors. These successes compelled the Confederate forces to evacuate 
Bowling; Green and Columbus. General Beauregard fell back from 
Columbus to Corinth, an important railroad centre in northern Mis- 
sissippi, and General A. S. Johnston -fell back from Bowling Green 
through Nashville to the Tennessee river, and finally by a flank 
march joined Beauregard at Corinth. All Kentucky and Middle 
Tennessee were thus gained by the Federal troops. General Buell's 
army occupied Nashville, and General Grant advanced to Pittsburgh 
Landing, on the Tennessee, not far from Corinth. Buell was ordered 
to join Grant as soon as possible, when their combined forces were to 
attack Corinth, To prevent this junction General Sidney Johnston, 
the Confederate commander, after uniting his force with that under 
Beauregard at Corinth, advanced to the Tennessee to attack Grant 
before Buell could join him. He attacked the Federal army on the 
morning of April 6th, at Shiloh Church, near Pittsburgh Landing, 
and drove it to the Tennessee. Towards the close of the day he was 
mortally wounded, and died a little later. The command passed to 
General Beauregard, who failed to follow up his advantage. During 
the night Buell's army arrived, and thus reinforced, Grant, on the 
morning of the 7th, attacked the Confederates, and after a sharp fight 
forced them to retreat to Corinth. 

On the 7th of April Island No. 10, in the Mississippi, which had 
been fortified by the Confederates, was captured by the gunboat fleet 
and a force under General Pope. The Confederates retreated to Fort 
Pillow, a short distance above Memphis. 

General Halleck now took command of the Union army in the 
West, and laid siege to Corinth, which was evacuated on the 29th of 
May by Beauregard, who retreated to Tupelo, Mississippi. This 
petreat compelled the evacuation of Fort Pillow, and on the 6th of 
June the Federal forces occupied Memphis. All West Tennessee 
was now held by the Federal forces, whose line extended from 
Memphis, through Corinth, almost to Chattanooga. 



THE UNITED STATES. 171 

The Confederates still held East Tennessee, and collected an army 
of over 50,000 men, under General Braxton Bragg, at Chattanooga 
and Knoxville. It was determined to use this army in a bold eflbrt 
to regain West Tennessee and Kentucky. About the middle of 
August Bragg's army moved from East Tennessee in two divisions, 
the advanced forces being under General E. Kirby Smith. Smith 
moved rapidly into Kentucky, and on the 30th of August defeated a 
Union force under General Mason, at Richmond. He then occu])ied 
Lexington and Frankfort, and advanced towards Cincinnati ; but 
learning that a powerful Union army was assembling at Cincinnati, 
fell back to Frankfort, where he rejoined General Bragg on the 4th 
of October. Bragg had moved ofi'as soon as Kirby Smith had gotten 
fairly on his way, and had marched for Louisville ; but Buell had 
fallen back from Nashville with such speed that he had managed to 
reach Louisville before Bragg, w^ho therefore halted at Frankfort. 
Being heavily reinforced, Buell moved forward from Louisville to 
attack Bragg, and the latter fell back slowly before him. An inde- 
cisive encounter occurred between the two armies at Perryville, on the 
8th of October, and Bragg withdrew to Nashville \vithout any further 
effort on the part of Buell to check him. He took with him a train 
of wagons forty miles long loaded with plunder. 

During this campaign West Tennessee was held by the array of 
General Grant, whose line extended from Memphis to Corinth. A 
Confederate army under Generals Price and Van Dorn endeavored to 
drive Grant out of Tennessee, but was defeated at luka on the 19th 
of September, and again at Corinth on the 4th of October. 

Bragg continued his retreat from Nashville to Murfreesboro', 30 
miles distant. General Buell was removed from the command of the 
Federal array, and was succeeded by General Rosecrans, who, toward 
the last of Deceraber, marched from Nashville to attack Bragg. At 
the same time, Bragg, ignorant of this movement, advanced to attack 
Nashville. The two armies met at Stone River on the 31st of 
December. A severe battle, which lasted all day, ensued, and at 
nightfall the Union forces were driven back at all points. During the 
night Rosecrans took up a stronger position, and on the 2d of January, 
1863, Bragg renewed his attack and was repulsed with heavy loss. 
Each army lost about 10,000 or 12,000 pen. Bragg retreated in 
good order to Tullahoraa, about 30 miles from Murfreesboro'. 

In December General Grant made an unsuccessful attempt to 
capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, which the Confederates had fortified 



172 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to enable them to retain their hold on the Mississippi river. A severe 
battle, lasting two days, was fought at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, on the 
7th and 8th of March. In the first day's fight the Confederates, who 
were commanded by General Van Dorn, were successful ; but were 
repulsed by General Curtis the next day. 

The plan of the Government to reduce the prominent points on the 
southern coast was continued with success during the year 1862. On 
the 8th of February a powerful expedition, under General A. E. 
Burnside, captured Roanoke Island, between Albemarle and Pamlico 
Sounds. On the 14th of March Newbern, North Carolina, was 
taken by the same force, and on the 25th of April Fort Macon, at the 
entrance of Beaufort Harbor, surrendered. A fleet under Commodore 
Farragut was sent against New Orleans. On the 24th of April it 
forced a passage by the batteries of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and 
the next day anchored in front of New Orleans, which surrendered 
without opposition. A day or two later a force of Federal troops 
under General B. F. Butler occupied the city. The capture of New 
Orleans was followed by the surrender of Forts Jackson and St. 
Philip. These successes deprived the Confederacy of the largest and 
wealthiest city of the South, and wrested from it the whole of the 
lower Mississippi. On the 11th of April Fort Pulaski, near the 
mouth of the Savannah river, surrendered to General Hunter after a 
bombardment of fifteen days. Its capture closed the port of Savannah 
to blockade runners. 

The Federal naval forces had a narrow escape from a crushing 
disaster on the coast of Virginia. Upon the evacuation of the Ports- 
mouth Navy Yard, at the opening of the war, the Federal authorities 
sunk several vessels in the yard, as they were unable to remove them. 
One of these was the steam frigate " Merriraac." She was raised by 
the Confederates, rebuilt by them, heavily plated with iron armor, 
and named the " Virginia." A long, stout bow was fitted to her to 
enable her to act as a ram, and she was armed with ten heavy guns. 
Thus prepared she was the most formidable vessel afloat. On the 
8th of March she left Norfolk Harbor and ran down to Hampton 
Roads, where she destroyed the frigate "Congress" and the sloop-of-war 
" Cumberland," and spread dismay among the rest of the squadron col- 
lected there. She was herself uninjured. At sunset she withdrew into the 
Elizabeth river. During the night the iron-clad "Monitor" arrived 
from New York on her trial trip to Fortress Monroe. On the reap- 
pearance of the " Virginia" the next morning the " Monitor " engaged 



THE UNITED STATES. 173 

her, and after a close fight of several hours forced her to draw off and 
return to Norfolk severely injured. This was the first engagement 
ever fought between iron-clads, and inaugurated a new era in naval 
warfare. 

The military events in Virginia were of the highest importance. 
Fearing that McClellan would interpose his army between him and 
Richmond, General Johnston, the Confederate commander, fell back 
from Centreville, on the 8th of March, to the line of the Rapidan. 
McClellan thereujjon transported his army, 120,000 strong, by water 
to Fortress Monroe, and advanced upon Richmond by the peninsula 
between the York and James rivers. His progress was stayed by the 
Confederate works extending across the peninsula from Yorktown to 
the James. This line was defended by a small force under General 
Magruder, who held it until the arrival of Johnston and his army 
from the Rapidan. On the night of the 3d of May Johnston fell 
back from this exposed line to a strong position on the north side of 
the Chickahominy river, immediately in front of Richmond. 
McClellan followed leisurely, and took position on the left or south 
bank of that stream. 

The evacuation of the peninsula by the Confederates compelled 
them to abandon Norfolk also, which they did on the 9th of May. The 
iron-clad " Virginia " was taken into the James river and destroyed, 
thus leaving that river open to within a few miles of Richmond. 

Upon the transfer of his army to the peninsula, General McClellan 
had been required to detach a heavy force to cover Washington city. 
Upon reaching the Chickahominy he induced President Lincoln to 
order this covering force to move by way of Fredericksburg and unite 
with the Army'of the Potomac before Richmond. AVith his army 
thus augmented, the Union cpmmander had no doubt of his ability to 
capture Richmond. While awaiting the arrival of this force he 
threw his left wing across the Chickahominy and lodged it in a posi- 
tion nearer Richmond. In this exposed position it was struck a 
tremendous blow by General Johnston, at Seven Pines, on the 31st 
of May, and was driven back a considerable distance. General 
Johnston was severely wounded, and was unable to drive the Federal 
left across the Chickahominy as he intended. Warned by this battle, 
McClellan heavily intrenched his position on both sides of the river. 

Early in the year General Jackson, who had been stationed with a 
small Confederate force in the valley of Virginia, was ordered to 
manoeuvre his troops in such a manner as to threaten Washington, 



174 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and prevent reinforcements from being sent to MeClellan. He was 
entirely successful in this attempt. Fremont's army had been ordered 
to march from West Virginia into the valley to relieve Banks, who 
was to cover Washington, and allow the force in front of that city to 
move to McClellan's assistance. Jackson's task was to neutralize this 
plan. He attacked Fremont's advance, at McDowell, in West Vir- 
ginia, and drove it back on the 8th of May, and then, by a forced 
march across the mountains, hastened to the valley, defeated Banks' 
advanced guard at Front Royal, on the 23d of May, and his main 
body at Winchester, on the 25th, drove him out of the valley, and 
pursued him to the Potomac. This bold movement so alarmed the 
Federal Government that the effort to reinforce MeClellan was aban- 
doned. A part of the force intended for him was retained for the 
protection of Washington, and the rest was sent under General 
Shields to co-operate with Fremont, who was advancing into the 
valley from West Virginia, in an effort to intercept Jackson. 
Jackson, however, retreated up the valley with remarkable speed, and 
when he had placed himself beyond his pursuers, wheeled upon 
Fremont, and dealt him a blow at Cross Keys, on the 8th of June, 
which checked his advance, and on the 9th defeated Shields at Port 
Republic, and drove him back. Then, moving leisurely to a point 
of safety, he rested his army for a few days, and hastened to the 
Chickahominy to reinforce General Lee. 

Upon the fall of General Johnston at Seven Pines, the command of 
the Confederate army before Richmond was conferred upon General 
Robert E. Lee, who determined to force MeClellan back from the 
Chickahominy. Upon the arrival of Jackson's corps his army was 
increased to a strength of 90,000 men. McClellan's-force numbered 
115,000 men. On the 25th of June Lee attacked the Federal right 
wing at Mechanicsville, and drove it back upon the centre at Cold 
Harbor. On the 27th the position at Cold Harbor was carried by 
the Confederates after a desperate struggle. With great difficulty 
MeClellan secured his retreat to the south side of the Chickahominy, 
and destroyed the bridges in his rear. MeClellan now decided to 
abandon his base on the York river and retreat to the James by way 
of White Oak Swamp. The retreat was begun on the night of the 
28th. Lee attacked the retreating army at Savage Station on the 
afternoon of the 29th, and at Frazier's Farm on the afternoon of the 
30th, but was not able on either occasion to prevent its passage 
through the swamp. On the 1st of July the Federal army was 



THE UNITED STATES. 175 

massed at Malvern Hill, within a mile of the James. It was attacked 
there by the Confederates, who were repulsed with heavy loss. 
McClellan then moved to Harrison's Landing on the James, Avhere 
he estal>lished his army under the protection of his fleet. His losses 
in the " Seven Days' Battles " amounted to 20,000 men, 52 cannon, 
35,000 stand of arms, and an enormous quantity of stores. The 
Confederates lost 19,533 men. 

The disasters to McClellan's army threw the North into the deepest 
despondency. President Lincoln, on the 2d of July, issued a call for 
300,000 fresh troops, and on the 4th of August ordered a draft for 
300,000 militia to serve nine months. Within three months this 
enormous mass of 600,000 fresh troops was placed in the field. 

A new army was formed in northern Virginia before Washington, 
and was placed under Major-General John Pope. Somewhat later 
McClellan was ordered to abandon his position on the James, and 
send his troops to the Potomac to reinforce Pope. In the meantime 
General Lee had sent General Jackson with his corps to the Rappa- 
hannock to watch Pope. On the 9th of August Jackson defeated 
Pope's advanced guard, under General Banks, at Cedar Mountain. 
As soon as he was informed, of McClellan's withdrawal from the 
James, Lee hastened with his whole force to the Rappahannock. 
He determined to attack Pope at once, before McClellan could reach 
him. He accordingly threw Jackson's corps in the rear of the 
Federal army, and seized its communications with Washington. 
Pope immediately fell back to the line of Bull Run, and Lee has- 
tened with all speed to rejoin Jackson. Before his arrival Jackson's 
forces resisted two attacks from Pope's troops. On the 29th the 
junction between Lee and Jackson was effected. On the same after- 
noon Pope attacked them and was repulsed, and on the 30th, having 
risked the fate of the campaign on a decisive battle, Pope was routed 
in the second battle of Bull Run, and was driven within the lines of 
Washington. His losses during the campaign amounted to over 
30,000 men. Th6 Confederate loss was about 9000. 

General Lee followed up his victory by an invasion of Maryland, 
which State it was generally believed was only awaiting an oppor- 
tunity to unite its fortunes with the Confederacy. Scarcely a handful 
of Marylanders joined him. The Potomac was crossed on the 5th of 
September, and on the 6th the Confederate army occupied Frederick 
City. As Harper's Ferry was held by a garrison of 11,000 men, the 
reduction of that place was necessary in order to preserve Lee's 



176 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

communications with his own country. General Jackson was de- 
spatched with his corps to reduce it, while Lee, witii tlie rest of the 
army, took position at South Mountain to await the result. Jackson 
reached Harper's Ferry and promptly carried the heights overlooking 
the town. On the 15th the garrison surrendered to him. After 
securing his prisoners he set off at once to join General Lee. 

In the meantime General McClellan had been restored to the com- 
mand of the Army of the Potomac. This force he reorganized on 
the march, and at once set out to meet the Confederates, moving 
slowly. At Frederick he found a copy of Lee's confidential order, 
giving his plan of operations. This document enabled the Federal 
commander to act with certainty, and he marched rapidly to South 
Mountain, and on the 14th of September attacked General Lee, who, 
after a stubborn fight, fell back behind Antietam Creek, where he 
was joined on the morning of the 17th by the troops of General 
Jackson, who had made a forced march from Harper's Ferry. The 
Southern army was now reduced to about 40,000 men, thousands 
having straggled from the ranks on the march through Virginia. 
On the 17th McClellan attacked Lee at Antietam. The battle lasted 
through the day, but the Confederates held their ground. On the 
night of the 18th Lee fell back to the Potomac, which he recrossed 
without losing even a wagon, and retired to Winchester. McClellan 
moved to the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, and on the 2d of November 
crossed the Potomac east of the Blue Ridge. Lee at once passed the 
mountains and moved towards the Rappahannock, placing his army 
between McClellan and Richmond. On the 7th of November 
McClellan was removed from his command, and was succeeded by 
General A. E. Burnside, who marched to the Rappahannock, opposite 
Fredericksburg. Lee took position on the hills back of that town. 
On the 11th and 12th of December Burnside crossed the Rappahan- 
nock at Fredericksburg, and on the 13th endeavored to carry the 
Southern line by assault. He was driven back with fearful loss, and 
retreated across the Rappahannock, where his army went into winter 
quarters. He was soon after relieved of his command at his own 
request. 

On the 1st of January, 1863, President Lincoln issued his Eman- 
cipation Proclamation, declaring all the negro slaves within the 
limits of the Confederate States free from that day. 

General Joseph Hooker was appointed to succeed General Burn- 
side in the command of the Army of the Potomac. Its losses were 



THE UNITED STATES. 177 

made up by reinforcements, and it was thoroughly reorganized and 
brought to a splendid state of efficiency by its new commander. By 
the opening of the spring it numbered 120,000 men and 400 pieces 
of artillery. Learning that Lee's army had been weakened by the 
withdrawal of Longstreet's corps, 24,000 strong, Hooker determined 
to attack him. He detached a column of about 25,000 men, under 
General Sedgwick, to cross the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg and 
force the Southern lines in the rear of the town, and with the bulk 
of his army moved to his left, crossed the Rappahannock, and 
planted himself on Lee's right and in his rear. Lee perceived his 
danger and took prompt measures to avert it. Leaving a small force 
to hold his lines in the rear of Fredericksburg, he moved with his 
main body against Hooker, who had intrenched himself at a place 
called Chancel lorsville. About the same time Sedgwick crossed the 
river and threatened the position at Fredericksburg. On the 2d of 
May Lee sent Jackson's corps to turn the right of Hooker's line. 
This movement was brilliantly executed, but cost the Confederates 
the life of Stonewall Jackson, who was mortally wounded. Hooker's 
right was driven in on his centre, and the next day Lee stormed his 
position at Chancellorsville and forced him to retreat to the junction 
of the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers. He was about to renew 
his attack on Hooker at this point, when he was informed that 
Sedgwick had carried the heights of Fredericksburg and was 
marching against him. Leaving a part of his army to hold Hooker 
in check, Lee marched rapidly to meet Sedgwick. He encountered 
him at Salem Heights, on the 4th, and drove him over the Rappa- 
hannock. Then turning upon Hooker, he prepared to renew his 
attack ; but the latter, disheartened by Sedgwick's defeat, withdrew 
his army across the Rappahannock on the 5th of May, and returned 
to his old position opposite Fredericksburg. The Confederate victory 
was dearly bought. Stonewall Jackson died a few days later. 

The Confederate Government now rapidly reinforced Lee's army 
to a strength of nearly 80,000 men, and brought it to an equality 
with Hooker's army, which had been reduced by losses in battle, 
desertions, and expirations of enlistment to that strength. It was 
resolved to take advantage of this circumstance, and of the despon- 
dency of the North which had followed the defeat of Hooker at 
Chancellorsville, to renew the invasion of the North, in the hope of 
carrying the war out^ of Virginia. Accordingly Lee, on the 3d of 
June, left the Rappahannock, and marching rapidly through the 



178 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

valley, crossed the Potomac on the 22d of June, and moved towards 
Hagerstown, in Maryland. On the 2.3d his advanced corps occupied 
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Hooker, who had followed slowly, 
crossed the Potomac on the 25th and 26th of June, and marched 
towards Frederick. Unable to agree with the War Department as to 
his movements, he asked to be relieved, and was succeeded by INIajor- 
General George G. Meade. General Lee now moved his army east 
of the mountains, and directed his advance towards Gettysburg. In 
ignorance of his adversary's design, General Meade hastened forward 
to occupy the same point. The most intense excitement was occa- 
sioned throughouif the North by the invasion of Pennsylvania by the 
Confederates, and preparations were made to oppose an energetic 
resistance to it. 

On the morning of the 1st of July the advanced forces of the two 
armies encountered each other at Gettysburg. The Federal advance 
was forced back and its commander. General Reynolds, killed. 
General Hancock, who succeeded to the command, recognized the 
advantages of the position at Gettysburg, and held it until Meade 
came up with the main army. The two armies then took position on 
the hills on opposite sides of Gettysburg, with the town between 
them. On the 3d of July General Lee endeavored to carry the 
Federal position by storm, but his attack was repulsed with terrible 
loss. The Federal victory was decisive. It put an end to the 
invasion. On the night of the 4th of July Lee fell back from 
Gettysburg and retreated to the Potomac, which he passed in safety 
on the 13th and 14th, without serious opposition by the Federal army. 
On the 18th General Meade crossed the Potomac below Harper's 
Ferry, and endeavored to place his army between Lee and Richmond. 
The latter, by rapid marches, gained the line of the Rappahannock 
before him, and so defeated this effort. The remainder of the year 
was passed by the two armies on the Rapidan. 

In the West the Federal arms were crowned during the year by a 
series of brilliant and decisive successes. 

The first of the year found the army of General Grant encamped 
on the Mississippi at Milliken's Bend, a short distance above Vicks- 
burg. The Confederates had strongly fortified Vicksburg, and had 
collected an army of over 30,000 men, under General Pemberton, for 
its defence. They had also fortified Port Hudson, about 100 miles 
lower down the river. It was all important for them to hold these 
posts, as they commanded the river between them and secured free com- 



THE UNITED STATES. IjTQ 

munication between the States east and west of the Mississippi. After 
spending several months in fruitless endeavors to attack Vioksburg 
from the north, General Grant ran a number of gunboats and trans- 
ports by the batteries at that place, and marched his army across the 
country to a point opposite Bruinsburg, Mississippi, and with the aid 
of his boats crossed the river on the 1st of May and marched towards 
the rear of Vicksburg. Near Port Gibson a part of Pemberton's 
array was encountered and defeated on the same day. This success 
compelled the evacuation of Grand Gulf by the Confederates. Grant 
now boldly threw his army between Jackson — where a small force 
was being collected by General Joseph E. Johnston — and Pemberton's 
array, near Vicksburg, intending to prevent any junction between 
these forces, and to drive Pemberton within the lines of Vicksburg. 
On the 14th of May he attacked Johnston at Jackson, the capital of 
Mississippi, and forced him to retreat northward towards Canton. 
Then turning upon Pemberton, he defeated him at Baker's Creek, on 
the 16th, and the next day defeated him at the Big Black River, and 
compelled him to retreat within the defences of Vicksburg, which 
were promptly invested by the Federal army. On the 19th of May, 
and again on the 22d, Grant attempted to carry the Southern works 
by assault, but was each time repulsed with heavy loss. He then 
laid siege to the city, and subjected it to a terrible bombardment. 
While the siege was carried on, Johnston's army was held back and 
prevented from undertaking any movement for the relief of Vicks- 
burg. On the 4th of July Vicksburg was formally surrendered to 
General Grant by General Pemberton. Thirty thousand prisoners, 
60,000 stand of arms, 250 cannon, and an immense quantity of stores 
were captured by the Union forces. It was justly regarded as the 
greatest victory of the war. 

While the siege of Vicksburg was in progress. General Banks 
ascended the Mississippi from New Orleans and laid siege to Port 
Hudson. It was surrendered to him on the 8th of July, the fall of 
Vicksburg having rendered it of no value. 

These victories wrested from the Confederates their last hold upon 
the Mississippi. They created the greatest rejoicings in the Northern 
and Western States, and a corresponding depression in the South. 
Being simultaneous with the defeat of the Southern army at Gettys- 
burg, they were decisive of the war, which, though it lingered for 
nearly two years longer, had from this time one inevitable result. 

In June, 1863, Rosecrans advanced from Nashville and threatened 



180 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the communications of Bragg's array, which had passed the winter at 
Chattanooga. Bragg evacuated that place and fell back to Dalton, 
Georgia, where he was reinforced by Longstreet's corps from Lee's 
army. Thus strengthened, he wheeled upon Rosecrans, who had 
followed in pursuit, and attacked him at Chickamauga on the 19th 
of September. The battle was resumed on the 20th, and was one of 
the most stubbornly contested of the war. Rosecrans was defeated 
and driven into Chattanooga. Bragg at once invested that place and 
reduced the Federal army to great suffering. General Rosecrans was 
now removed from the command of the Army of the Cumberland, 
and was succe*eded by General Grant, who was given the command 
of all the Western armies of the Union. He marched with a strong 
force to the relief of Chattanooga, and arriving before that place, soon 
changed the aspect of affairs. On the 23d of November the besieged 
army, by a vigorous sortie, drove the Confederates from the important 
position of Orchard Knob ; • on the 24th General Hooker stormed 
Lookout Mountain and carried it ; and on the 25th the Confederates 
were driven from their last position on Mission Ridge. Bragg 
retreated into Georgia. He was soon removed from his command, 
and was succeeded by General Joseph E. Johnston. 

During the progress of this campaign, General Burnside, with 
about 25,000 men, moved from Kentucky into East Tennessee, and 
had occupied Knoxville. After the battle of Chickamauga Bragg 
sent Longstreet to recover East Tennessee, and that general laid siege 
to Knoxville. Burnside held the town, though almost starved, until 
Sherman's corps, sent by Grant after Bragg's defeat, arrived to his 
assistance and forced Longstreet to raise the siege and retreat into 
Virginia. 

On the 7th of April, 1863, Admiral Dupont endeavored to force 
his way into Charleston Harbor with the iron-clad fleet, but was 
repulsed with severe loss by the Southern batteries. Early in July a 
force under General Gilmore effected a lodgment on the south end of 
Morris Island, and pushed their advance towards Fort Wagner with 
such steadiness that on the night of the 6th of September the Confed- 
erates evacuated that work just in time to avoid the final assault. 
The Federal batteries on Morris Island soon reduced Fort Sumter to 
a mass of ruins and bombarded Charleston. 

Early in March, 1864, General Grant was raised to the grade of 
lieutenant-general, and was given the chief command of all the armies 
of the Union. He established his head-quarters with the Army of 



THE UNITED STATES. 181 

the Potomac ; the Western army was placed under the command of 
General Sherman, and was to advance simultaneously with the Vir- 
ginia army. 

On the 4th of May the Army of the Potomac, 140,000 strong, 
under General Grant's command, crossed the Rapidan, turned Lee's 
right, and entered the region known as the Wilderness. Lee had but 
50,000 men, but attacked Grant in the Wilderness, on the 5th of 
May, hoping to prevent him from reaching the open country beyond. 
The conflict was maintained for two days, both armies suffering 
greatly. On the 7th Grant moved to the right of Lee, and endeav- 
ored to seize the strong position of Spottsylvania Court House. Lee 
divined his purpose and reached the position before him. On the 
10th and 12th of May Grant made vigorous efforts to drive Lee from 
this position, but failed. On the 21st of May he moved from Spott- 
sylvania to the North Anna river, hoping to get between Lee and 
Richmond ; but upon reaching that river found his antagonist in- 
trenched in a strong position behind it. Being unwilling to attack 
the Confederate army in this position, the Federal commander again 
moved to his left and marched to the Chickahomiuy. Lee followed 
him promptly, and took position at Cold Harbor, on the north side 
of the Chickahomiuy and within nine miles of Richmond, occupying 
nearly the same line as that held by McClellan in the battle of the 
27th of June, 1862. He covered his line with strong earthworks. 
On the 3d of June the Army of the Potomac made a determined 
attack upon these works, and was repulsed with a loss of 13,000 men. 
Its losses since the passage of the Rapidan amounted to over 60,000 
men. The Confederate loss during the same period was about 20,000 
men. Failing to force the Southern works at Cold Harbor, Grant 
marched to the James river and crossed that stream at Wilcox's 
Landing, on the 15th and 16th of June, and advanced upon 
Petersburg. 

At the opening of the campaign a force under General Butler 
moved up the neck of land between the James and Appomattox 
rivers, and endeavored to capture the worlvs and railway between 
Richmond and Petersburg. It was defeated on the 16th of May by 
a force under General Beauregard, and was driven back to Bermuda 
Hundreds, where it was forced to remain until Grant crossed the 
James river. 

After passing the James Grant advanced at once upon Petersburg, 
and on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of June made repeated efforts to carry 
12 



182 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the defences of that place and the line between Petersburg and 
Richmond by storm, but witliout success. He thereupon laid siege 
to Petersburg. During tlie fall he gradually extended his left until 
he wre-sted from the Confederates the railway connecting Petersburg 
with Weldoi), North Carolina. From this point he sought to extend 
his left still farther and seize the South Side Railway, Lee's only 
remaining line of communication with the Southern States, but without 
success. Tlie siege was marked by a number of battles during the 
remainder of the year, but we have not, space or time to enumerate 
them all. During the early fall General Grant extended his lines 
across the James river, and established a force on the north side of 
that stream to lay siege to the defences of Richmond. 

Simultaneously with the advance of the Army of the Potomac a 
force of 10,000 men, under General Sigel, entered the valley of Vir- 
ginia with the design of penetrating into Southwestern Virginia and 
seizing the railway connecting Lynchburg with East Tennessee and 
Georgia. General Breckenridge attacked Sigel at New Market, on 
the 15th of May, and drove him back down the valley. General 
Hunter succeeded Sigel and advanced to the vicinity of Lynchburg, 
where he was attacked by General Early and driven into West Vir- 
ginia. Early then moved rapidly down the valley, crossed the 
Potomac near Martinsburg on the 5th of July, and on the 7th occu- 
pied Frederick City, Maryland. On the 9th he defeated a small 
force under General Lew Wallace, at Frederick Junction, and 
marched upon Washington city. He arrived before that place on the 
11th, and found the defences so strongly manned that, after skirmish- 
ing before them for several days, he recrossed the Potomac on the 
14th and returned to Winchester. 

A force of 40,000 men was assembled on the upper Potomac by 
the Federal Government, and was placed under command of General 
Sheridan, who at once advanced against Early. On the 19th of'Sep- 
tember he defeated him at Winchester, and again, on the 22d, at 
Fisher's Hill, and drove him up the valley as far as Staunton. By 
order of General Grant, Sheridan now devastated the valley, driving 
off the stock and burning all the crops, mills, and farming imple- 
ments. Having received reinforcements. Early moved back down 
the valley, and on the 19th of October surprised Sheridan's camp at 
Cedar Creek, and drove his army in confusion. Sheridan was at 
" Winchester, twenty miles away," at the opening of the battle ; but 
as soon as he heard the firing sprang on his horse and rode with all 



THE UNITED STATES. 183 

speed for the army. He reached it just as General Wright had rallied 
it. Early's men stopped to plunder the captured camp, and Sheridan 
moved back, routed them, and drove them up the valley for thirty 
miles. This success ended the valley campaign. 

The Western army, 100,000 strong, under General Sherman, 
marched from Chattanooga on the 7th of May. General Johnston, 
with an army of 50,000 Confederates, held a strong position at 
Dakon, Georgia. Sherman, being unwilling to assail him in this 
position, turned it, and compelled him to fall back to Resaca. On 
the 14tli and 15th of May he attacked the Confederate lines near 
Resaca, but without success, and by moving around Johnston's left 
flank again, compelled him to fall back to Dallas. He attacked him 
again between the 25th and 28th, when, Sherman having turned 
Allatoona Pass, Johnston occupied a new position embracing Pine, 
Kenesaw, and Lost Mountains. Being unable to force this position, 
Sherman turned it, and Johnston crossed the Chattahoochee and fell 
back within the defences of Atlanta, where he meant to risk a decisive 
battle. On the 17th of Jtlly, however, he was removed from his 
command, and was succeeded by General John B. Hood. On the 
17th of July the Union army crossed the Chattahoochee and advanced 
towards Atlanta. On the 20th and 22d Hood attacked it on Peach 
Tree Creek, but was defeated. Sherman now thrust his army between 
the two wings of Hood's army, and that commander, on the 31st of 
August, evacuated Atlanta and retreated towards Macon. On the 
2d of September Sherman occupied Atlanta. That city had been the 
principal depot in the South for the manufacture of military stores. 
Its loss was a crushing blow to the Confederates. 

With the hope of drawing Sherman out of Georgia, Hood, by the 
orders of his Government, marched into Tennessee and threatened 
Nashville. General George H. Thomas was intrusted with the 
defence of that place, and Sherman prepared to put in execution a 
plan he had long cherished, but had not been able to carry out while 
Hood remained in Georgia. Hood began his movement on the 19th 
of November. On the 30th he defeated General Schofield at Franklin, 
eighteen miles from Nashville, and forced him to retire within the 
defences of the latter place. Hood then advanced to Nashville and 
invested the place. On the 15th and 16th of December he was 
attacked by General Thomas, routed, and driven across the Tennessee 
with the remnant of his army. 

In the meantime Sherman had put in execution his plan, which 



184 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

was to march from Atlanta through Georgia to the sea-coast, from 
which he could move northward to Virginia and aid Grant in bring- 
ing "the war to a close by the destruction of Lee's army. On the 14th 
of November he set fire to Atlanta and began his " march to the sea " 
at the head of a splendid army of 60,000 men. He ravaged the 
country as he went, leaving behind him a broad belt of desolation 
60 miles in width and 300 in length. In about four weeks he reached 
the coast near the mouth of the Savannah river. On the 13th of 
December he carried Fort McAllister by assault, and on the 22d of 
December occupied the city of Savannah. 

On the 5th of August, 1864, Admiral Farragut forced his way, 
with his fleet, by Forts Morgan and Gaines into Mobile Bay, and 
defeated the Confederate fleet, destroying and capturing the whole of 
it. On the 7th of August Fort Morgan surrendered to General 
Granger, and on the 23d Fort Gaines also capitulated. These cap- 
tures closed the harbor of Mobile to blockade runners. 

A notable success was won at sea in this year. On the 19th of 
June the United States steamer " Keapsarge " sunk the Confederate 
cruiser "Alabama," in a fight off Cherbourg, France. 

In the fall of 1864 Abraham Lincoln was re-elected President of 
the United States by a large popular vote, and received the electoral 
vote of every State except New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky. 

On the 31st of October, 1864, Nevada was admitted into the Union 
as a State. 

The year 1865 opened with an effort to restore peace. An informal 
interview was held in Hampton Roads, on the 3d of February, be- 
tween President Lincoln and Secretary Seward and a commission 
appointed by the Confederate Government. It accomplished nothing, 
as Mr. Lincoln would listen to no terms that were not based upon 
the unconditional submission of the South. 

On the 15th of January Fort Fisher, at the mouth of the Cape 
Fear river, was captured by a land force under General Terry, after 
a terrific bombardment by the fleet under Admiral Porter. On 
the 22d of February Wilmington was occupied by the Federal 
forces. 

After the capture of Savannah Sherman allowed his troops a 
montli's rest, and then, in spite of the horrible condition of the roads, 
began his march northward. On the 17th of February he reached 
Columbia, South Carolina, and on the same day the Confederates 
evacuated Charleston and its defences, which were occupied the next 



THE UNITED STATES. 185 

day by the Union forces under General Gilmore. On the 12th of 
March Sherman entered Fayetteville, North Carolina. 

In the emergency to whifch it was reduced, the Confederate Govern- 
ment was obliged to confer the command of the force assembling in 
Sherman's front upon General Joseph E. Johnston. General John- 
ston succeeded in collecting about 35,000 troops, with which he 
attacked Sherman, at Averasboro', on the 16th of March, and again, 
at Benton ville, on the 19th. He was unable to stay the advance of 
the Federal army, however, and on the 23d of March Sherman occu- 
pied Goldsboro'. Johnston withdrew towards Raleigh. At Golds- 
boro' Sherman was joined by the forces of Generals Schofield and 
Terry, which had moved up from the coast. 

The armies of Grant and Lee had confronted each other at Peters- 
burg during the winter. On the 26th of March Grant was reinforced 
by 10,000 magnificent cavalry under General Sheridan, who had 
moved down from the valley, laying waste the country along his 
route. Lee's situation was growing more critical every day. He 
had less than 40,000 men with him, and it was certain that no more 
could be obtained. By the last of March the Federal army num- 
bered 170,000 men. 

On the 29th of March Grant began his final advance, moving his 
left wing around Lee's right flank. On the 31st Lee endeavored to 
drive back the Federal left, but without success. On the 1st of 
April Sheridan captured the important position of Five Forks, taking 
5000 prisoners and planting himself fairly in Lee's rear. As soon as 
Sheridan had seized this position, Grant opened a heavy fire upon the 
Confederate lines along his entire front, and maintained it throughout 
the night. On the 2d he made a general attack upon Lee's line and 
broke it at several points. General Lee thereupon took up a new 
position on a shorter line immediately around Petersburg, and held it 
against every effort to carry it. Seeing that it was impossible to 
hold his ground longer, Lee withdrew his army from Richmond and 
Petersburg, and retreated in the direction of Amelia Court House. 
The next morning the retreat was discovered by the Federal army, 
which at once occupied both Richmond and Petersburg. Leaving a 
small force to occupy them, Grant hastened with the rest of his army 
in pursuit of Lee. 

It was General Lee's intention to move by way of Burkesville to 
Danville, and seek to form a junction with General Johnston. Upon 
reaching Amelia Court House, to which place he had ordered supplies 



186 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

for his army to be sent, he found that his orders had been counter- 
manded by the Confederate Government. His troops were without 
food, and had eaten nothing since the commencement of the retreat. 
Parties were sent into the surrounding country to obtain supplies, and 
this consumed the whole of the 4th and 5th of April, which Lee had 
hoped to use in getting beyond his .pursuers. The delay enabled 
Sheridan, with 18,000 mounted men, to seize the Confederate line of 
retreat at Jetersville and cut Lee off from Danville. The Confederate 
army therefore turned to the right and retreated towards Farmville, 
hoping to be able to reach Lynchburg ; but Sheridan by a forced 
march threw himself across Lee's path on the night of the 8th of 
April, near Appomattox Station. The next morning Sheridan was 
Joined by the Army of the James, under General Ord. The Army 
of the Potomac at the same time was closing in rapidly in Lee's rear. 
Seeing that the effort to retreat was hopeless. General Lee asked for a 
suspension of hostilities. In an interview between Generals Grant 
and Lee, on the same day, the terms of the surrender were arranged. 
Qeneral Grant treated the vanquished army with great generosity. 
The Confederates were fed by their conquerors, and after laying down 
their arms and signing their paroles, were allowed to withdraw to 
their homes. On the 12th of April the vanquished army formally 
la.id down its arms at Appomattox Court House. About 7500 men 
Avith arms, and about 18,000 unarmed stragglers took part in the 
surrender. 

. The news of the capture of Richmond and Petersburg, and of the 
surrender of General Lee, was received in the North with great 
rejoicings. It was understood on all sides that this was practically 
the end of the struggle. 

These rejoicings were suddenly brought to an end by the assassina- 
tion of President Lincoln, at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, on the 
evening of the 14th of April. He was shot in his private box by 
John Wilkes Booth, and died the next morning. At the same time 
an attempt was made to murder Secretary Seward, who was confined 
to his bed by the effects of an accident. Booth was pursued into 
Virginia, and was killed in the attempt to capture him. His accom- 
plices were secured, and were executed or imprisoned for various 
terms. The death of Mr. Lincoln was a severe blow to the country, 
and the manner of it caused great exasperation in the North. It was 
at first believed that the murder was encouraged by the South ; but it 
is now plain that Booth, who was evidently insane, had no accora- 



THE UNITED STATES. 187 

plices in that section. His dastardly act was regarded with horror 
by the Southern people. 

After the fall of Richmond Mr. Davis and the various officers of 
his government repaired to General Johnston's army, which was near 
Raleigh. On the 10th of April General Sherman advanced from 
Goklsboro' towards Johnston's position, and steadily pressed the Con- 
federate army back. On the 13th Sherman occupied Raleigh. Upon 
learning of the surrender of General Lee's army General Johnston 
was convinced that further resistance on his part was hopeless. He 
therefore opened negotiations with General Sherman, and on the 18th 
of April an agreement was signed by the two commanders for the 
surrender of the Confederate array. As this agreement provided for 
the restoration of the Southern States to their lost places in the Union, 
it was repudiated by the Federal Government, and Sherman was 
ordered to resume hostilities. General Johnston was at once notified 
by General Sherman of this order, and on the 26th of April entered 
into an agreement with him by which he surrendered to General 
Sherman all the Confederate forces under his command upon terms 
similar to those granted to General Lee by General Grant. 

The example of Generals Lee and Johnston was followed by the 
other Confederate commanders throughout the South. The last to 
surrender was General E. Kirby Smith, in Texas, on the 2Gth of May. 
On the 29th of May President Johnson issued a proclamation 
announcing the close of the war and offering amnesty to all who had 
participated in it on the Confederate side, with the exception of four- 
teen specified classes. 

Upon the surrender of Johnston's army Mr. Davis and the mem- 
bers of his former cabinet endeavored to make their way to the coast 
of Florida, from which they hoped to reach the West Indies. Some 
of them succeeded in doing so, but Mr. Davis was captured at Irwins- 
ville, Georgia, on the 10th of May, and was sent as a prisoner to 
Fortress Monroe, where he was held in confinement until May, 1867. 

The civil war was over. It had cost the country 1,000,000 of men 
in the killed and maimed for life of the two armies. In money it 
had cost probably as much as $5,000,000,000. 

By the death of Mr. Lincoln the Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, 
of Tennessee, became President of the United States. He took the 
oath of office on the 15th of April, and at once entered upon the 
discharge of his duties. 

The first task devolving upon the new administration was the dis- 



188 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

banding of the army, which at the close of the war numbered over a 
million of men. It was successfully accomplished in the course of a 
few months. 

At the close of the war the public debt amounted to $2,700,000,000. 
The interest on this sum was $133,000,000. Congress by a solemn 
resolution pledged the faith of the nation for the payment of the debt, 
principal and interest, and adopted a system of direct taxation to pro- 
vide a revenue sufficient for the immediate wants of the Government. 

The most important question of the day was the adjustment of the 
relations of the Southern States to the Union. President Johnson 
held that they had never been out of the Union, but had simply been 
in insurrection, and having been brought back, were entitled to resume 
their former positions upon adopting constitutions recognizing the 
new order of affiiirs. He thereupon recognized the States which 
complied with these conditions as members of the Federal Union. 

On the 1st of February, 1865, Congress adopted the Thirteenth 
Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting slavery within the limits 
of the Union. Having been ratified by the requisite number of 
States, this amendment became a part of the Constitution in Decem- 
ber, 1865. 

Upon the assembling of Congress in December, 1865, the recon- 
struction acts of President Johnson were treated by that body as null 
and void, and the Senators and Representatives of the Southern States 
were refused admittance into Congress, which body insisted that the 
Union should not be " restored," but should be " reconstructed " upon 
an entirely new basis. This basis was the citizenship of the newly 
enfranchised negroes. This was secured by the adoption of the 
Fourteenth Amendment, which was ratified after a considerable 
struggle by the requisite number of States. It became a part of the 
Constitution in July, 1868. This amendment was at first rejected by 
all the Southern States except Tennessee, which State ratified it, and 
was readmitted into the Union by Congress. The quarrel which 
thus began between the President and Congress grew more bitter 
every day. 

During this session Congress enacted a " Freedman's Bureau Bill," 
creating a department of the Federal Government for the care and 
protection of the newly emancipated negroes and the destitute whites 
of the South. It also adopted a " Civil Rights Bill," securing to the 
negro the rights of a citizen. Both measures were passed over the 
veto of the President. 



THE UNITED STATES. 189 

As the quarrel between the President and Congress deepened, 
various efforts were made by the latter to hamper the executive and 
impair his powers. The Thirty-ninth Congress adopted for this 
purpose a measure known as tlie " Tenure of Office Act," by the 
terms of which the President was forbidden to remove any person 
from a civil office under the Government without the consent of the 
Senate. This measure was passed over the President's veto. 

On the 1st of March, 1867, Nebraska was admitted into the Union 
as a State. 

In February, 1867, Congress placed all the Southern States that 
had refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment under martial law, 
by depriving them of their State governments and erecting them into 
military districts. The writ of habeas corpus was suspended within 
their limits, and the will of a military commander was made the 
supreme law in each. These measures were also passed over the 
President's veto. The military commanders exercised their authority 
with fairness and moderation, and took measures for the early recon- 
struction of their respective districts as States. Conventions were 
summoned and delegates were returned representing the extreme views 
of the party in power. They proceeded to ratify the amendments to 
the Federal Constitution, and after a bitter and protracted struggle 
organized their respective State governments. On the 24th of June 
Congress passed a bill over tlie President's veto admitting the States 
of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, 
and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and 
Texas having refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment, were 
refused admission into the Union. 

In the meantime the President brought the quarrel between Con- 
gress and himself to a decisive issue. Having twice removed Mr. 
Stanton from the post of Secretary of War, in spite of the provisions 
of the Tenure of Office Act, which he held to be unconstitutional, he 
was impeached by the House of Representatives for a violation of this 
Act, on the 24th of February, 1868. The Senate met as a High 
Court of Impeachment, for the trial of the President, on the 5th of 
March, 1868. The trial lasted until the 26th of May, and resulted 
in the acquittal of the President of the charges preferred against him. 

On the 13th of May, 1867, Jefferson Davis, who had been indicted 
for treason, was released from Fortress Monroe on bail. The indict- 
ment was subsequently quashed by the Government. 

During the progress of the civil war the French Emperor had 



190 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

forcibly intervened in the aifairs of Mexico, and had brought about 
the downfall of the Mexican Republic and the establishment of an 
empire in that country, with the Austrian Archduke Maximilian as 
Emperor, The Government of the United States had regarded this 
course with undisguised hostility, but, being engaged in the effort to 
crush the resistance of the South, was obliged to limit its opposition 
to a protest. Upon the return of peace it took a bolder stand, and 
demanded of France the withdrawal of her troops from Mexico. 
The Emperor Napoleon hesitated for a while, but finally acceded to 
the American demand. The French troops were withdrawn from 
Mexico at the close of the year 1866, and the Emperor Maximilian 
was left to face the Mexican people alone. They at once rose against 
him, took him prisoner, and shot him on the 19th of June, 1867. 

In July, 1866, a telegraphic cable was laid across the Atlantic 
from Yalentia Bay, in Ireland, to Heart's Content, in Newfoundland. 
Since then telegraphic communication between America and Europe 
has been uninterrupted. 

On the 29th of March, 1867, a treaty was concluded between the 
United States and Russia, by which the former purchased, for the 
sum of $7,200,000, all the Russian possessions in America. The new 
territory received the name of Alaska. 

In the fall of 1868 General Ulysses S. Grant, the candidate of the 
Republican party, was elected President of the United States by a 
popular vote of 2,985,031, over 2,648,830 votes cast for Horatio 
Seymour, his Democratic competitor. In the Electoral College 
Grant received 217 votes and Seymour 77. The States of Virginia, 
Mississippi, and Texas were not allowed to take part in the election. 

In February, 1869, Congress adopted the Fifteenth Amendment to 
the Constitution, which provides that " The right of the citizens of 
the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the 
United States, or any State, on account of race, color, or previous 
condition of servitude." This amendment became a part of the Con- 
stitution in March, 1870. 

On the 4th of March, 1869, General Grant was inaugurated 
President of the United States. 

On the 10th of May, 1869, the Pacific Railway, extending from 
Omaha, Nebraska, to San Francisco, California, was completed. 

In the year 1870 the ninth census of the United States showed the 
population of the country to be 38,558,371 souls. 

In the same year the work of reconstruction was concluded. On 



THE UNITED STATES. 191 

the 26th of January, 1870, the State of Virginia, having ratified the 
amendment^ to the Constitution, was readmitted into the Union. On 
the 17th of February, 1870, Mississippi was readmitted upon the 
same terms. Texas was the last to ratify the amendments ; but having 
done so at last, was readmitted before the close of the year. 

Since the opening of President Lincoln's second term of office 
negotiations had been in progress with Great Britain for the settle- 
ment of the claims advanced by the United States against that power 
for the losses inflicted upon American commerce during the civil war 
by Confederate cruisers, built, equipped, and mamied in Great 
Britain. The British Government, after long refusing to admit its 
responsibility for these acts, at length consented to submit the matter 
to a Board of Arbitration. This Board assembled at Geneva, in 
Switzerland, on the 15th of April, 1872, and on the 27th of June 
made its award in favor of the United States. The claims of the 
United States were admitted ; the damages awarded to that Govern- 
ment amounting to $16,250,000. They were paid in due time by 
Great Britain. Thus were settled the famous "Alabama Claims " (so 
called from the fact that the Confederate cruiser "Alabama " caused 
the greater part of the loss), which at one time threatened to embroil 
the two countries in war. 

On the night of Sunday, October 8th, 1871, a fire broke out in 
Chicago, and raged with tremendous violence for two days, laying the 
greater part of the city in ashes. It was the greatest conflagration of 
modern times, destroying about $196,000,000 worth of property and 
rendering 98,000 persons homeless. 

In the fall of 1872 the Presidential election occurred. General 
Grant was renominated by the Republican party. A new party — the 
Liberal Republican — nominated Horace Greeley for its candidate, and 
he was endorsed and supported by the Democratic party. The cam- 
paign resulted in the election of General Grant by an overwhelming 
majority. A deplorable sequel to the struggle, which was unprece- 
dented in its bitterness, was the death of Horace Greeley, who died on 
the 29th of November, 1872. 

On the 9th of November, 1872, a fi»e broke out in Boston and 
burned until the 10th. It destroyed the greater portion of the busi- 
ness quarter of the city and inflicted upon it a loss of $78,000,000. 

On the 4th of March, 1873, General Grant was inaugurated a 
second time, at Washington, with great pomp. Twelve thousand 
troops from various parts of the country took part in the procession 
that escorted him to the Capitol. 



192 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Since 1868 a revolution had been in progress in the island of Cuba. 
Great sympathy had been manifested for the patriots by the people 
of the United States, but the Government had fe,ithfully observed its 
duties as a friendly and neutral power. In spite of its efforts, how- 
ever, several expeditions managed to leave American ports for the 
assistance of the Cubans. One of these embarked in the steamer 
"Virginius," which was overhauled by the Spanish war steamer 
" Tornado," on the high seas, and was carried as a prize into the 
harbor of Santiago de Cuba. The American flag was flying from the 
" Virginius " at the time of her capture, and she was not in Spanish 
waters. The officers and a portion of the crew and passengers of the 
captured steamer were shot by order of a hastily summoned court- 
martial, at Santiago de Cuba. The American Consul exerted himself 
to save them, but was grossly insulted by the Spanish officials, and 
was not allowed to communicate with his Government by telegraph. 

The news of these outrages created the most intense excitement in 
the United States, and the popular voice demanded the instant pun- 
ishment of Spain for the insult to our flag. The Government acted 
with firmness and prudence. A strong naval force was sent to the 
West Indies, the execution of the surviving prisoners was prevented, 
and their restoration to liberty and the surrender of the " Virginius " 
demanded. The captives were set at liberty and the steamer was 
delivered up off the port of Havana. 

On the 17th of September, 1873, a severe financial crisis, known 
as " the railroad panic," burst upon the country. The panic was fol- 
lowed by several years of great financial distress. 

On the 4th of March, 1875, Colorado was admitted into the Union 
as a State. 

On the 19th of April, 1875, the one hundredth anniversary of the 
battles of Lexington and Concord was celebrated with great rejoicing. 

As early as 1872 measures were begun for the proper observance 
of the one hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 
It was decided to celebrate it by an international exhibition of the 
products of the country, to be held at Philadelphia in 1876. All 
nations were invited to participate in it. The exhibition will un- 
doubtedly be one of the prominent events of the century. 



THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



MAINE. 

Area, 31,766 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 62S,279 

Population in 1870, 626,915 

Maine is the most easterly of the United States. It is situated 
between latitude 42° 57' and 47° 32' N., and longitude 66° 52' and 
71° 06' W. Its extreme length, from north to south, is 303 miles, 
and its extreme width 212 miles. Its average length is about 200 
miles, and its average width about 160 miles. It covers an area of 
20,330,240 acres. It is bounded on the north and northwest by 
Canada, on the east by New Brunswick, on the south and southeast 
by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by New Hampshire. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Beginning on the west at Kittery Point, and following the general 
coast line to Quoddy Head, on the east, the shore of Maine measures 
about 278 miles; but if we follow its indentations, and include the 
islands, the coast line will measure 2486 miles. The coast is deeply 
indented with numerous bays and inlets, many of which form excel- 
lent harbors. Many islands lie along the shore, some of them of con- 
siderable size. 

Mount Desert, the principal island, is situated in Frenchman's Bay, 
and forms a part of Hancock county. It comprises an area of 60,000 
acres, and is 15 miles long, and 12 broad. It is traversed from west 
to north by a range of thirteen granite peaks, rising to a height of 
from 1500 to 2300 feet. Mount Adam, or Mount Green, is the high- 
est of these. Several beautiful lakes lie high up in these mountains. 
Some of these are quite large, and from nearly all of them flow clear, 

193 



194 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

cool streams, abounding in trout. The southeastern coast is formed 
of huge cliffs, several hundred feet high. A narrow bay enters the 
island from tlie soutli side, and extends into the interior in a northerly 
direction for about seven miles. The scenery of tiie island is surpass- 
ingly grand and beautiful, and attracts many visitors and artists. 
Mount Desert is divided into 3 townships, Eden, Tremont, and 
Mount Desert. It contains 6 small villages, 9 post-offices, 8 churches, 
and over 50 schools. Its population is about 4000. Shipbuilding 
and mackerel fisheries are carried on, and there is regular steamboat 
communication with Portland and Bangor. The island was discovered 
and named by the French near the year 1600. In 1613, a small 
French settlement was formed here, which was broken up soon after 
by an expedition from Virginia. It was first permanently setthnl by 
Abraham Somes, in 1761. Twenty miles to the southward is Mount 
Desert Rock, with a fixed light, 50 feet above the sea. 

The other islands of the State which merit notice are Isle au Haut, 
at the entrance to Penobscot Bay, Deer, Long, and Fox islands, in 
that bay, and the Isle of Shoals, a group belonging in part to New 
Hampshire. 

The principal Bays are Passamaquoddy, Machias, Pleasant, French- 
man's, Penobscot, Muscongus, Casco, and Saco. 

Passamaquoddy Bay lies at the southeast extremity of Maine, and 
separates the State from the British province of New Brunswick. It 
extends inland about 15 miles, and is 10 miles wide. It is irregular 
in shape, contains a number of islands, affords numerous good harbors, 
and receives the waters of the St. Croix River. 

Frenchman's Bay extends inland about 30 miles. It contains 
Mount Desert and several other islands, and abounds in good harbors, 
which are never closed by ice. 

Casco Bay does not extend very far inland, but lies along the coast 
for a distance of 20 miles. It contains nearly 300 islands. Portland 
harbor opens upon it. 

The principal Rivers are the Penobscot, the Kennebec, the Andro- 
scoggin, the Saco, the Woolastook, and the Aroostook. 

The Penobscot is 'the largest river in the State. It is formed by 
two branches, the East and the West, which rise in northern Maine, 
and unite in the upper part of Penobscot county, near the centime of 
the State. The general course of the river is south -southwest, and it 
flows into the sea through Penobscot Bay. Its length from its mouth 
to the headwaters of its western and larger branch, is about 300 miles, 



MAINE. 195 

but from the junction of the two branches to its mouth, the distance is 
only 135 miles. It meets the tide water at Bungor, 60 miles from the 
sea. At this point the tides rise to a height of 17 feet. The river 
is navigable to Bangor for vessels of all classes, and for small steamers 
above that place. It receives through the AA'est branch the waters of 
Chesuncook and Pemadumcook lakes, and through the East branch 
those of the Seboois lakes. Its upper part affords valuable water 
power. There are a number of villages and towns on the river. 
Bangor is the only city on its banks. 

The Kennebec River rises in Moosehead Lake, in Somerset county, 
Maine, and flows southward into the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is 
150 miles, and as its total descent in this distance is over 1000 feet, 
it affords most excellent water power. It is navigable for sloops to 
Plallowell, 40 miles, and for all vessels to Bath, 12 miles from the 
sea. It is closed by ice early in December, and remains frozen until 
early in April. Bath, Hallowell, Augusta, Waterville, and Norridgc- 
wock are the principal towns on its shores. The Androscoggin is a 
tributary of the Kennebec. It rises in Coos county. New Hampshire, 
and empties into the Kennebec 20 miles from the sea. It is 140 
miles long. 

The Saco River rises among the White Mountains, in Coos county, 
New Hampshire, and flowing southeasterly through Maine, empties 
into the Atlantic near the northeast corner of York county. It is 
broken in several places by considerable falls, which aflPord fine water 
power, and is subject to sudden and dangerous freshets. The last 
falls are only 4 miles from the sea. Saco, Biddeford, and HoUis are 
its principal towns. 

The Woolastook and Aroostook drain the northern part of the State, 
and flow into the St. John, a river of New Brunswick. 

The State is well supplied with rivers and other streams, which not 
only afford fine water power, but furnish a means of floating vast 
quantities of lumber from the interior to the coast. 

A number of Lakes are scattered through Maine, some of which are 
very beautiful. The principal are Umbagog, Sebec, Chesuncook, 
Schoodic, Baskahegau, Long, Portage, Eagle, Madawaska, Millikonet, 
and Sebago. 

Moosehead Lake is the largest in the State. It is situated between 
Somerset and Piscataquis counties, and is very irregular in shape. It 
is about 35 miles long, and ten miles across at its widest point. The 
Waters are very deep, and abound in trout. The scenery is wild ancj 



196 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

beautiful. On the west side Mount Kineo overhangs the water at a 
height of 600 feet, and affords a view of great but wild beauty. An 
hotel has been erected about midway, for the accommodation of 
travellers. Numerous islands stud the lake, which is navigated by 
steamers engaged in towing lumber to the Kennebec River, which 
forms the outlet. 

The surface of the State is generally hilly and diversified. To- 
wards the coast it is level, but rises towards the interior. A chain of 
detached mountains, supposed to be an extension of the White Moun- 
tains of New Hampshire, crosses the State from west to northeast, 
terrainatins in Mars Hill on the border of New Brunswick. These 
peaks rise to a considerable elevation, and are very beautiful. 

Mount Katahdin, 6385 feet high, is the best known, as well as the 
most picturesque. It is situated in the eastern part of Piscataquis 
county, and is frequently visited by artists and the more daring 
tourists. The other peaks are the Saddleback, Bigelow, Abraham, 
North and South Russell, and the Haystack. 

The Forests of Maine furnish an immense amount of valuable lum- 
ber, and large numbers of hardy men are employed in cutting and 
floating the logs down the streams. The great forests lie in the upper 
part of the State, around the sources of the Kennebec, Penobscot, 
Aroostook, and Woolastook rivers. Mr. Charles Lanman thus 
pleasantly describes them : 

" Their extent can only be realized by fixing the mind upon the 
whole northern half of the State, which they cover with their sombre 
green, and by remembering the fact that no less than four splendid 
rivers have their birth in this great wilderness — the St. Croix, the 
Penobscot, the Kennebec, and the Androscoggin. According to such 
figures as we have been able to collect, the number of saw-mills and 
other lumbering machines in operation on the above rivers, just before 
the rebellion, was nearly 900, the number of men employed about 
17,000, and of horses and oxen perhaps 10,000; while the towns 
which are, to a great extent, supported by the lumbering business are 
Calais, Bangor, Augusta, and Brunswick, as well as Portland. The 
predominating tree in the wilderness under consideration, as is the 
case in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is the white pine, but the hemlock, 
the fir, and the spruce are also abundant in all its borders. It is said 
that fifty years ago specimens of the pine were found in Maine which 
attained the height of more than 200 feet, but in these times it is but 
seldom that we find a tree exceeding 150 feet in length. The grand 



MAINE. 



197 




THE PIIfE FORESTS OF HIAIXE. 



old monaix'hs of the land would seem to have perished with grief on 
beholding the ravages of man. But there is an aristocracy existing 
in these woods at the present day, for it has been observed that there 
are different classes of trees — families of nobility clusterino; too-ether 
m one place— while the more plebeian varieties congregate in com- 
munities by themselves. Were it not for the changing seasons and 
its living creatures, the monotony of this forest scenery would be well 
nigh unbearable; but summer fills every sunny nook with its bright 
flowers, and winter scatters everywhere the fantastic creations of the 
frost and snow. It is in these solitudes that the bold and hardy Pen- 
obscot Indian hunter tracks the moose and the deer, fights the bear 
in his den, decoys the gray wolf, and sets his traps for the wild cat 
13 



198 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and mink, the marten, the sable, and the beaver ; and if, in the most 
genial seasons, there should be found a scarcity of birds, you can 
never fail to hear the plaintive whistle of the Canada bird, or musci- 
capa of scientific dreamers. In the Valley of the Potomac this 
favorite bird of ours is the very first harbini^er of spring, coming from 
the South even before the blue-bird ; and when heard there late in 
autumn, you may be sure that winter has asserted- his empire on the 
Northern frontiers. We have heard it in the pine forests of Florida, 
among the mountains of Tennessee, along the glorious rivers of New 
Brunswick, Canada, and a part of Labrador, but never with more 
pleasure than in the forests of Maine. When away from home, it al- 
ways carries us back in fancy to the region where our lot is cast, and 
to our friends; and when at home it reminds us of far-off places and 
other friends linked with happy recollections. Its whole life, it 
seems to us, is devoted to singing, in a kind of monotone, about the 
joys of the wilderness. 

" Of permanent human inhabitants, the forests of Maine can boast 
of but a small supply; but for about nine months in the year the 
hardy lumbermen, consisting of explorers and cho])pers, of swampers, 
or road-cutters, and teamsters, make their dim, interminable aisles 
alive and cheery with their presence and manifold employments. In 
the autumn, small parties, equipped like trappers, go up the rivers in 
oanoes and locate the lands which are to be grapj)led with in winter ; 
and when winter comes, the great majority, with their oxen and axes, 
their salt pork and flour, migrate to the selected grounds, and, after 
housing themselves and their cattle in cabins half covered with snow, 
they proceed to the work of extermination ; and when the spring ar- 
rives, down to the tributary streams do they drag their logs ; and 
when the .first great thaw arrives, away they go down the larger 
rivers, driving the produce of their toil through lakes and lakelets, 
and over waterfalls, with many a wild and wayward shout, until they 
reach the booms where they would be ; and then for home and their 
happy families nearer the sea. All this for money? Most tnie. But 
where will you find better specimens of true manhood than among 
these lumbermen ? And as for poetry and romance, where can we 
find their equal among the laborers for hire in any land but ours? 
Fancy the heart-bursts of true patriotism, and the wild stories told by 
the side of their watch-fires, the hoot of the great white owl at mid- 
night in those dim solitudes, the white moonlight on the still whiter 
snow, the ringing cadences of the frost, the wolf prowling for food 



MAINE. 199 

around the sleeping camps, the cave-like forest pictured against the 
cold blue sky, the terrible storms of sleet and hail, and then the 
thousand dreams of wives and children sleeping in their distant and 
peaceful homes. 

" The continuousness of the Maine woods, taken in connection with 
their extent, is one of their most impressive features. Unless there 
were something to relieve their monotony, a sensitive man could 
never have journeyed from one extremity to another without becom- 
ing a personification of gloom ; but behold with what exquisite taste 
and skill nature interposes her relief! She plants old Moosehead 
near the centre of the great forest, and scatters a thousand smaller 
gems of purest water on every side ; bids a few mountain peaks rise 
up as watch-towers against the northern sky; sends the most beautiful 
rivers like flashes of light in every direction singing to the sea ; and 
in a few localities spreads out those wonderful fields which have been 
denominated 'oceans of moss,' sometimes several feet in thickness, and 
in one instance covering a space of many miles. But more than this : 
around the lakes and along the water-courses are permitted to grow 
as great a variety of the more delicate and graceful trees as the climate 
will allow, with shrubs and vines, and flowers innumerable. All this 
is the workmanship of nature ; but it is man who marks the earth 
with ruin, and, not content with robbing the old forests of their giant 
treasures, he sometimes sets them on fire for his amusement, or by 
accident, and thus come into existence the desolate burnt districts to 
take the places of trees once valuable, and grand, and beautiful. 

"The last object that the wide-awake tourist beholds on leaving 
the great wilderness of Maine, is Mount Katahdin ; and that reminds 
us of the mountain forests of the Northern and Southern States. The 
representative peaks of the North are Katahdin, Mount Washington, 
the Camel's Hump, Tahawus, and High Peak ; and around all these 
are to be found the hemlock and spruce, the cedar and fir, the maple, 
the ash, the elm, and the birch, in such numbers, and variety, and 
beauty as to bewilder the mind. The declivities up which travellers 
climb oftentimes frown upon them as if to warn them of coming dan- 
ger, but the tough and rugged trees plant their roots in the rocky 
fissures and hold on with heroic fortitude; nor do they cease their 
persevering efforts, while apparently changing their places at each 
zone, until, robbed of their luxuriance and reduced to mere bushes by 
the savage winds and by the cold, they peep out from their hiding 
places only to behold the stupendous fields of granite desolation, thou- 



200 



OUR COUKTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




A LXmBEUMAN'S CAMP IN THE WOODS OF MAINE. 



»i ™ c1,mii(l«l in fou^, or bouintecl by the sea. 
sands of feet above tlie sei., «'''"''«' "•= 'j,„^j,,^,„ forests, the en- 
Inaecssible, for the most P"'' -;l ^^J^^^, ^aden .kpths for 
terprise of man has been sue as »° P«-^'^'^ j„ j^^.^^-J .rffish 

his advantage, and plunder hem of the.r ^^^""^ ^^ t,,;,^, 

ttsr^shes the -:p-— ii.rr'^rirr ct 

for his enjoyment, the sweetnes of then m, ^^^^ 

bammers out of .heir — ';■ f ; V^: l' „f it"! shaggy bark, 
valued iron ore, and raeanlj strips the " , 

and leaves it to perish inglor.ously upon the lulls. 



MAINE. 201 



MINERALS. 

The mineral resources of Maine are limited. Copper pyrites, lead, 
and manganese are found in small quantities, but iron, lime, and a 
fine granite are plentiful. The principal iron deposit occurs on the 
Aroostook River, about 50 miles from its mouth, and the country 
along the west branch of the Penobscot furnishes a limited quantity 
of an excellent marble. A fine quality of slate is found in the region 
between the sources of the Kennebec and St. John rivers. The 
granite of which the Treasury Extension in Washington City is built, 
was brought from the coast of Maine. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of Maine is considered healthy, in spite of the extreme 
northeastern situation of the State, because it is less subject than that 
of the other New England States to sudden and violent changes. The 
winters are severe and long. The mercury sometimes falls to 20 or 
30 degrees below zero, but for the greater part of the season there is 
a uniform temperature averaging about 18°. The summers, though 
short, are warm. The thermometer has been known to indicate a 
heat of 100°, but the average temperature is about 60°. The snow 
lies on the ground from 3 to 5 months, and the season of vegetation 
lasts scarcely 4 months. The spring and early summer are rendered 
unpleasant by the cold northeast winds, which sweep down from the 
ice-fields of the Atlantic. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is not uniform. Between the Kennebec and Penobscot, 
the lands are generally good and productive, and the same may be 
said of the valley of the St. John and the country watered by some 
of the lesser rivers. The lands in the mountainous districts and along 
the coast are for the most part poor, and require laborious culture. 

In 1869, there were 2,704,133 acres of improved lands, and 
2,996,622 acres of unimproved lands in the State. Its agricultural 
wealth in the same year may be stated as follows : 

Cash value of farms, - . . . $80,000,000 

Value of farming implements and machinery, $3,400,000 

Number of horses, 71,110 

" asses and mules 168 



202 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Number of milch cows, 190,110 

" other cattle, 230,110 

sheep, • 501,210 

" swine, 65,340 

Value of domestic animals, $19,437,538 

Bushels of wheat, 248,000 

rye, 158,000 

" Indian corn, . • 1,450,000 

" oats, 3,200,000 

" peas and beans, 346,915 

" Irish potatoes, 7,500,000 

" barley, 750,000 

" buckwheat, 350,000 

" clover-seed, 50,000 

Pounds of wool, 1,495,063 

butter, 11,687,781- 

" cheese, 1,799,862 

" hops, •. . . 102,987 

" flax, 17,081 

" maple sugar, 306,742 

" beesAvax and honey, 323,454 

Tons of hay, 1,050,000 

Value of orchard products, $501,767 

" market garden products, . . . . . $194,006 

" home made manufactures, .... $490,787 

" slaughtered animals, $2,780,179 



COMMERCE. 

The staple export of Maine is lumber. The coast offere the best in- 
ducements for commerce of any State in the Union. It is so thickly 
studded with bays and navigable rivers that vessels can find an ex- 
cellent harbor at any point along its whole length. Shipbuilding is 
carried on to a considerable extent. The commercial returns for the 
year 1870 were as follows : 

Value of lumber produced during the year . . $11,728,122 
Product of the fisheries 979,610 

Besides these large quantities of marble, granite, lime, and ice are 
produced, of which we have no statistics. The tonnage owned in the 
State in 1863 was 774,040 tons. 

In 1863, the total foreign imports were $3,911,468, and the exports 
$7,016,342. In 1870 this State built ships to the value of $2,358,445. 



MAINE. 203 

MANUFACTURES. 

According to the census of 1870, there were in that year 5550 
establishments in Maine devoted to manufactures, mining, and the 
mechanic arts. They employed 49,180 hands, possessed a capital of 
$.'^9,796,190, consumed raw material to the amount of $49,379,757 
(including fuel), and produced goods worth $79,497,521. Of these 
establishments, 23 were cotton manufactories, employing 2606 male 
and 6246 female hands, consuming annually $6,716,780 worth of 
raw material, paying annually $2,565,197 for labor, and producing 
$11,844,181 worth of goods; and 56 were woollen mills, with a capital 
of $4,092,685, employing 1471 male and 1244 female hands, consuming 
$3,761,715 worth of raw material, paying $1,035,483 for labor, and 
producing goods worth $6,150,620. There were $4,939,781 worth 
of leather; 7000 tons of rolled iron, worth $1,591,196; $1,791,823 
worth of steam engines and machinery; $231,991 worth of agricul- 
tural implements ; $4,415,998 worth of flour ; and $93,050 worth of 
malt and $215,715 worth of spirituous liquors produced during the 
same year. The manufacturing interest of Maine has greatly increased 
since 1860. In 1860, the capital invested in manufactures amounted 
to $22,044,020 and the annual value of fabrics produced to $38,193,- 
284. The water-power of the State is immense, and holds out the 
best inducements to manufacturers. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The State is making steady progress in internal i mi>rovements. In 
1860, there were 14 railroads in Maine, having an aggregate length 
in the $tate of 472 miles, wliich had been constructed at a cost of 
$16,576,385. The Grand Trunk, which extends from Portland, 
through New Hampshire and Vermont to Quebec and Montreal .in 
Canada, passes through Maine for but a short distance. It is a first- 
class road, in respect to the amount of business done by it. The 
Maine Central is 138 miles long, and extends from Portland to Ban- 
gor, passing through Auburn and Waterville. The Portland and 
Kennebec, extending from Portland to Skowhegan, through Rich- 
inond, Gardiner and Augusta, is 100 miles long. There are other 
thriving linos in the State, one of which (the Portland, Saco, and 
Portsmovith) connects Portland with Portsmouth, N. H. 

The only canal in the State is the Cumberland- Oxford, uniting 



204 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Portland with Sebago, Brandy, and Long Ponds. It is 20 miles 
long, and has 26 locks. Together witii the Songo River iraprovo- 
uients, it forms a navigable line of 50 miles, constructed at a cost of 
$50,000. 

EDUCATION. 

Maine has a permanent school fund, drawn from the sale of lands 
donated for that purpose by the State. Besides this, the banks are 
t ixcd one-half of one per cent, on their capital, and the towns are 
iissessed at the rate of 40 cents per capita, for educational purposes. 
1 \ 11860, Maine had 2 colleges and 337 students, 110 academies and 
other schools, with 8273 pupils, and 4376 public schools with 186,717 
]Hi;>ils. lu the same year, the whole number of pupils, between the 
ages of 4 and 21 years, at all the. schools in the State, was 244,920. 
In 1868, this number had been reduced to 225,290, a falling off duo 
to the actual decrease of children in the State. In 1850, the \)ro])or- 
tion of minors in the State Avas 49 per cent, of the whole population, 
but in 1860 it was only 36 per cent. This, too, in spite of the fact 
that the population of Maine has steadily grown larger. It is doubt- 
less (hie to the fact that children are not now as much desired as in 
the better days of the community. * In 1868, the number of schools 
in the State was 3782. 

A writer in the Annual Cyclopasdia for 1867, says : " The perma- 
nent school fund amounts to $245,121.23, the income of which for 
the past year is $13,244.14. The receipts from the bank tax are 
rapidly falling off, being but $4475. The people are determined, how- 
ever, that the schools shall not suffer. They have raised, by direct 
taxation, the sum of $518,292.97, an average of $2.28 a scholar, and 
built seventy-nine new school -houses, at a cost of $323,581.13. Add 
to this the sum of $15,316.93, contributed to prolong public schools, 
with $40,614.33, paid for j>rivate schools and academies, and $6,428.25 
paid out of the State lor the same purposes, making an aggr^ate ex- 
penditure for schools of $935,131.75, and you have abundant proof 
that the burdens and discouragements of the times are not allowed to 
diminish the interest of the people in common school education. 
There are also two Normal Schools, both of which are in a flourishing 
condition, and are liberally sustaine<l. 

" The State has chartered a College of Agricultural and Mechanic 

* Appleton's Cyclopaedia, 1868. 



MAINE. 205 

Arts, and commenced the erection of suitable build. ngs for its uses. 
.... The Reform School has entered upon a course of unusual pros- 
perity." 

In 1870, there were 3,334 libraries, containing a total of 984,510 
volumes. There were 400 public libraries, comprising 500,000 vols. 

In the same year, there were 65 newspapers and periodicals pub- 
lished in the Srate. These consisted of 7 daily, 1 tri-weekly, and 47 
weekly political papers, 3 weekly religious papers, and 10 journals of 
a miscellaneous character. Tliese had an aggregate annual circulation 
of 9,867,680 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The public institutions of Maine, are the State Prison, at Thomas- 
ton, the Insane Asylum, at Augusta, and the State Reform School, at 
Cape Elizabeth. The Stcde Prison was much enlarged and improved 
in 1867. It is not adequate to the necessities of the community, how- 
ever, and in 1867, was so overcrowded that its earnings fell ^7000 
short of its expenditures. The number of prisoners in 1866 was 135, 
against 78 in 1865. The number of inmates in the Insane Asylum 
in 1867 was 303 — 144 men and 159 women. The institution is well 
supported by the State, and has received several endowments. The 
State Reform School, in 1870, contained 254 inmates, of whom 71 
we recommitted during the year. The children, upon being admitted 
to this school, are employed on the farm or in the work-shops. They 
are kindly treated, and, as a general rule, a great change takes place 
for the better in their morals a few months after their commitment. 
The actual cost of the school to the State for 1868, was about $13,945, 
the earnings of the boys making up the remainder of the expenses. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1§70, the value of church property in Maine was $5,200,853, 
and the number of churches, 1104. 

FINANCES. 

The public debt of the State on the 31st of December, 1873, was 
$9,959,690, and is due in 1883 and 1889. The amount paid off 
in 1873 was $50,000. The receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal 



206 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

year 1874 were $1,859,904, and the expenses of the State $1,537,718. 
On January 1st, 1875, there was a cash balance in the Treasury of 
$322,185. On the 1st of October, 1868, there were 61 National 
banks doing business in the State, witli an aggregate capital of 
$9,085,000. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of the State was adopted in 1820. Every 
adult male citizen of the United States, not a criminal, is entitled to 
a vote in the elections. 

The Government of the State consists of a Legislature, comprising 
a Senate and House of Representatives, and a Governor, all ciiosen by 
the people. The Governor is elected annually, and is assisti d in his 
executive duties by a Council of seven members, elected on joint ballot 
by the houses of the Legislature. The Senate consists of 31 mem- 
bers, and the House of Representatives of 151 members, all chosen 
animally by the people, on the second Monday in September. The 
Legislature meets at Augusta, on the first Wednesday in January in 
each year. The chief executive officers are the Secretary of Stnte and 
the State Treasurer, both chosen by the joint ballot of the Legislature. 

There is a probate court with a judge and register in eacli ccmnty, 
and municipal and police courts in the several cities. Cases originat- 
ing AA'ithin the jurisdiction of these bodies are tried before them. The 
Supreme Judicial Court of the State consists of a Chief Justice and 
seven Associate Justices, an Attorney General, and a Reporter of De- 
cisions. Courts are held in three districts, for the purpose of hearing 
and determining cases brought before them. The Court for the Eas- 
tern district sits at Bangor, that for the Middle district at Augusta, 
and that for the Western district at Portland. The income of the 
State is derived chiefly from direct taxes, sales of land, and a tax on 
the banks. The seat of Government is established at Anp,usta. 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into 10 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Maine was first visited in 1602 by Gosnold, who was followed in 
1603 by Martin Pring. A French expedition, under Des Monts, 
passed the winter of 1604 at the present site of Calais, on the St. 
Croix. Des Monts took possession of the region of the Kennebec the 
next spring, and was granted a patent for it by the French King. 
The province was visited by Captain George Weymouth, in 1605, 



MAINE. 207 

and in 1607 the first colony was established by the Plymouth Com- 
pany. Tiiis settlement was abandoned in one year. A French colony 
was sent out in 1613, by Madame de Guercheville, who had pur- 
chased the patent of Des Monts, and planted on Mount Desert Island 
for missionary purposes. This settlement was broken up by an expe- 
dition from Virginia. In 1614, the coast was thoroughly explored 
by Captain John Smith, who published an account of it on his return 
to England. The Plymouth Company obtained a renewal of their 
charter from James I., in 1620, and, as the region granted them in- 
cluded the present State of Massachusetts, bitterly 'opposed the forma- 
tion of settlements by the Pilgrims at Plymouth and Salem, but without 
effect. In 1621, William Alexander, who subsequently became Earl 
of Stirling, purchased from the Company the territory east of the St. 
Croix River; which stream, until this day, forms the eastern boun- 
dary of Maine. The next year, Monhegan was settled by emigrants 
from Great Britain. Saco was settled in 1623. These settlements 
prospered even better than their founders had ventured to hope. In 
1629, the Plymouth Company established the western boundary of 
Maine, by selling to John Mason the territory "lying between the 
Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers," to which they gave the name of 
New Hampshire. In 1635, the Company surrendered its charter to 
the king, and divided its territory among its members. The country 
between the Piscataquis and the Kennebec was assigned to Sir Fer- 
dinando Gorges, who, in 1639, was confirmed in his possession by a 
formal charter from Charles L, who called the territory the Province 
of Maine. Gorges was also appointed Governor-General of New 
England with almost despotic powers. In 1640, he sent his son 
Thomas to Maine as his deputy. Thomas Gorges took up his resi- 
dence at the settlement of Agamenticus, now the town of York, and 
in 1642 changed the name of the place to Gorgeana. 

Since the settlement of the colony, the French had claimed the re- 
gion between the St, Croix and the Penobscot, which they had settled 
under the name of Acadie, and after the death of the elder Gorges the 
province was still further divided among his heirs. These cut it up 
into four weak communities, whose helplessness laid them open to the 
encroachments of the French in Canada. Apprehensive of this result 
the colony of Massachusetts Bay, incited to such a course by the en- 
treaties of many of the inhabitants, set up a claim, in 1651, to the 
province of Maine, which it declared had been granted to the colony 
by the original charter of Massachusetts. Commissioners were sent 



208 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to admit the province into the jurisdiction of the Bay Colony, but tlie 
authorities of Maine resisted them, and appealed to the Government 
of Great Britain. The people of Maine were adherents of the king 
and the established Church, and England was now ruled by the Puri- 
tans. Consequently Massachusetts \von her cause, and Maine was 
declared a part of that Colony. Massachusetts made a generous use 
of her authority, however, and allowed the towns of Maine very much 
the same privileges and government as they now enjoy, and in reli- 
gious matters was far more tolerant to them than to her own people. 
This forbearance, joined to the natural liberality of the province, en- 
tirely exempted it from the religious persecutions which have stained 
the history of the other colonies. In 1653, Cromwell declared void the 
transfer of Acadie to the French, which had been made by Charles I. 
in 1632, and appointed a Governor of that territory, who held his 
office until the treaty of Breda, in 1669, by which Acadie was restored 
to France. Upon the restoration of Charles II., the heirs of Sir Fer- 
dinando Gorges succeeded in obtaining a royal order, restoring the 
province of Maine to them. Massachusetts resisted this order, but in 
1670 settled the matter by purchasing the interests of the claimants 
for the sum of twelve hundred and fifty pounds sterling. 

In 1675, King Philip's war began in New England. Maine came 
in for her full share in these horrors ; and from this time until 1760, 
nearly one hundred years, was never free from incursions by the 
savages. This constant danger greatly retarded her progress. Settlers 
were afraid to venture within her limits, and many of those who had 
already established themselves there removed to the other colonies. 

The Duke of York having received from Charles II. a grant of the 
Dutch territories in North America, set up a claim to the region be- 
tween the Kennebec and St. Croix rivers ; which claim was resisted 
by Massachusetts, who advanced her boundary to the west shore of 
Penobscot Bay. The duke sent Sir Edmund Andros to America, as 
Governor of New York and Maine; but his authority in the latter 
province was not recognized by Massachusetts^ Upon the accession 
of the duke to the English throne as James II., Andros was made 
Governor of all New England, where he was guilty of the most out- 
rageous extortion. The charter of Massachusetts having been declared 
forfeited, the Colony was powerless to protect the injured people, and 
Andros had his own way until the Revolution of 1688, which placed 
William and Mary on the English throne, overthrew him, and restored 
the former state of affairs. 



MAINE. 209 

During the Revolution, Maine, which continued to form a part of 
the State of Massachusetts, was almost entirely exempted from the 
disasters of the war; and the power of the savages being destroyed, 
commenced to increase rapidly in population and wealth. The war 
of 1812 exposed the province to great suifering at the hands of the 
English, who occupied and held the eastern portion of the State until 
the conclusion of peace. 

In 1820, Massachusetts, wishing to offset the growing power of the 
Southern States, signified her willingness to part with Maine. A 
State Constitution was accordingly adopted by the people of the 
province, and on the 15th of March, 1820, Maine was admitted into 
the Union as a State. 

The Treaty of 1783 failed to establish the eastern boundary of 
Maine with accuracy ; and for more than half a century, the Govern- 
ments of the United States and Great Britain were involved in a con- 
troversy concerning it, which at length bade fair to embroil the two 
countries in another war. In 1842, the Treaty of Washington adjusted 
the dispute and settled the boundary as it exists at present. The 
United States and Maine agreed to cede to Great Britain a small part 
of the territory claimed by her, in return for the free navigation of 
the St. John's and for Rouse's Point in New York. 

During the Rebellion, Maine was subjected to two incursions of the 
Southern forces. On the night of the 29th of June, 1863, the officers 
and crew of a Confederate privateer captured the U. S. revenue 
cutter Caleb Cushing, in the harbor of Portland, and carried her 
to sea. They were pursued by two steamers manned by armed 
volunteers, and overhauled a short distance from the city. Find- 
ing escape impossible, they blew up the cutter, and took to their 
boats, but were speedily overtaken and made prisoners. 

"At midday, on July 18th, 1864, a bold attempt was made to rob 
the Calais Bank, in that town, by a small party of rebel raiders from 
St. Jolin, N. B., led by one Collins, a captain in a Mississippi regiment 
But the town authorities having been previously put on their guard 
by the American Consul at St. John, three of the party were arrested 
and committed, and the remainder prtidently kept out of the way. 
This attempt, though frustrated, created an uneasy feeling along the 
eastern frontier; and in Eastport, Calais, Belfast, and other border 
towns, volunteer organizations were formed for the purpose of patrol-^t, 
ling the streets at night, and the regular police force was increased 
■>id armed." 



210 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

During the Rebellion, Maine furnished an aggregate force of 71,558 
men to the army and navy of the United States. Of these, 8446 
were killed in battle or died from wounds and sickness, and 6642 
were mustered out for disabilities resulting from wounds or sickness 
while in active service. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The cities of Maine are Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Belfast, Biddeford, 
Calais, Gardiner, Hallowell, Portland, and Rockland. The principal 
towns are Camden, Eastport, Ellsworth, Frankfort, Kittery, Lewis- 
ton, Old Town, Saco, Thomaston, Waldoborough, Waterville, and 
Wiscasset. 

AUGUSTA. 

The city of Augusta is situated in Kennebec county, on the Kenne- 
bec River, at the head of navigation, 43 miles from the sea. It is 60 
miles north-northeast of Portland by railroad, and 175 miles from 
Boston. It lies on the right bank of the Kennebec, which is spanned 
by two fine bridges, one used by vehicles and pedestrians and the 
other by the railroad. The city is built partly upon the crest of a hill, 
and partly along the river at the foot of the hill. The former portion 
is occupied principally by private residences, while the latter is devoted 
to business. It is well built, and contains many handsome edifices, 
the principal of which is the State House, a splendid structure of white 
granite, located in the southern part of the city, and fronted by a large 
and tasteful park. A United States Arsenal, and the State Insane 
Asylum, lie on the opposite side of the river, and are attractive fea- 
tures of the landscape. 

Augusta is well supplied with water-power by means of a large dam 
constructed across the Kennebec, a short distance above the city. This 
dam also aifords water enough for steamboat communication between 
Augusta and Waterville when the stream is not closed by ice. There 
are several large manufacturing establishments in the city, 4 or 5 
banks, an excellent female academy, 9 or 10 churches, and 8 or 9 
hotels. It is connected with Portland and Bangor by railroad and 
steamboat. The greater part of the business portion of the city was 
destroyed by fire in 1865. The population in 1870 was 7,808. The 
city was founded in 1754. Four weekly papers and one monthly 
are published in Augusta. 



MAINE. 211 



PORTLAND. 



The principal city of the State, " is handsomely situated on a penin- 
sula, occupying the ridge and side of a high point of land, in the south- 
west extremity of Casco Bay, and, on approaching it from the ocean, is 
seen to great advantage. The harbor is one of the best on the Atlantic 
coast, the anchorage being protected on every side by land, whilst the 
water is deep, and communication with the ocean direct and conve- 
nient. It is defended by Forts Preble, Scammell, and Gorges, and 
dotted over with lovely islands. These islands afford most delightful 
excursions, and are among the greatest attractions of the vicinity. On 
the highest point of the peninsula is an observatory, 70 feet in height, 
commanding a fine view of the city, harbor, and islands in the bay. 
The misty forms of the White Mountains, 60 miles distant, are dis- 
cernible in clear weather. The original name of Portland was Muchi- 
gonne. It was first settled by the whites as an English colony in 
1632, just two centuries before the charter of the present city was 
granted. On the night of the 4th of July, 1866, a fire occurred which 
swept away nearly one-half of the entire business portion of the city. 
" Portland is elegantly built, and the streets beautifully shaded and 
embellished with trees, and so profusely, that there are said to be no less 
than 3000 of these rural delights. Congress Street, previous to the fire 
the main iiighway, follows the ridge of the peninsula through its en- 
tire extent. Among the public buildings of Portland, the City Hall 
(rebuilding), the Court House, and some of the churches, are worthy 
of particular attention. The Society of Natural History, organized 
1843, possesses a fine cabinet, containing specimens of the ornithology 
of the State, more than 4000 species of shells, and a rich collection of 
mineralogical and geological specimens, and of fishes and reptiles. 
The Athenaeum, incorporated in 1826, has a library of 12,000 vol- 
umes; and the Mercantile Library possesses, also, many valuable 
books. The Marine Hospital, erected in 1855, at a cost of $80,000, 
is an imposing edifice. Brown & Co.'s extensive sugar refinery, wholly 
destroyed by the late fire, has been rebuilt, and will shortly be in 
operation. The city is being rebuilt as rapidly as possible. Popula- 
tion, 31,414. The vicinity has several fine drives." * 
town, in 1786. In 1676, the savages made a descent upon it, and 
captured or killed thirty of the inhabitants, and compelled the rest to 

* Hand-Book of American Travel. 



212 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




CITY HALL AND COURT HOUSE, PORTLAND. 

seek safety on a neighboring island. In 1689, the French and In- 
dians made an unsuccessful attempt to capture the town ; but the next 
year the Indians were more successful. They took the forts erected 
for the defence of the settlement, massacred the garrison and carried 
one hundred of the inhabitants into captivity. The settlement was 
resumed the next year. On the 19th of November, 1775, Falmouth 
was bombarded and destroyed by a British fleet. 

Ten newspapers and other journals are published in Portland. 



BANGOR, 

The second city in the State, is situated in Penobscot county, on the 
right bank of the Penobscot Riv^er, 60 miles from the sea, and 126 
miles northeast of Portland, with which it is connected by railroad 
and steamer. Tlie city is located at the mouth of the Kenduskeag 
River, a branch of the Penobscot, and is built on both banks of the 
former stream, the two divisions of the city being connected by several 
bridges, each about 570 feet long. A fine bridge crosses the Ponob- 



MAINE. 213 

soot a short distance ahove the city, and unites Bangor with Brewer. 
This bridge marks the upper line of the harhoi-, which is about 1500 
feet wide, with a depth of water sufficient for the lai'gest vessels. 

Bangor is the principal lumber port in the Union. Immense quan- 
tities of lumber are brought down the Penobscot, and shipped from 
this place by sea. During the season of navigation, which continues 
for about 8 months, over 2000 vessels leave this port laden with 
lumber. The city is also extensively engaged in the coast trade, in 
ioreign commerce, and in shipbuilding. 

Bangor is located upon high ground, commanding an extensive 
view of the surrounding country. It is well built, and contains seve- 
ral fine structures, the principal of which is the Custom House. It 
contains 12 or 13 banks, 11 churches, 4 of which are among the 
handsomest in the State; a theological seminary, and a number of 
flourishing schools. Two daily and 4 weekly newspapers are pub- 
lished in the city. The water-power is derived from a fall in the 
Kenduskeag, half a mile above its mouth, and is excellent. Several 
large factories, including founderies, machine shops, furniture manu- 
factories, and saw mills, are established here. There is railroad 
communication to Old Town, on the Penobscot, and this road will 
soon be extended to Calais, on the border of New Brunswick. The 
population in 1870 was 18,289 

MISCELLANY. 

ARNOLD'S MARCH TO QUEBEC. 

Hon. J. T. Headley, in bis biography of the Rev. Samuel Spring, 
Chaplain of the expedition, thus describes this memorable march : 

At length provisions began to grow scarce, and every one had to be put on 
short allowance. Mr. Spring took his three-quarters of a pound of pork per day 
cheerfully with the rest. 

After incredible hardships, and the loss of 150 men, by sickness and desertion, 
the army at last reached the great carrying place, 15 miles long, extending from 
the Kennebec, to the Dead River. Only 3 small ponds occurred the whole dis- 
tance, on which the boats could be launched. The rest of the way they and the 
provisions, ammunitions, etc., had to be carried on men's shoulders. This was a 
terrific strain on the army, and the dispiriting effect upon the, soldiers was not re- 
lieved by the appearance of the Dead River, when they reached it, for it moved 
sluggish and dark like the waters of oblivion through the silent and motionless 
forest. Day after day they toiled up this sluggish stream, between the monoto- 
nous walls of forest that lined its banks, until it seemed as if there was no outlet 
or opening to the apparently interminable wilderness. At every bend, the eye 
strained forward to catch some indication of change, and when at last they came 
14 



214 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in sight of a snow-covered mountain in the distance, telling them there was an 
outer world after all, the men sent up a shout that woke the echoes far and wide. 

Near its l)ase they encamped 3 dajs, and Spring spent most of the time in 
visiting the sick, and praj-ing with them. The army had scarcely got under way 
again, when the heavens hecame overcast ; dark and angry clouds swept the 
heavens, and the heavy winds sobbed and moaned through the forest. Soon the 
rain came down in torrents. Side by side with the drenched soldier the tall 
chaplain trudged uncomplainingly on, and lay down like him on the wet ground 
at night. It poured without cessation for 3 days, shedding still deeper gloom 
over the army. The river rose steadily the whole time, till the sluggish current 
iit length swept down with such velocity and power that the boats could with 
(liliiculty stem it. On the third night, just as the soldiers had lain down to rest, 
iiller having kindled a huge fire, Mr. Spring Iieard a roar in the forest above them 
like the sound of the surf beating upon the sliore, and the next moment the glan- 
cing waters were seen sweeping througii the trees on both sides of the stream. 
In an instant the camp was alive with shouts and cries rising above the turbulent 
flood that deluged the ground on which they stood. The fires were extinguished, 
and in the tumult, and confusion, and darkness, no one knew which way to flee 
lor safety, or what to do. In this state of uncertainty and dread the night wore 
away. Tlie daylight revealed to them a spectacle sad enough to fill the bravest 
heart with discouragement. Boats had drifted into the forest, and as far as the 
eye could reacii the level ground was one broad lake, out of which arose the dark 
stems of the trees like an endless succession of columns. In nine hours the water 
rose 8 feet, totally obliterating the shores of Dead River. 

But the provisions were getting lower and lower, and Arnold could not wait 
for the river to subside. The army was, thei-efore, pushed on, slowly stemming 
the flood ; but seven boats, carrying provisions, were caught in the whirling, 
angry waters, and upset, and all their contents destroyed. 

The boldest now paused in dismay, for only 13 days' provisions remained, 
while 30 miles across the mountain were to be traversed before they could reach 
the head waters of the Chaudiere, that flowed into the St. Lawrence. A. council 
of w-ar was called to decide what should be done in this crisis of affairs. They 
had now been a month away from civilization, the sick were increasing, while 
famine Avas staring them in the face. It was determined at length to leave the 
sick there, and despatch orders to Colonels Green and Knox, in the rear, to has- 
ten up, and take them back to Cambridge. 

Here was an opportunity for the young chaplain to abandon the expedition, 
and yet apparently be in the path of duty. He had had enough, one would think, 
of toil, exposure, and suffering, not to wish to face still greater hardships, and 
perhaps death itself, by famine in the wilderness, he following its fortunes. But 
he believed the welfare of his country was deeply involved in its fate, and he de- 
termined, come what would, to share its vicissitudes, hazards, and destiny. 
Having, therefore, prayed with the sick, encouraged the desponding with the 
promise that relief would soon come, and pointed those whom he believed dying 
to the Saviour of men, and commended all to the care and mercy of God, he bade 
them farewell, and moved forward with the advancing column. 

The cold, autumnal rains had now turned into snow, which, sifting down 
through the leafless tree-tops, covered the weary, wan, and straggling column 
with a winding sheet, that seemed to be wrapping it for the tomb. After they 
left the sick in the wilderness, they passed 17 falls before they reached the head- 



MAINE. 215 

waters of Dead River. It was still 4 miles across to the Cliaudiere, down which 
they were to float to the St. Lawrence. 

Here, on the summit of the hills on which the waters divide, one part flowing 
south and the other north, Arnold distributed the last provisions to the separate 
companies, and, taking only 13 men, pushed on for the Chaudiere. He told 
those left behind, in parting, that he would obtain provisions for them in advance, 
if human efibrts could procure them ; but directed them to follow after as fast as 
they could, for, he added, their only safety lay in advancing. Spring remained 
behind with the army, to share its privations and its fate, whatever that might 
be. The gallant fellows gave their indomitable leader three parting cheers, and 
then began to heave their heavy boats from the water. Hoisting them upon their 
shoulders, while others were loaded down with baggage and ammunition, and 
others still dragged the few pieces of artillery along like cattle, they staggered on 
tlirough the forest. The scanty provisions that were left them, though eked out 
with the greatest parsimony, grew rapidly less, and finally failed entirely. Under 
the low rations and severe labor combined, the men had gradually grown weaker 
and weaker, and now, pale and emaciated, looked on each other in mute inquiry. 
A council of war was called, and it was determined to kill the dogs they had witli 
them, and push on till this loathsome supply was exhausted. These faithful ani- 
mals, hitherto the companions of their toils, were slain and divided among the 
different companies. After the bodies were devoured, their legs aind even claws 
were boiled for soup. 

It was a sad sight to see the groups of half-famished soldiers seated together 
around a fire, watching with eager looks the pot containing this refuse of the 
dogs, and gazing with strange meaning into each other's eyes. The chaplain 
fared like the rest, and famine and incessant toil and exposure were telling on 
him as well as on the soldiers. The tall frame grew less erect, and the wan face 
showed that .starvation was eating away his life. Trusting, however, in God, 
whom he served, he endured all cheerfully, and bore that famished multitude on 
his heart to the throne of heavenly grace. The soldiers, in all their suff'erings, 
thought of him with the deepest sympathy, and could not but feel encouraged 
when they saw his serene, though emaciated countenance, and listened to his ex- 
pressions of calm confidence in God, that he would yet deliver them. He often 
walked through the woods to look at the various groups, and see where he could 
be of most service. His heart bled at the destitution he witnessed on every side. 
One day he came upon a company gathered around a fire, boiling some dogs' 
claws they had preserved to make soup with. As he paused to look at them, 
they rose, and, in true kindness of heart, urged him to share their meagre, dis- 
gusting broth. It was a novel, but touching evidence of the deep affection they 
bore their young chaplain, and told, in language stronger than words, what an 
example of patient endurance he had shown, and how kind and faithful had been 
his labors among them. 

At last the dogs gave out, and then the soldiers tore off" their moose-skin moc- 
casins, and boiled them to extract a little nourishment. The feet could stand the 
November frosts better than their stomachs endure the gnawings of famine. 
They reached at length the banks of the Chaudiere, and launched their boats. 
The current, however, was swollen and rapid — now boiling amid the rocks, and 
now shooting like an arrow around a jutting precipice. On such a turbulent 
flood the boats soon became unmanageable, and one after another was stranded 
or shivered into fragments, till nearly all were destroyed. 



216 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

They were still 30 miles from the French settlements, and now were compelled 
to shoulder their burdens, and advance on foot, in straggling parties, through the 
forest. During all these perils and sufferings, scarce a Sabbath passed in which 
Spring did not mount his pulpit of knapsaclis, and preach to the troops, while 
every morning, before the march began, his earnest prayer arose to God for 
help. 

The last miserable substitute for food was at length exhausted, and with empty 
stomachs and bowed forms they slowly, despairingly toiled onward, while a",l 
along their track the snow was stained with blood. As they were now approacl;- 
ing the French settlements, severe discipline was enforced. They needed no 
fires to cook their food, for they had none to cook ; but none was allowed them 
to warm themselves by, and strict orders were given not to discharge a gun for 
any purpose. While the wearj" column was thus staggering silently on, suddenly 
the report of a musket was heard far in advance, then another, and another, till 
twenty echoed through the forest. They ceased, and then a long shout rolled 
back through the solitude, producing the wildest excitement. Mr. Spring never 
forgot that thrilling scene, and long after, in speaking of it, said : " The army 
was starving, but moving on. The pioneers, who were ahead to clear the way, 
roused suddenly a noble moose. It was the first that had been seen. The temp- 
tation was too strong to be resisted. One man fired — he missed. Twenty guns 
were levelled at him. He fell — they forgot all discipline in their extremity, and 
shouted. It was a noble moose, weighing not less than 1000 pounds. A halt 
was ordered — camp kettles taken out, fires kindled, meat, blood, entrails, hoofs 
and horns chopped up, and soup made of all for the army.'''' 

Revived by this unexpected supply, the troops pushed on. The next day they 
met a company of men with provisions, sent back by Arnold to relieve them. A 
loud shout arose from the whole army, and a general feast was ordered. Several 
of the soldiers, unable to restrain their appetites, eat so voraciously that they 
sickened and died. They had braved the wilderness, and withstood the ravages 
of famine, to fall victims to unrestrained indulgence. It was with profound sad- 
ness the young chaplain performed the last religious rites over their rude graves 
in the northern wilderness. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Area, 9,280 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, , 326,073 

' Population in 1870, 318,300 

The State of New Hampshire is bounded on the north by Canada 
East, on the east by Maine and tlie Atlantic Ocean, on the south by 
Massachusetts, and on the west by the Connecticut River and Ver- 
mont. It is 90 miles broad at its southern, and 45 miles broad at 
its northern extremity, and 185 miles long from north to south. It 
forms a species of irregular triangle, and is situated between latitude 
42° 40' and 45° 25' N., and between longitude 70° 40' and 72° 35' W. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the State is broken and mountainous. The country 
rises rapidly as it recedes from the coast until its greatest height is at- 
tained in Mount Washington, one of the White Mountains, in Coos 
county. The White Mountains proper are only about 20 miles long, 
and lie almost entirely in Coos county, but broken and detached 
groups lie all over the State from the northern boundary down to 
and across the Massachusetts border. The only level land, exclusive 
of the mountain valleys, extends along the coast, and for about 30 
miles into the interior. The principal Peaks in New Hampshire 
which are distinct from the White Mountains, are as follows : the 
Blue Hills, 1151 feet above the ocean, situated in the southeast part 
of the State; Mount Chocura, in Carroll county, 3358 feet high; 
Carr's Mountain, in Grafton county, 1381 feet high; Mount Kear- 
sarge, in Hillsborough county, 3067 feet; Mount Monadnock, in 
Clieshire county, 3718 feet; Mount Andover, in Merrimack county, 
2000 feet; and Moosehillock, in Grafton county, 4636 feet. 

217 



218 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The White Mountains lie in the southern part of Coos county, in 
the northeastern part of the State. The principal peaks of this range 
are Mount Washington, 6226 feet; Mount Jeiferson, 5657 feet; 
Mount Adams, 5759 feet; Mount Madison, 5415; Mount Monroe, 
5349; Mount Franklin, 4850 feet; and Mount Pleasant, 4712 feet. 
The prominent features of this region, which is styled, on account of 
its beauty, " The Switzerland of America," are thus sketched by a 
recent writer : 

" The White Mountains, already referred to, attract more tourists 
than any other natural object in the United States, excepting only 
Niagara Falls. The traveller may journey for weeks through its wild 
scenery, with a constant succession of grand objects to interest his 
mind. | The fashionable route is to enter New Hampshire by the 
Boston and Montreal Railways to Wier's, on Lake Winnipiseogee ; 
then take the steamboat, and, having made the circuit of the lake, 
enter the stage for Conway, on the east side of the White Mountains, 
and from thence, by another stage^ through the celebrated Notch, to 
the Notch House, which stands in the very jaws of the pass. The 
return is by the Franconia Notch (about 26 miles southwest of the 
White Mountain Notch), and south down the valley of the Pemige- 
wasset, to Plymouth, or back to Lake Winnipiseogee, according as 
the tourist wishes to direct his steps thereafter. The White Mountain 
Notch is a pass of great celebrity. Coming from the north or west, 
you enter it by an opening only 23 feet in width, between two per- 
pendicular rocks, one 20, and the other 12 feet high. The infant 
Saco trickles its way through this nar ow opening, gradually expand- 
ing as it proceeds down the pass, and receiving other tributaries from 
the mountain-sides, which form the walls of the gorge, and which 
tower to the height of about 2000 feet above the bed of the Saco. In 
this pass occurred, in 1826, the landslide which destroyed the Willey 
family. The more wild and abrupt parts of the Notch extend for 2 
or 3 miles from its entrance at the Notch House. Mount Washington 
is ascended on horseback from the Notch House, by a bridle-path, 
first climbing Mount Clinton — in immediate proximity to the hoteL— 
for 2| miles, and then coasting the east side of the peaks of Mount 
Pleasant, Mount Franklin, and Mount Monroe, for 4 miles further, 
occasionally ascending a rough, steep ridge, and again descending, 
now riding on the verge of a vast ravine of several hundred feet in 
depth, and now on the crest of a ridge commanding a view of both 
sides of the chain — we arrive at the foot of Mount Washington, 1500 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



219 




SCENE IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. 



feet iu perpendicular, and about one mile in inclined a-sceut, above the 
base of the cone or peak, and 6226 feet above the sea. This is the 
most difficult, though scarcely dangerous, part of tlie ascent, as it is 
little else than riding on horseback over a pile of rocks of every variety 
of size, cast together as if hurled there by the Titans, in war or at 
phiy. From the summit, if the day be clear, is afforded a view un- 
equalled, perhaps, on the eastern side of the North American conti- 
nent. Around you, in every direction, are confused masses of moun- 
tains, bearing the appearance of a sea of molten lava suddenlv cooled, 
whilst its ponderous waves were yet in commotion. On the southeast 
horizon gleams a rim of silver light — it is the Atlantic Ocean, 65 
miles distant — laving the shores of Maine. Lakes — of all sizes, from 
Lake Winnipiseogee to mere mountain j)onds — and * mountains be- 
neath you gleam misty and mde.' Far off to the northeast is Mount 
Katahdin. In the western horizon are the Green Mountains of Ver- 
mont, and to the south and southwest are Mount Monadnock and 
Kearsarge, or Kiarsage, while the space between is filled up witli 



220 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

every variety of landscape, mountain, and hill, plain and valley, lake 
and river. 

" Those to whom it is an object to reach Mount Washington with 
as little stage-riding as possible, may be landed at Gorham by the 
Portland and Montreal Railway cars, Avithin 5 miles of the base of the 
mountain. The Franconia Notch is deemed by many quite as inter- 
esting as the White Mountain Notch. Near it are many agreeable 
accessories not to be found in the latter; among which are Echo Lake, 
just at the northern entrance of the gorge, and the ' Old Man of the 
Mountain,' a well-defined profile of a human face, 1000 feet above 
the level of the pass. Tiie Basin, 4 miles south of the Notch, is a 
]>ool of beautifully transparent water. One mile below this, again, in 
l!ie vicinity of the Flume House, is the celebrated Flume, a narrow 
gorge or opening in the rocks, only a few feet in width, and from 70 
to 120 feet in height, through which flows a small tributary of the 
Pemigewasset; below this is a cascade of 616 feet in length, which in 
t'.ic spring and fall freshets is an object of great interest. In the same 
neighborhood is the Pool (a basin formed by a small fall in the 
Pemigewasset), which is about 60 feet in diameter, and 40 feet deep, 
surrounded by mural precipices 150 feet in height. The Flume, the 
Basin, and the Pool, all within an agreeable walking distance of the 
Flume House, make this one of the most agreeable stopping-^places 
among the mountains. Mount Lafayette — only 700 feet inferior in 
altitude to Mount Washington — is also ascended from the same house, 
which has the further advantage of being within a five-miles ride of 
the Franconia Notch. The other detached mountains scattered over 
New Hampshire would, in any other State, not overshadowed by 
Mount Washington and his court, merit conspicuous notice. Dixville 
Notch, about 46 miles north of Lancaster, is said to be but little in- 
ferior to the two great passes already described. New Hampshire 
shares with Vermont the beautiful river Connecticut, whose shores 
are often grand, and seldom tame. Bellows Falls, in this river, on 
the southwest border of the State, are formed by the contraction of the 
river bed to about 20 feet on the west side at low water, through 
which the stream rushes with great violence. At high water, it flows 
in the eastern as well as western channel. These beds are separated 
by a huge rock. The entire descent in half a mile is 42 feet. At 
Amoskeag, the Merrimac descends 50 feet in three successive pitches. 
In the White Mountain Notch is a cascade which winds down the 
face of the mountain, through a fill of 800 feet, giving, after copious 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 221 

rains, an additional interest to the scene, as it glides or leaps over the 
different stages of its descent. There are two interesting falls in the 
Animonoosuck, within a pleasant drive from the Notch House." * 

Lake Winnipiseogee is the principal inland. sheet of water. It is 
irregular in shape, its shores being deeply indented with a number of 
hays. It is 25 miles long, and varies in width from 1 to 10 miles. 
It is very deep, and the water, pure and clear as crystal, is alive with 
ti:ie trout. It is tliickly studded with islands, and abounds in the 
most picturesque scenery. Steamers ply between Alton Bay and 
CV'iitre Harbor, stopping at the various points along the lake. Large 
numbers of visitors come here every summer. 

The Connecticut River, the largest and most beautiful in New 
England, rises in the extreme northern part of this State, in the hills 
]\i!)g along the border of Canada. Flowing across the State, it turns 
to the southwest at the northern line of Vermont, and pursuing a 
<;oneraliy southwest course, forms the boundary between Vermont 
and New Hampshire, and passes into Massachusetts. The scenery 
along the river is very beautiful, and has made the "Connecticut 
Valley" famous throughout the country. Above the Massachusetts 
line it is chiefly mountainous. 

The Merrimac River is the next in importance, and lies almost 
entirely within the State. It is formed by the junction of the Pemige- 
wasset and Winnipiseogee rivers, in Belknap county. Flowing to 
the southward, it enters Massachusetts about 80 miles from its source. 
Then turning abruptly to the northeast, it flows into the Atlantic near 
Newburyport. It is about 110 miles long, and flows through a val- 
ley noted for its beauty. Haverhill, in Massachusetts, 15 miles from 
the sea, is the head of ship navigation, but canals have been cut 
around the falls, which enable boats to ascend to Concord, New 
Hampshire. The river turns by its excellent water-power more mills 
and factories than any other in the Union. The Salmon Falls, Pis- 
cataqua, Contoocook, Souhegan, and Nashua are the other prominent 
streams. 

Tlie Isle of Shoals is the name given to a group of 8 islands, 3 
of which belong to New Hampshire, and the rest to Maine. They 
lie off the coast, 11 miles from Portsmouth. A steamer plies daily 
between that city and the principal island. " The voyage is but an 
honv in length, and the scenery, as the boat passes down the river 



* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1306. 



222 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

through the Narrows, stemmiug bravely the rushing tide, or borne 
surfing upon it, is most delightful. Sliding by Fort Constitution and 
the Whale's Back Light House, the steamer is soon upon the wide 
Atlantic. Directly in. front is the dim outline of the islands, while 
behind stretches the white line of the coast. In the distance rise the 
hills of New Hampshire and the blue sides of Agamenticus, the high 
mountain of York. As the boat approaches the Appledore Island, 
the hotel unfolds its size and proportions. Landing by row-boats, the 
traveller ascends, by an easy path, to the portico, where an expectant 
crowd is assembled. 

"The 'Appledore' is conducted by Oscar and Cedric Laighton, 
whose father is well remembered as the former proprietor. His grave 
is now one of the interesting and noteworthy spots upon the rocky 
island. Here also are buried the unfortunate crew of a S[)anish ves- 
sel driven upon the cliffs on a winter's night. This incident has been 
made the subject of an effective poem by Longfellow. 

"The steamboat reaches the 'Appledore' at 1 o'clock each day, and 
starts upon its homeward trip at 3 P. M. Visitors to the other 
islands of the group are carried across in small boats. The distance 
is short to Gosport, where is a small village of some 30 houses, a 
church, and a school-house. Tiie population are hardy fishermen, 
among whom can still be traced the Portuguese featui'es of the origi- 
nal colonizers from the fleet of John Smith, by whom these islands 
were discovered. A disaster fell upon them a year ago, in the shape 
of fire. Half their little settlement was consumed in a single night; 
and this calamity, to so hard-working a j)eople, excited much sym- 
pathy throughout New England. Assistance was given them, and 
they are now recovering from their losses. 

"Near by is White Island, where a revolving light casts a crimson 
glow over a sea which sleeps through the summer months, but which 
rises in the winter storms with mighty strength. The other islands 
are known by the euphonious names of Smutty-Nose and Hog. They 
are visited only by sportsmen, and are a refuge for innumerable sea- 
fowl." 

MINERALS. 

Iron is found in several counties, principally at Franconia, Pier- 
mont, and Bartlett. Bog-ore deposits are thickly scattered over the 
State. Copper, lead, zinc and plumbago are also found in several 
localities, and silver has been discovered near Pittsfield. Granite of 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 223 

a fine quality abounds. Gneiss, crystallized-quartz, talc, steatite, tour- 
malins, ochres, limestone, spars of various kinds, terra sienna, sulphur, 
magnesia, beryls, garnets, jasper, manganese, asbestus, and amethysts 
are found. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of New Hampshire is severe, but uniform. Franconia 
is said to be the coldest place in the Union ; the thermometer some- 
times indicating 40 degrees below zero. The summers are short, but 
pleasant. The cold weather begins in October, and snow falls in No- 
vember and lasts until May, in the northern part of the State, and 
until April in the southern. In the mountains it frequently lies on 
the ground until July. The springs are damp and are rendered dis- 
agreeable by heavy fogs. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is not naturally fertile, but has been made so by patient 
and laborious tillage. The northern part is but little cultivated, and 
the best lands are in the valleys of the rivers, which occasionally en- 
rich them by overflows. Sheep and cattle raising for n a prominent 
part of the industry of the State, the high lands and mountain sides 
affording good pasturage. 

There are about 2,367,034 acres of improved land in New Hamp- 
shire, and 1,377,591 acres unimproved. The remainder of the agri- 
cultural wealth of the State may be generally stated as follows: 

Cash value of farms, $69,869,761 

Value of farming Implements and machinery, . $2,682,412 

Number of horses, 45,101 

" asses and mules, 40 

" milch cows, 99,540 

" other cattle, 203,800 

" sheep, 620,890 

" swine 79,680 

Value of domestic animals, $12,924,629 

Bushels of M^heat, 291,000 

" rye 150,000 , 

" Indian corn, 1,400,000 

" oats, 1,663,000 

" peas and beans, 89,454 

" Irish potatoes, 4,500,000 

" barley, ; . . . . 106,000 

'• buckwheat '90,400 



224 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of clover seed (estimated), 13,000 

'' grass seed (estimated), 6,500 

Pounds of wool (estimated), 2,000,000 

" butter, 0,956,764 

" cheese, 2,323,092 

hops, 150,000 

" maple sugar, 2,255,012 

" beeswax and honey, 130,078 

Tons of hay, 700,000 

Value of orchard products, $557,934 

'' home-made manufactures, . . .• . $251,013 

" slaughtered animals, $3,787,500 

COMMERCE. 

New Hampshire has but one good harbor, that of Portsmouth ; and 
but one river navigable, and that for but a short distance from the 
sea. Tiiis, of course, limits the amount of her foreign trade. 

During the year ending June 30th, 1861, the commerce of the State 
was as follows : value of exports, $6112 ; value of imports, $20,887. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The rivers of New Hampshire furnish an abundance of first class 
water-power, and the people are largely engaged in manufactures. 
According to the census of 1870, there were 3342 establishments in 
the State engaged in manufactures, mining and the mechanic arts. 
They employed a capital of $36,023,743 and 40,783 hands; consumed 
raw material worth $44,577,697 ; and yielded products worth $71,- 
038,249. Of these 35 were cotton factories, employing a capital of 
$13,331,710, and 3751 male and 7490 female hands, consuming $13,- 
318,447 worth of raw material, paying $398,853 annually for labor, 
and yielding an annual product of $16,999,072; and 66 were woollen 
factories, employing a capital of $4,598,800, and 1811 male and 1549 
female hands, paying annually $1,353,992 for labor, consuming raw 
material worth $5,264,520, and yielding an annual product of $8,703,- 
307. The other manufactures were as follows: value of leather pro- 
duced, $3,758,236 ; rolled iron, $455,000; steam engines and machin- 
ery, $2,737,493 ; agricultural implements, $254,470; sawed and planed 
lumber, $4,786,692 ; flour, $2,747,973 ; liquors, $636,405. 

. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 790 miles of railroad within the limits of the 
State. These, in many instances, merely crossed .it, terminating at 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 225 

either Boston or Portland. Others had one terminus in New Hamj)- 
shire, and another in some other State, and a few short routes lay 
within the State. The railroads iiave almost entirely supplanted the 
canals built for the improvement of the Merrimac Kiver. 

EDUCATION. 

In the year 1870, there were 2542 public schools in New Hamp- 
shire, attended by 33,123 male, and 31,554 female pupils. Thest; 
schools were conducted by 653 male, and 2702 female teachers. Be- 
sides these, there are about 50 private academies in the State, and ono 
college, which is located at Dartmouth. This institution was founded 
in 1769, and is in a flourishing condition. 

The educational system is maintained by sales of public lands, taxes 
upon the capital of the banks, and a poll tax upon the inhabitants. 
It is controlled by a series of district committees, who are subordinate 
to the Board of Education of the State. The expenditures for schools, 
not including the private schools, for the year 1870, was $403,310. 

In 1870, there were 1526 libraries in the State, containing 704,269 
volumes. 

In the same year, upwards of 50 newspapers were published in 
this State. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The Insane Asylum, at Concord, was incorporated in 1838. It is 
provided with excellent and commodious buildings, and has a farm 
of 155 acres attached to it. The whole number of patients under 
treatment during the year 1870 was 367 — 190 males, 177 females. 

The Reform School is located near Manchester, and is surrounded 
by a farm of 100 acres, which is worked by the boys of the school. 
Children of both sexes are received here, and are subjected to a mild 
but firm course of discipline for their reformation. The school was 
founded in 1856, and has been very successful in its operations. 
During the year 1869-70, its inmates numbered 155 — males 135, 
females 20. 

The State Prison is located at Concord. It is in a flourishing con- 
dition, and is conducted upon a system which aims to reform as well 
as punish. The Legislature of 1867 passed an Act, known as the 
"Commutation law," by which, says the Governor of the Common- 
wealth, "every month of exemplary conduct on the part of a prisoner 
gains him a certain amount of time to be deducted from the term of 



226 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

his sentence Every convict who avails himself of the benefits 

of this provision is released in advance of the expiration of his original 
terra of imprisonment, and thus retains the rights of citizenship." 
During the year 1870, the whole number of prisoners confined jiere 
was 118. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property was $3,303,780. The num- 
ber of churches was 624. 

FINANCES. 

The finances of the State are in a ]")rosperous 'Condition. In 1874, 
the total public debt was $3,826,599. The receipts of the Treasury 
for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1874, including cash on hand, 
were $740,062, and the disbursements $431,491, leaving a balance of 
$308,571 in the Treasury on the 1st of July, 1874. 

There are but few State banks left, nearly all of the old institutions 
having embraced the National Bank system. In May, 1808, there 
were a few remaining with an aggregate capital of $237,3Q0, and 
these were preparing to reorganize under the new system. At the 
same time, there were 40 National Banks, with an aggregate capital 
of $4,785,000, besides a number of Savings institutions. 

GOVERNMENT. ' 

Every adult male inhabitant of the State, over twenty-one years of 
age, excepting paupers and persons not paying taxes, is entitled to 
vote in the place of his residence. 

The Government consists of a Governor assisted by a Council of 
five members, and a I^egislature, divided into a Senate and House of 
Representatives, all chosen annunlly by the people on the second 
Tuesday of March. The Secretary of State and Treasurer are chosen 
on joint ballot by the Legislature at the beginning of every session of 
that body. The two houses of the Legislature are together styled 
" The General Court of New Hampshire." 

There is a Supreme Judicial Court, the highest State tribunal, com- 
prised of a Chief Justice, and five Associate Justices. They are ap- 
pointed by the Governor and Council, and hold office during good 
behavior. The State is divided, for convenience, into four Judicial 
Districts. There is also a Superior Court for each c^nnty, and a local 
tribunal for each city. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 227 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into ten counties. 
The seat of Government is located at Concord. 

HISTORY. 

Xew Hampshire "was first settled by the English, at Dover and 
Portsmouth, in 1023. It was originally a part of Massachusetts, but 
Mas organized as a separate province, with its present name, by a 
royal charter, in 1G79. In 1689^ it was annexed to Massachusetts, 
and was afterwards transferred to Xew York. It was erected into an 
independent j)rovince in 1741, however, and has since maintained a 
distinct existence. It was considerably annoyed in its early years by 
the Indians, who, in 1689, made a descent upon Dover, burned a 
part of the town, and killed a number of the inhabitants. In 1776, 
the State declared its separate independence of Great Britain. During 
the Revolution, it made liberal contributions of men and money to the 
cause. Its troops won especial credit at Stillwater, Saratoga, Mon- 
mouth, and Bennington. It adopted the Constitution of the United 
States on the 21st of June, 178$. During the late war, it contributed 
33,427 men to the army of the United States. Of these, 5518 fell 
in battle, and 11,039 were disabled by wounds and sickness. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns of New Hampshire are Concord, the 
capital of the State, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, Dover, Somers- 
worth, Keene, Claremont, Rochester, Exeter, Gilford, Sanbornton, 
and Great Falls. 

, CONCORD, 

The capital of the State, is situated on the banks of the Merrimac 
River, 20 miles above Manchester, and 59 miles northwest from 
Boston. It extends along the river for about 2 miles, and has an 
average width of about half a mile. Main street, the principal 
thoroughfare, is 2 miles long, and 150 feet wide. It contains the 
hotels and nearly all the prominent buildings. 

The city is handsomely built; the streets are broad, and well 
shaded ; and the entire place wears an air of comfort and refinement 
characteristic of New England towns. 

The principal building is the State House, constructed of a fine 
quality of native granite, and surrounded by a beautiful park. 

Concord is the seat of extensive manufactures, the falls of the Mer- 



228 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUFCES. 




CONCORD STATE HOUSE. 

rimac furnishing excellent water-power. It contains 9 churches, sev- 
eral banks, and a number of fine private buildings. The State Lunatic 
Asylum is also located here. Railroads connect it with Boston and 
all parts of the Union, and with Canada. The population is 12,241. 
Four newspapers are published here. 

MANCHESTER, 

The largest city in the State, is situated in Hillsborough county, on 
the banks of the Merriraac River, 18 miles from Concord, and 59 
miles from Boston. It is built along the river, on an elevated plateau, 
about 90 feet above the water. Several railroads centre here, and 
afford rapid and direct communication with all parts of the country. 
The city is well laid out, having broad streets, intersecting each other 
at right angles, and several handsome public squares. The eastern 
section is built almost entirely of brick, but the western part is built 
of wood. It contains several fine buildings, the principal of which is 
the new town house, or city hall. The more elevated portion of the 
place is occupied by residences and churches, and the slope between 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 229 

the plateau and the river is devoted to the mills and the dwellings 
of the operatives. The city contains a good public library, about 12 
churches, about 24 public schools, besides several private establish- 
ments, 3 or 4 banks, and 7 newspaper offices. 

Manchester owes its importance to its extensive manufactures. 
Cotton, woollen, and other factories are numerous, the motive power 
being derived from a series of rapids in the Merrimac, called the 
Amoskeag Falls. The river here makes a descent of 54 feet in a 
mile, and dams and locks have been constructed at the head of the 
rapids, by which the water is conveyed to all the mills in the city. 

Cotton and woollen goods, wrought iron goods of various kinds, 
locomotives, railroad cars, and steam fire-engines constitute the prin- 
cipal manufactures, and give employment to between six and seven 
thousand hands. The population is 23,536. 

PORTSMOUTH, 

In Rockingham county, is the second city, and only seaport in the 
State. It is situated on the right bi;nk of the Piscataqua River, 3 
miles from the sea, and 54 miles northeast of Boston. Several rail- 
roads terminate here, and others pass through it, leading to all parts 
of the Union and Canada. 

The city is built upon a peninsula near the mouth of the river, 
and upon rising ground, which aifords a fine view of the harbor. It 
is well laid off, and possesses a number of handsome buildings. It 
contains a public library of over 10,000 volumes, and several excellent 
literary institutions. It is extensively engaged in manufactures, is 
supplied with water, and is lighted with gas. 

It is the seat of an activ^e foreign and coasting trade, which, though 
not so large as formerly, is still important. The fisheries are a source 
of considerable profit to it, as they lie but a short distance from it. 

The harbor of Portsmouth is one of the best in the world. It is 
completely land-locked, is never frozen, and is accessible to the largest 
ships. Its tides are high and rapid, and the bottom is a smooth bed 
of rock. The channel at low water is 40 feet in depth. It is de- 
fended by Fort Constitution, on Great Island ; Fort McClary, oppo- 
site ; Fort Sullivan, on Trepethen Island ; and Fort Washington, on 
Pierce's Island. It is estimated that the harbor is sufficiently capa- 
sious to admit with ease as many as 2000 vessels. 

The city is connected by bridges with Newcastle, on Grand 
Island, and with Kittery, in Maine, on the opposite side of the 
Piscataqua. 

15 



230 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The United States Navy Yard at Kittery, commonly known as 
the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is one of the principal establishments of 
the Government, and the greatest attraction of the place. It is pro- 
vided with a splendid dry dock, constructed at a cost of $800,000, 
with three large ship-houses, and all the appliances necessary to the 
construction of the largest vessels of war. Portsmouth was made a 
naval station during the Revolution, and the first ship of the line 
(the North America) ever constructed in the New World was laid 
down here during that struggle. The Kearsarge, which sunk the 
Alabama during the civil war, was built here. 

Portsmouth contains numerous public schools, and supports 4 
newspapers, 2 of which are daily. The Neiv Hampshire Gazette, 
published here, was established in 1756, and claims to be the oldest 
American journal now in existence. The population is 11,000. 

DOVER, 

In Strafford county, is the oldest city in the State. It is situated at 
the lower falls of the Cocheco River, and on both sides of that stream. 
It is at the head of sloop navigation, and is connected with all parts 
of the country by railroad. It is 12 miles northwest of Portsmouth, 
and 68 miles north of Boston. It is well built, and regularly laid 
off. It contains several handsome buildings, the principal of which 
is the city hall, several banks, a number of excellent public schools, 
10 churches, and 2 good hotels. 

The falls of the Cocheco are 32 feet high, and furnish an abundance 
of excellent water-power. The capital invested in manufactures 
amounts to several millions of dollars. Cotton and woollen goods, 
boots and shoes, and iron ware are the principal articles produced. 
Shipbuilding was formerly an important interest. The city is lighted 
with gas, and contains a population of over 10,000. 

Dover was settled by a company from England, in 1623, and its 
early years were marked by constant trouble with the savages. In 
1688, it was almost entirely destroyed by them. Belknap, in his 
" History of New Hampshire," gives the following account of this 
tragedy : 

In that part of the town of Dover which lies about the first falls in the rivei 

Cocheco, were five garrisoned houses ; three on the nortli side, viz., Waldron's, 

Otis's and Keard's ; and two on the soutli side, viz., Peter Coffin's and his son's. 

. Tliese houses were surrounded by timber walls, the gates of which, as well as the 

house doors, were secured with bolts and bars. The neighborin^f families retired 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 231 

to these bouses b}"^ night ; but, by an unaccountable negligence, no watch was 
kept. The Indians who were daily passing through the town, visiting and trad- 
ing with the inhabitants, as usual in time of peace, viewed their situation witli 
an attentive eye. Some hints of a mischievous design had been given out by 
their squaws ; but in such dark and ambiguous terms that no one could compre- 
hend their meaning. Some of the people were uneasy ; but Waldron, who, from 
a long course of experience, was intimately acquainted wi(h the Indhms, and on 
other occasions had been ready enough to suspect them, was now so thoroughly 
secure that, when some of the people hinted their fears to him, he merrily bade 
them go and plant their pumpkins, saying that he would tell them whenthe In- 
dians would break out. The very evening before the mischief was done, being 
told by a young man that the town was full of Indians and the people were much 
concerned, he answered that he knew the Indians very well and there was no 
danger. 

The plan which the Indians had preconcerted was, that two squaws should go 
to each of the garrisoned houses in the evening, and ask leave to lodge by the 
fire ; that in the night, when the people were asleep, they should open the doors 
and gates, and give the signal by a whistle ; upon which the strange Indians, who 
were to be within hearing, should rush in, and take their long-meditated revenge. 
This plan being ripe for execution, on the evening of Thursday, the 27th of June, 
two squaws applied to each of the garrisons for lodging, as they frequently did in 
time of peace. They were admitted into all but the j-ounger Coffin's, and the 
people, at their request, showed them how to open the doors, in case they should 
have occasion to go out in the night. Mesandowit, one of their chiefs, went to 
Waldron's garrison, and was kindly entertained, as he had often been before. 
The squaws told the major that a number of Indians were coming to trade with 
him the next day, and Mesandowit while at supper, with his usual familiarit}-, 
said: "Brother Waldron, what would 3-0U do if the strange Indians should 
come?'" The major carelessly answered, that he could assemble 100 men by 
I'.iting up his finger. In this unsuspecting confidence the fjamily retired to 
rest. 

When all was qaiot, the gates were opened and the signal given. The Indians, 
entered, set a guard at the door, and rushed into the major's apartment, which 
was an inner room. Awakened by the noise, he jumped out of bed, and though 
now advanced in life to the age of 80 years, he retained so much vigor as to 
drive them with his sword through two or three doors ; but, as he was returning 
for his other arms, they came behind him, stunned him with a hatchet, drew 
him into his hall, and, seating him in an elbow chair on a long table, insultingly 
asked him, " Who shall judge Indians now ? " TJiey then obliged the people in 
the house to get them some victuals ; and when they had done eating, they cut 
the major across the breast and belly with knives, each one with a stroke, saj^- 
ing, "I cross out my account." They then cut ofl" his nose and ears, forcing 
them into his mouth ; and when spent with the loss of blood, he was falling down 
from the table, one of them held his own sword under him, which put an end to 
his misery. They also killed his son-in-law, Abraham Lee ; but took his daughter 
Lee wit] several others, and having pillaged the house, left it on fire. Otis's 
• garrison, which was next to the major's, met with the same fate ; he was killed, 
with several others, and his wife and child were captivated. Heard's was saved 
by the barking of a dog just as the Indians were entering: Elder Wentworth, 
who was awakened by the noise, pushed them out, and falling on his back set 



232 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

his feet against the gate and held it till he had alarmed the people ; two balls 
were fired through it, but both missed him. Coffin's house was surprised, but as 
the Indians had no particular enmity to liim, they spared his life, and the lives 
of his family, and contented themselves with pillaging the house. Finding a bag 
of money, they made him throw it by handfnls on the floor, while they amused 
themselves in scrambling for it. They then Avent to tlie house of his son, who 
would not admit the squaws in the evening, and summoned him to surrender, 
promising him quarter. He declined tlieir offer, and determined to defend his 
house, till they brought out his father and threatened to kill him before his eyes. 
Filial affection then overcame his resolution, and he surrendered. They put both 
families together into a deserted house, intending to reserve them for prisoners ; 
but while the Indians were busy in plundering, tliey all escaped. 

Twenty-three people were killed in this suprisal, and 29 were captivated ; 5 or 
6 houses, witli tlie mills, were burned ; and so expeditious were tlie Indians in 
the executi(m of tlieir plot, that before tlie people could be collected from the 
otlier parts of the town to oppose them, they fled witli their prisoners and booty. 
As they passed by Heard's garrison in their retreat, they fired upon it ; but the 
people being prepared and resolved to defend it, and the enemy being, in haste, 
it was preserved. The preservation of its owner was more remarkable. 

Elizabetli Heard, witli her three sons and a daughter, and some others, were 
returning in the night from Portsmouth. They passed up tlie river in their boat 
unperceived by tlie Indians, who were then in possession of the houses; but sus- 
pecting danger by tlie noise which they heard, after they had landed, they betook 
themselves to Waldron's garrison, where they saw liglits, which they imagined 
were set up for direction to those who might be seeking a refuge. Tliey knocked 
and begged earnestly for admission ; but no answer being given, a young man 
of the company climbed up the wall, and saw, to his inexpressible suqjrise, an 
Indian standing in the door of tlic house, witli his gun. The woman was so 
overcome witli the fright that slie was unable to fly, but begged her cliildren to 
shift for themselves ; and they with heavy hearts left her. When she had a little 
recovered, she crawled into some bushes, and lay there till daylight. She then 
perceived an Indian coming toward her with a pistol in his hand ; he looked at 
lier and went away : returning, he looked at her again ; and- she asked him what 
he would have ; he made no answer, but ran yelling to the house, and she saw 
him no more. She kept her place till the house was burned, and the Indians 
Avere gone ; and then returning liome, found her own house safe. Her preserva- 
tion in these dangerous circumstances was more remarkable, if (as it is supposed) 
it was an instance of justice and gratitude in the Indians. For at the time when 
the four or five hundred were seized, in 1676, a young Indian escaped and took 
refuge in her house, where she concealed him ; in return for which kindness he 
promised her that he would never kill her, nor any of her family, in any future 
war, and that he would use his influence witli the other Indians to the same pur- 
pose. This Indian was one of the party who surprised the place, and she was 
Avell known to the most of them. 



Jl 



VERMONT. 

Area, 10,212 Square Miles. 

Population in I860, 315,098 

Population in 1870, 330,552 

The State of Vermont lies between latitude 42° 44' and 45° N,, 
and longitude 71 ° 33' and 73° 25' W., and is boundetl on the north 
by Canada East, on the east by New Hampshire, on the south bj' 
Massachusetts, and on the west bj Lake Champlain and the State of 
New York. It is 150 miles long from north to south, 85 miles wide 
from east to west in its northern part, and 35 miles wide from east to 
west at its southern boundary. 

TOPOGEAPHY. 

The surface of the State is greatly diversified by hill and valley. 
The Green Mountains extend in a direction almost from north to 
south, throughout its entire length, dividing it into two unequal por- 
tions. Just below Montpelier, the capital, this ridge divides into two 
portions, one of which, the higher, extends in a northern direction to 
the Canada line. The other, although lower, is continuous, and fol- 
lows the line of the Connecticut River, though at a considerable dis- 
tance from it, to the northeast corner of the State. The eastern ridge 
is broken in several places by the passage of the Onion, Lamoille, 
and Missisque rivers. South of this division, the range is not broken 
by any stream. The Green Mountains are among the most picturesque 
and beautiful in the Union, and offer many attractions to the tourist. 
The highest peaks are Mount Mansfield, 4360 feet above the sea, 
Camel's Rump, 4188 feet, Killington's, 3675 feet, and Ascutney Moun- 
tain, near the Connecticut River, 3320 feet. The southern part of the 
range divides the tributaries of the Hudson from those of the Con- 

233 



234 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

necticut. The mountains are covered with a thick growth of the 
evergreen fir, spruce, and hemlock, which give them always a rich 
hue of dark green, from which their name is derived. 

Lahe Champlaiii, the largest over which the State has any jurisdic- 
tion, lies between Vermont and New York, and belongs principally 
to the latter State; but, for convenience, will be described here. It 
extends from Whitehall, in New York, northward, a few miles be- 
yond the Canada line. It is 130 miles long, varies in width from 
iialf a mile to 10 miles, and is from 50 to 280 feet deep. A line, run 
from Vermont to New York across the principal island of the lake, 
would measure 15 miles. It receives the waters of Lakes George and 
Wood, and of the Saranac, Chazy, Au Sable, Missisquoi, and Wi- 
nooski rivers, and discharges itself through the Richelieu River into 
tlie St. Lawrence. On the New York side the shores are rocky, 
mountainous and sterile; but the Vermont shore is very productive, 
and is highly cultivated. The scenery of the lake is wild and beau- 
tiful, the view ranging, in fair weather, as far back as the Green Moun- 
tains in Vermont, and the Adirondacks in New York. The waters 
are clear and abound in fish. Steanjers ply daily between the upper 
a!id lower ends of -the lake. By means of canals there is uninter- 
rupted navigation, except during the season of ice, between Lake 
Champlain and the Atlantic, Lake Ontario, and the Hudson River. 
The commerce of the lake is estimated at over $30,000,000 annually. 
About 200,000 tons of shipping and 12,000 men are employed 
in this trade. Navigation is usually closed between the last of No- 
vember and the first of April. 

There are a number of islands in the lake, the principal of which 
are Grand Isle, South Hero, and North Hero, all belonging to Ver- 
mont. The principal towns belonging to Vermont are Swanton, 
Burlington, Charlotte, and Ferrisburg. 

Lake Champlain was discovered by Samuel Champlain, a French 
naval officer, in 1609. Important events occurred on its waters dur- 
ing the Revolution, and in the war of 1812—15, a British army and 
fleet were routed at Plattsburg, on the New York shore. 

Lalce Mempliramagog, wliich lies almost entirely in Canada, indents 
a portion of northern Vermont. The other lakes are Dunmore, Aus- 
tin, Bombazine, and Long Pond. 

The Connecticut River separates the State from New Hampshire. 
The other streams are the Otter Creek, Onion, Lamoille, and Mis- 
sisque. They are insignificant in length, but furnish good water-power. 



VERMONT. 235 

MINERALS. 

Iron 18 found in considerable quantities in the Green Mountains, 
and there are deposits of bog-ore in various parts of the State. A 
brownish coal is found in Brandon. Sulphuret of iron is found near 
Strafford, and is used in making copperas, of which large quantities are 
produced. Granite and marble, the latter of a most excellent quality, 
abound. Slate quarries are numerous, and manganese is found in 
considerable quantities near Rutland; The other minerals are tita- 
nium, oxide of manganese, lead, magnetic iron ore, plumbago, copper 
and zinc. Traces of gold are very decided in the towns of Stowe and 



Bridgewater. 



CLIMATE. 



Being sheltered from the breezes which sweep over the other New 
England States from the ice fields of the Atlantic, Vermont has an 
even temperature, which renders it one of the healthiest States in the 
Union. The thermometer ranges from 17° below zero to 92° above. 
The winters begin about December, and continue until near the mid- 
dle of April. They are severe, as well as long. The summers are 
brief, but pleasant. Frost begins to appear in September, snow about 
the last of November. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The valleys of Vermont are fertile, the lands along the river bot- 
toms being excellent. The mountain slopes are used extensively for 
pasture, and large quantities of maple sugar are produced every year 
in the uplands. 

In 1869, there were 2,823,157 acres of improved land in the State, 
and 1,337,682 of unimproved land. 

The remainder of the agricultural wealth of Vermont, at the present 
time, may be stated as follows : 

Cash value of farms, . . • $91,511,673 

Value of farming implements and machinery, . $3,554,728 

Number of horses, 71,840 

" asses and mules, 120 

" milch cows, 190,420 

" other cattle, 230,300 

" sheep, 997,890 

" swine, ■ . . . . 81,450 

Value of domestic animals, $19,241,989 



236 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of wheat, 766,000 

" rye, 155,000 

" Indian corn, 1,475,000 

"■ oats, 5,050,000 

" Irish potatoes, • . 5,750,000 

'' barley, 102,000 

" buckwheat, 231,000 

" grass seed, 12,000 

Pounds of wool, 3,000,000 

butter, 15,900,359 

" cheese, . . . ; 8,215,030 

" maple sugar (estimated), .... 10,000,000 

" beeswax and honey (estimated), . . 212,905 

Tons of hay (estimated), 1,100,000 

Value of orchard products (estimated), . . . $198,427 

" market garden products (estimated), $24,792 

'■'■ home-made manufactures, " . $63,295 

COMMERCE. 

Being an inland State without navigable rivers, Vernjont conducts 
its commerce connected with navigation exclusively by way of Lake 
Champlain. Daring the year 1862, the foreign exports amounted to 
$736,663, and the imports to $2,567,892. The entrances for the 
same year reached 22,012 tons, and the clearances to 23,281. Of this 
amount, 6067 tons were owned in the State. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Vermont has the best water-power of any New England State, but 
is not as extensively engaged in manufactures as the others, the prin- 
cipal pursuit of her people being agriculture. According to the census 
of 1870, there were 3270 establishments in Vermont devoted to 
manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. These employed a 
capital of $20,329,637, and 18,686 hands, consumed raw material 
worth $17,007,769, and returned an annual product of $32,184,606. 
The cotton manufactures were valued at $546,510 ; woollen manu- 
factures at $3,550,962; leather manufactures at $2,052,913; pig iron 
at $66,000; rolled iron at $31,500 ; steam engines and machinery at 
$1,122,567 ; agricultural implements at $523,669 ; sawed and planed 
lumber at $6,069,725 ; flour at $3,895,058. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Vermont is crossed by several lines of railway, connecting the prin- 
cipal towns with the cities of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New 



VERMONT. 237 

York, Connecticut, and Canada. In 1872, there were 675 miles of 
railway completed in the State. Rutland is the great railroad 
centre. 

EDUCATION. 

The State makes a liberal provision for the education of the young. 
In 1870, there were 2750 public or district schools in operation, at- 
tended by 72,950 })upils, the average attendance being about 47,000. 
The number of teachers was 4239, and the amount spent for educa- 
tional purposes was about $425,000. There are also three Normal 
schools in the State, one in each Congressional district, subject to the 
control of the State Board of Education. Two courses of study are 
taught in these schools. Those who graduate in the first course receive 
a certificate, which is, by a law of the State, a licence to teach any- 
where in Vermont for five years. Graduates from the second course 
receive certificates licensing them to teach in the State for fifteen years. 

Besides the public schools, there were, in the year 1867, 348 private 
schools, attended by 9264 pupils, and 58 academies. 

The colleges are 3 in number, the University of Vermont, at 
Burlington, founded in 1791, Middlebury College, at Middlebury, 
founded in 1800, and Norwich University (partly military in its or- 
ganization), founded in 1834. 

There were, in 1870, 47 newspapers published in the State, 3 daily, 
43 weekly, and one monthly. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The public institutions of Vermont are the Insane Asylum, the 
Reform School, and the State Prison. 

The Insane Asylum is located at Brattleboro'. It is surrounded by 
a large farm, and has ample buildings, which were burned in 1862, 
but are now being replaced. It is under the supervision of the Com- 
missioner of the Insane, who is appointed by the Legislature annually 
for the purpose of inspecting and reporting upon the affairs of the 
asylum. In 1867, there were 646 inmates of the asylum. The in- 
stitution is in a large measure sustained by the labor of its inmates. 

The Reform School, established in 1865, is located at Waterbury. 
It has a farm of 133 acres attached to it, and is provided with excel- 
lent workshops. It is in a flourishing condition. In September, 
1868, there were 57 inmates remaining. 



238 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The State Prison was established in 1807, and is located at Wind- 
sor. It is governed by a Board consisting of a Superintendent and 
three Directors, chosen annually by the Legislature. It is almost 
self-supporting. The labor of the convicts is let, by agreement, at 42 
cents per head, per day, for a term of five years. The commutation 
system has been introduced with great success. In September, 1870, 
there were 94 convicts still in prison. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in Vermont was $3,713,530. 
The number of churches was 744. 

FINANCES. 

The funded debt of the State in 1874 was about $450,000. A 
balance is still due the State by the General Government on account 
of the war. The receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year 
ending in July, 1874, were $460,380, and the expenditures were 
$397,188. 

In September, 1868, there were 40 National banks in Vermont, 
with an aggregate capital of $6,560,012. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male adult, either a native born or naturalized citizen of the 
United States, who has resided in the State one year, and can take 
the oath prescribed by the Constitution of Vermont, is entitled to 
vote in the State elections. 

The Government consists of a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, who 
is the President of the Senate, and a Legislature consisting of a Senate 
and House of Representatives, chosen annually by the j^eople. The 
Senate consists of 30 and the House of 241 members. There is also 
a Secretary of State, a State Treasurer, and an Auditor of Accounts. 

The judiciary department of the Government consists of a Supreme 
Court, a Court of Chancery, a County Court in each county, a Probate 
Court in each probate district, and one or more justices of the peace 
in each town. 

"The Supreme Court has no original jurisdiction, except for divorce; 
but is a court of errors for the trial of questions at law, and a court 
of appeal in chancery suits. Each judge of the Supreme Court is a 
Chancellor, and holds his court at the same time as the County Court, 



' VERMONT. 239 

which is held in each county by one of the Supreme Judges and two 
Assistant Judges. The County Courts have original jurisdiction in 
all civil actions for over $200, or in relation to real estate, except 
trespass, where the damages claimed exceed $20 ; also in actions for 
replevin for amounts over $20. All actions out of the original juris- 
diction of the County and Chancery Courts, except for divorce, must 
be brought before a justice of the peace." 

The Supreme Court consists of one Chief Judge and five Assistant 
Judges. 

For the purposes of government, the State is divided into 14 
counties. The seat of Government is established at Montpelier. 

HISTORY. 

Vermont was first discovered and partly explored by Samuel Cham- 
plain, a French officer, in 1609. It was first settled by the English, 
who founded Fort Dummer, on the present site of Brattleboro', in 
1724. The territory was then believed to be a part of Massachusetts. 
'By the year 1768, 138 townships Iiad been settled. These settlements 
were made under the authority of the Governor of New Hampshire, 
who claimed the territory as a part of his province by virtue of the 
original charter of New Hampshire. In 1763, a controversy arose 
between New York and New Hampshire, the former laying claim to 
the territory. An apj^eal was made to the king, in 1764, who granted 
to New York jurisdiction to the Connecticut Kiver. New Hampshire 
acquiesced in this decision, and the authorities of New York " at- 
tempted to eject and dispossess the settlers from their lands, and 
through venal judges decided every case against them. This roused 
the spirit of the settlers to such a degree, that they commenced, under 
the leadership of Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, and other bold and fear- 
less men, an armed resistance to the oppression of the New York 
Government; every officer who undertook to enforce a process of 
ejection was stripped, tied to a tree, and whipped with beechen rods 
without mercy. This application of the ' beech seal,' as it was called, 
was so effectual that no officers could be procured to serve writs." 
The contest went on for ten years. Finally the Governor of New 
York issued a proclamation offi?ring a reward for the capture of the 
Vermont leaders, who retorted by offering a reward for the capture 
of the Attorney General of New York. The Revolution began at 
this juncture, and suspended the controversy. The Vermont leaden 
did good service in the cause of the Colonies. Allen, with his owl 



240 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

company of 83 men, surprised and captured the important post of 
Ticonderoga, in May, 1775. In the invasion of Canada, lie behaved 
gallantly and was made prisoner, while the Vermont regiment, under 
Setli Warner, covered the retreat from Quebec, and compelled the 
surrender of the enemy's garrison at St. John's. The '' Green 
Mountain Boys" made a brilliant name during the war, especially in 
the battles on Lake Champlain, in which nothing but their iieroic 
resistance saved the American force from total annihilation. Their 
victory at Bennington decided the fate of Burgoyne's army. 

In 1776, Vermont petitioned the Continental Congress for admis- 
sion into the Confederacy of the States, but her petition was rejected 
at the instance of New York. The next year, Vermont declared her 
independence, and in July made a second effort to secure admission 
into the Confederacy. Congress evaded a direct I'eply. The British 
now made strong overtures to Vermont to renew her allegiance to the 
Crown, but the Green Mountain leaders put the royal agents off with 
a vague reply, which was meant to encourage them to an extent suffi- 
cient to save the province from invasion by them till the answer of 
Congress should be known. 

In 1781, Congress offered to admit Vermont if she would consent 
to a curtailment of her territory, but she refused the offer. Fcjr eight 
years, she continued to occupy her anomalous position. In 1790, 
New York, wishing to settle the old dispute with her, revived her 
claim to the territory, but offered to compromise it on payment of 
$30,000. The offer M'as finally accepted, and the long difficulty set- 
tled. On the 4th of March, 1791, Vermont was admitted into the 
Union as a State — making the fourteenth member of the Confederacy, 
and the first admitted under the Constitution. 

In 1814, the State contributed a portion of the army which won 
the battle of Plattsburg". 

In 1837, during the Canadian Rebellion, considerable sympathy 
.ivas shown for the rebels by the people of Vermont, and some 600 
men went into Canada, to take part in the struggle. Upon the ap- 
proach of a British force sent against, them, they withdrew into their 
own State and surrendered their arms to the United States authorities. 

During the late war, on the 19th of October, 1863, a descent was 
made upon the town of St. Albans by a party of Confederates from 
Canada, who seized the funds in the bank, amounting to $211,150, 
and committed some depredations upon the town. They were pur- 
sued by the citizens, and the whole party finally captured by the 
pursuers or by the Canadian authorities. 



VERMONT. 



241 





^^» VvCl 



MONTPELIER. 



The State contributed to the army of the Union, during the war, 
a force amounting to 34,655 men. Of these 5128 were killed, 
a similar number were discharged, and others were permanently 
disabled. 



CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal towns and cities of the State are Montpelier, the 
capital, Burlington, Brattleboro', Rutland, St. Albans, and Ben- 
nington. 

MONTPELIER, 

The capital of Vermont, is delightfully situated on the banks of the 
Onion River, near the centre of the State, about 200 miles northwest 
of Boston. It is a pretty little city, well built, and conducts an active 
and valuable trade with the surrounding country. It is on the main 
line of travel between Boston and Montreal, in Canada, and is thus 
immediately connected with the great railroad system of the country. 



242 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

It became the capital of the State in 1805, and now contains a popu- 
lation of over 3000. 

The State House fronts on State street, and is a splendid edifice of 
native granite. It is in the form of a cross, has a fine portico sup- 
ported by massive columns, and is surmounted by a dome the apex 
of which is 100 feet from the ground. 

Montpelier contains several flourishing schools, 2 banks, and 5 
churches. Six newspapers are published liere. 

BURLINGTON, 

In Chittenden county, is the largest city in the State. It is situated 
on the east shore of Lake Champlain, 40 miles northwest of Mont- 
pelier, and about midway dovvn the lake. The surrounding country 
abounds in magnificent scenery. 

"Splendor of landscape," says Dr. Dwight, "is the peculiar boast 
of Burlington. Lake Champlain, here 16 miles wide, extends 50 
miles northward, and 40 southward, before it reaches Crown Point, 
and throughout a great part of this magnificent expansion is visible 
at Burlington. In its bosom are encircled many beautiful islands; 
3 of them, North and South Hero, and La Motte, sufficiently large 
to contain, the first and last, 1 township each, the other 2 ; forming, 
together with the township of Alburgh, on the point between the bay 
of Misciscoui and the river St. John, the county of Grand Isle. A 
numerous train of these islands is here in full view. In the interior, 
among the other interesting objects, the range of the Green Mountains, 
with its train of lofty summits, commences in the south with the ut- 
most stretch of the eye ; and limiting, on the east, one-third of the 
horizon, declines far northward^, until it becomes apparently blended 
with the surface. On the west, beyond the immense field of glass, 
formed by the waters of the lake, extends the opposite shore from its 
first appearance at the south, until it vanishes from the eye in the 
northwest, at the distance of 40 miles. Twelve or 15 miles from 
this shore ascends the first range of western mountains; about 15 or 
20 miles further, the second range; and at about the same distance 
the third. The two former commence a few miles south of the head 
of Lake George ; one on the eastern, and the other on the western 
side of this water. Where the third commences, I am ignorant. The 
termination of all these ranges is not far from the latitude of Platts- 
burg. The prospect of these mountains is superlatively noble. The 
rise of the first range from the lake, the ascent of the second far above 



VERMONT. 243 

it, and the still loftier elevation of the third, diffuse a magnificence 
over the whole, which n^ocks description. Three of the summits, 
hitherto without a name, are peculiarly distinguished for their sub- 
limity. Among those of the Green Mountains there are two, in the ■ 
fullest view from this spot, superior even to these. One of them, 
named the Camel's Rump, the Camel's Back, and the Camel ; the 
other the Mountain of Mansfield. The latter of these was by the fol- 
lowing expedient proved, not long since, to be higher than the former. 
A hunter, who had ascended to its highest point, put into his piece a 
small ball ; and pointing it to the apex of the Camel, the ball rolled 
out. Both of them are, however, very lofty; higher, as I belicv:'. 
than Killington Peak, notwithstanding the deference with which I 
regard the estimates of Doctor Williams. The peculiar form of the 
Camel's Back invests this mountain with a sublimity entirely superior 
to any other in the State." 

The city is built on rising ground, which becomes more elevated 
as it recedes from the lake, being quite low immediately at the water. 
The harbor has been deepened and enlarged by the General Govern- 
ment, and a breakwater constructed for its protection. Two railroads 
centre here, and afford direct communication with Montreal, Boston, 
New York City, and Albany. An important trade is carried on upon 
the lake. About 7000 tons of shipping and several steamers are 
owned here. 

The city is regularly laid off, and handsomely built. The streets 
intersect each other at right angles, extend back from the lake for 
more than a mile, and are well shaded. A handsome public square 
occupies the centre of the city, and upon this front the court house, 
the principal hotels, and th-e most prominent stores. Nearly all the 
houses have tasteful yards attached to them. Many have extensive 
grounds, planted with handsome shrubbery. The city contains 4 
banks, a number of churches, and 3 newspaper offices. The popula- 
tion is about 14387. 

The University of Vermont occupies a commanding eminence at the 
eastern end of the city. It was founded in 1791, and is liberally en- 
dowed. It occupies four spacious and handsome buildings, and from 
the dome of the central edifice a view of unsurpassed beauty may be 
obtained. 

RUTLAND, 
In Rutland county, in the southwest part of the State, is the second 
city in Vermont. It is situated on Otter Creek^ 55 miles southwest 



244 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





RUTLAND. 



of Montpelier, and 67 miles southeast of Burlington. It is an im- 
portant railroad centre, four lines converging here, and leading to all 
parts of the country. It is beautifully situated in the midst of a pic- 
turesque region, Killington Peak forming the leading feature of the 
landscape. The city is well laid out, and neatly built. It contains 
several churches, a number of schools, public and private, 2 banks, 
and 3 newspaper offices. It possesses an important trade with the 
surrounding country, and contains several manufacturing establish- 
ments. The population is 9834. Rutland is growing with marked 
rapidity, and will soon be one of the most important cities in New 
England. 



BENNINGTON", 
In the county of the same name, in the extreme southwest part of the 
State, is a thriving town of 2500 inhabitants. 

It is famous as being the scene of the battle of Bennington, fought 
August 16th, 1777, when a detachment of Burgoyne's array, under 



VEUxMO^'T. 245 

Colonel Baurae, was terribly beaten by the "Green Mountain Boys/' 
led by General Stark. The following account of the engagement is 
taken from a popular publication : 

John Stark, the hero of Bennington, was a native of New Hampshire. At an 
early age he enHsted in a company of rangers, participated in several coniflicts 
with the savages, and at last fell into their hands, a prisoner of war. Redeemed 
by his fi-iends for $103, he joined Eogers' rangers, and served with distinction 
through the French and Indian difficulty. When the news came to his quiet 
home, that American blood had been spilt upon the green at Lexington, he rallied 
his countrjmien, and hurried on to Boston with 800 brave mountaineers. He 
presented himself before the American conmiander on the eve of the battle of 
Bunker Hill, and receiving a colonel's commission, instantly hurried to the in- 
trenchments. 

Throughout the battle of Bunker Hill, Stark and his New Hampshire men 
nobly sustained the honor of the patriot cause, and no troops exceeded in biavery 
the militia regiment of Colonel John Stark. In the spring of 1776, lie went to 
Canada, and at the buttle of Trenton he commanded the right wing of Washing- 
ton's army. He was at Princeton, Bennington, and several other severe battles, 
always sustaining his reputation, as a brave, honorable, sterling patriot, and an 
able general. He was a great favorite of General Washington, and very popular 
in the army. On the 8th of May, 1832, aged 93 years, he "was gathered to his 
fathers," and his remains repose upon the banks of the beautiful Merriraac, beneath 
a monument of granite, which bears the inscription — "Major-General Stark." 

Having given a very brief sketch of the celebrated officer who led our pati'iot 
militia upon the field of Bennington, we will proceed with the account of that 
battle. 

The magnificent army of General Burgoyue, which invaded the States in 1777, 
having become straitened for provisions and stores, the royal commander 
ordered a halt, and sent Colonel Baume, a Hessian officer, to scour the countiy 
for supplies. Baume took a strong force of British infantry, two pieces of artil- 
lery, and a squadron of heavy German dragoons. A great body of Indians, hirecj 
ftnd armed by the British, followed his force, or acted as scouts and flanking 
parties. 

Stark, on the intelligence of Burgoyne's invasion, was offered the command 
of one of two regiments of troops which were raised in New Hampshire, through 
the exertions, chiefly, of John Langdon, Speaker of the General Assemblj'. 
Stark had served for a long period as General, but at that time was at home, a 
private citizen. But at the call of his countrymen he again took the field. The 
two regiments were soon raised, and with. them, as senior officer. Stark hastened 
to oppose the British army. At that time the Vermont militia were enrolled into 
an organization, called tlie "Berkshire Regiment," under Colonel Warner. 

On arriving near Bennington, Stark sent forward Colonel Gregg, with a small 
force to reconnoitre, but that officer soon returned with the information that a 
strong force of British, Hessians and Indians was rapidly approaching. Upon 
this intelligence. Stark resolved to stand his ground and give battle. Mcssengei'S 
were sent at once to the Berkshire militia to hurry on, and the patriots were 
directed to see that their weapons were in good order. This was on the 14th of 
August, 1777. During the day, Baume and his army appeared, and learning 
that the militia were collecting in front of his route, the commander ordered hiS 
16 



246 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ar:::y to halt, and throw up intrenchments. An express was also sent to General 
Burgoync for reinforcements. 

Tlie 15tli was dull and rainy. Both armies continued their preparations, while 
waiting for reinforcements. Skirmishing was kept up all day and night, between 
the militia and the Indians, and the latter suffered so severely, that a great por- 
tion of the savage force left the field, saying that " the woods were full of Yan- 
kees." About 12 o'clock on the night of the 15th, a party of Berkshire militia 
came into the American camp. At the head of one company, was tlie Reverend 
Mr. Allen, of Pittsficld, and that worthy gentleman appeared full of zeal to meet 
the enemy. Sometime before daylight, he called on General Stark, and said : 
" General, the people of Berkshire county have often been called out, without 
being allowed to fight, and if you don't give them a chance, they have resolved 
never to turn out again." "Very well," replied Stark, "do you want to go at 
it now, while it is dark and rainy ?" "No, not just at this moment," said the 
warlike minister. "Then," said the General, "if the Lord shall once more 
give us sunshine, and I do not give you fighting enough, I'll never ask you to 
come out arain !" This satisfied the preacher, and he went out to cheer up his 
flock witii the good news. 

Day dawned, bright and warm, on the 16th. All nature, invigorated by the 
mild August rain, glared with beauty and freshness. Before sunrise, the Ameri- 
cans were in motion, while from the British intrenchments, the sound of bugles 
and tlie roll of drums, told that Baume's forces were ready for action. Stark 
early arranged his plan of attack. Colonel Nichols, with 300 men, was sent out 
to attack the British rear ; Colonel Herrick, with 300 men, marched against the 
light flank, but was ordered to join Nichols before making his assault general. 
With about 300 men. Colonels Hubbard and Stickney were sent against the 
entrenched front, while Stark, with a small reserve, waited to operate whenever 
occasion off'ered. It must be remembered that the American forces were militia, 
while Baume's army was made up of well-disciplined, well-armed, and experi- 
enced soldiers. Many of the patriots were armed with fowling-pieces, and there 
were whole companies without a bayonet. They had no artillery. 

General Stark waited impatiently until the roar of musketry proclaimed that the 
Siflerent detachments had commenced their attack, and then forming his small 
battalion, he made his memorable speech: ^'•Boys! there'' s the enemy, and we 
must heat them, or Molly Stark sleeps a widow to-night — Forward!" His sol- 
diers, with enthusiastic shouts, ruslied forward upon the Hessian defences, and 
the battle became general. The Hessian dragoons, dismounted, met the Ameri- 
cans with stern bravery. The two cannons, loaded with grape and canister, 
swept the hill side with dreadful effect. 

Stark's white horse fell in less than ten minutes after his gallant rider canie 
under fire, but on foot, with his hat in one hand, and his sabre in the other, he 
kept at the head of his men, who, without flinching a single foot, urged their way 
up the little hill. Brave Parson Allen, with a clubbed musket, was seen amid the 
smoke, fighting in the front platoon of his company. The whole field was a vol- 
cano of fire. Stark, in his official report, says that the two forces were within a 
few yards of each other, and "the roaring of their guns was like a continuous 
clap of thunder ! " The Hessian and British regulars, accustomed to hard-fought 
fields, held their ground stubbornly and bravely. For more than two hours the 
battle hung in even scale. At length, Baume ordered a charge ; at that instant 
he fell, mortally wounded, and his men charging forward, broke their ranks in 



VERMONT. 247 

such a manner, that the Americans succeeded, after a fierce hand to hand fight, 
in entering the intrenchments. 

Stark shouted to liis men, "Forward, boys, charge them home!" and his 
troops, maddened by the conflict, swept the hill with irresistible valor. They 
pushed forward without discipline or order, seized the artillery, and gave chase 
to the flying enemy. The field being won, plunder became the object of the 
militia. 

The guns, sabres, stores and equipments of the defeated foe were being gath- 
ered up, when Colonel Breyman, with 500 men, suddenly appeared upon the 
field. He had been sent by Burgoyne to reinforce Baume, but the heavy rain 
had prevented his men from marching at a rapid rate. The flying troops instantly 
rallied and joined the new array, which speedily assumed an order of battle, and 
began to press the scattered forces of the patriots. This was a critical period. 
Stark put forth every eff'ort to rally his men, but they Avere exhausted, scattered, 
and nearly out of ammunition. It seemed as if the fortune of the day was in the 
royal hands, when from the edge of a strip of forest, half a mile off, came a loud 
and genuine American cheer. Stark turned, and beheld emerging from the wood, 
the Berkshire regiment, under Colonel Warner. This body of men, also delayed 
by the rain, after a forced march, had just reached the battle field, panting for a 
share in the aff"ray. General Stark hastened to the captain of the foremost com- 
pany, and ordered him to lead his men to the charge at once. But the captain 
coolly asked, "Where's the colonel? I want to see Colonel Warner before I 
move." The colonel was sent for, and the redoubtable captain, drawing himself 
up, said, with a nasal twang peculiar to the puritans of old, "Naow, Kenial', 
what d'ye want me tu dew?" "Drive those red-coats from the hill yonder," 
was the answer. "Wall, it shall be done," said the captain, and issuing the 
necessary orders, he led his men to the charge without a moment's hesitation. 

Said an eye-witness, afterwards, "The last we saw of Warner's regiment for 
half an hour, was when they entered the smoke and fire about halfway up the- 
hill." Stark with a portion of his rallied troops supported the Berkshire men,, 
and the royal forces were defeated after a close contest. A portion of them 
escaped, but 700 men and officers were taken prisoners, among the latter Colonel. 
Baume, who soon died of his wound. 

The British lost 207 men killed, and a large number wounded. Of the Ameri- 
cans, about 100 were killed and the same number wounded. The spoils consisted, 
of four pieces of cannon, several hundred stand of excellent muskets, 250 dragoon, 
swords, 8 brass drums, and 4 wagons laden with stores, clothing and ammunition. 

This victory severely crippled Burgoyne, and discouraged his army, while it; 
enlivened the Americans from one extent of the country to the other. It taught 
the British troops to respect the American militia, and it was a brilliant precursor, 
to the victories of Saratoga and Bemis' Heights. 

Congress voted thanks to General Stark and his brave troops for their great- 
victory, and took measures to push on the war with renewed energy and hope., 

MISCELLANY. 

THE TAKING OF TICONDEROGA. 

Ina.smuch as the capture of the fortress of Ticonderoga was the- 
work of the " Green Mountain Boys," it seems but just to append the 



248 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUrCES. 

:iccoiint of their exploits to the description we have given of their 
State. The following narrative is taken from " Williams' History 
'of Vermont : " 

The fii'st steps for this object seem to liave been taken by some gentlemen in 
Connecticut ; and Messrs. Deane, Wooster, Parsons, and otliers engaged in the 
affair. The success depended on the secrecy witli which tlie affair could be man- 
aged. Their first object was to obtain a sum of money to bear the necessary ex- 
penses. They procured this to tlie amount of about $1800, from the general 
assembly of Connecticut, by way of loan. Several of the militia captains pushed 
forward to Salisbury, the northwestern town in that colony ; and after a little 
consultation concluded not to spend any time in raising men, but to procure a 
quantity of powder and ball, and set off immediately for Bennington, and engage 
Ethan Allen in the business. With his usual spirit of activity and enterprise, 
Allen undertook the management of the scheme ; and set off to the northward, to 
raise and collect all the men that he could find. The Connecticut gentlemen hav- 
ing procured a small quantity of provisions, went on to Castleton ; and were there 
joined by Allen, with the men that he had raised from the new settlements. The 
Avhole niunber that were assembled amounted to 270, of which 230 were raised 
on the New Hampshire grants, distinguished at that time by the name of Green 
Mountain Boys ; so called from the Green Mountains, among which they resided. 
Sentries Avere immediately placed on all the roads, and the necessary measures 
taken to procure intelligence of the state of the works and garrison at Ticon- 
deroga. 

While Allen and his associates were collecting at Castleton, Colonel Arnold 
arrived, attended only by a servant. This officer belonged to New Haven, in 
Connecticut. As soon as the news arrived at that place that hostilities had com- 
menced at Lexington, Arnold, then a captain, set out at the head of a volunteer 
company, and marched with the greatest expedition to Cambiidge. The day 
after his arrival, he attended the Massachusetts committee of safely, and reported 
to them that the fort at Ticonderoga was in a ruinous condition ; that it was gar- 
risoned by about 40 men, and contained a large quantity of artillery and military 
stores ; and might easily be captured. The committee wished to avail themselves 
of his. information and activity ; and on the 3d of May appointed him a colonel, 
and gave him directions to enlist 400 men, and march for the reduction of Ticon- 
deroga. Under these orders, and with tliis design, he joined the men that were 
assembling at Castleton ; but was unknown to any of them but a IVIr. Blagden, 
one of the Connecticut officers. His commission being examined, it was agreed 
in a council that he should be admitted to join and act witli tliem ; but tliat Allen 
sliould also have the commission of a colonel, and have tlie command ; and that 
Arnold should be considered as his assistant. 

To procure intelligence. Captain Noah Phelps, one of the gentlemen from Con- 
necticut, disguised himself in the habit of one of the poor settlers, and went into 
tiie fort, pretending he wanted to be shaved, and inquired for a barber. Affect- 
ing an awkward appearance, and asking many simple questions, he passed un- 
suspected, and had an opportunity to observe the state of everytliing within the 
walls. Returning to his party, he gave them the necessary information, and the 
same night they began their march to the fort. 

With so much expedition and secrecy had the enterprise been conducted, that 
Colonel Allen arrived at Orwell, opposite to Ticonderoga, on the 9t!i of Jlny, at. 



1 



VERMONT. 249 

night, -with bis 230 Green Mountain Boys, Avithoat any intelligence or apprelior.- 
siou on the part of tlie garrison. It was with difficulty tliat boats could be pro- 
cured to pass the lake ; a few, however, being collected, Allen and Arnold passc\l 
over, with 83 men, and landed near the works. Arnold now wished to assume 
tlie command, to lead on the men, and swore that he would go in himself tl;c' 
first. Allen swore that he sliould not, but that he himself would be the first man 
that should enter. The dispute beginning to run high, some of the gentlemen 
tliat were present interposed, and it was agreed that both should go in together, 
Allen on the right hand and Arnold on the left. On the 10th of May, in the gra}' 
of the morning, they both entered the port leading to the fort, followed by their 
men. The sentry snapped his fusee at Allen, and retreated through the covered 
way. The Americans followed the sentry, and immediately drew up on the 
parade. Captain De la Place commanded, but he was so little apprehensive of 
any danger or hostility, that he was surprised in his bed. As soon as he ap- 
peared, he was ordered to surrender the fort. "Upon Avhat authority do jxju 
require it?" said De la Place. "I demand it," said Allen, "in the name of tlie 
great Jehovah and the Continental Congress." Surrounded by the Americans, 
who were already in possession of the works, it was not in the power of the 
British captain to make any opposition, and he surrendered hrs garrison prison- 
ers of war, without knowing by what authority Allen was acting, or that hostili- 
ties had commenced between Britain and the Colonies. After Allen had landed 
with his party, the boats were sent back for Colonel Seth Warner with the re- 
mainder of the men, who had been left under his command. Warner did not 
arrive till after the place had surrendered, but he took the command of a party 
who set off for Crown Point. At that place there were only a sergeant and 12 
men to perform garrison duty. They surrendered upon the first summons, and 
Warner took possession of Crown Point on the same da}^ that Ticonderoga was 
given up. Another party surprised Skeensborough, made a prisoner of Major 
Skeen, the son, took possession of a strong stone house which he had built, se- 
cured his dependents and domestics, and made themselves masters of that ini- 
portant harbor. 

By these enterprises the Americans had captured a British captain, lieutenant, 
and 44 privates. In the forts they found above 200 pieces of cannon, some mor- 
tars, howitzers, and large quantities of ammunition and military stores ; and a 
warehouse full of materials for carrying on the business of building boats. Hav- 
ing succeeded in their attempts against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, it was 
still necessary, in order to secure tlie command of Lake Cliamplain, to get pos- 
session of an armed sloop which lay at St. John's, at the north end of the lake. 
To effect this purpose, it was determined to man and arm a schooner, which la\' 
at South Bay. Arnold had the command of the schooner, and Allen took the 
command of a number of batteaux, and both sailed for St. John's. The wind 
being fresh at the south, Arnold soon passed the lake, surprised and captured the 
armed sloop in the harbor of St. John's : in about an hour after he had taken her, 
the wind suddenly shifted to the north, and Arnold made sail with his prize, and 
taet Allen with his batteaux at some distance from St. John's. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 

Area, 7800 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 1,231,066 

Population in 1870, 1,457,351 

The State of Massachusetts is situated (including its islands) be- 
tween 41° 10' and 42° 53' N. latitude, and between 69° 50' and 73° 
30' \V. longitude. It is bounded on the north by New Hampshire 
and Vermont, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the 
Atlantic, and the States of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and on the 
west by New York. It is very irregular in shape, its southeastern 
extremity extending far out into the ocean, and curving so as to almost 
enclose Cape Cod Bay. Its greatest length from east to west is about 
145 miles. The eastern side is about 90 miles wide from north to 
.'Outh, and its western end about 48 miles broad. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The State has a considerable extent of sea coast, and possesses a 
number of excellent harbors. 

3Iassachusetts Bay and Cajje Cod Bay are really one and the same 
sheet of water, and comprise a large gulf, which indents the eastern 
coast of the State for about 25 miles in a southwest and 65 miles in 
a southeast direction. The upper, or northern part of this gulf is 
called Massachusetts Bay, and the lower part Cape Cod Bay. The 
latter is famous as having been the harbor in Avhich the Mayflower 
cast anchor after her long and weary voyage from England, in 1620. 
The extreme eastern part of the State extends around Cape Cod Bay, 
enclosing it in a kind of semicircle. Plymouth is situated on the 
northwest side of this bay. Boston lies on the west side of Massa- 
chusetts B:iv. 
250 



MASSACHUSETTS. 251 

Buzzard's Bay, in the southeastern part of the State, extends inland 
in a northward direction for about 30 miles, and is about 7 miles 
wide. The harbors of New Bedford, Fair Haven, and Rochester lie 
along this bay, which is separated from Vineyard Sound by the 
Elizabeth Islands. 

3Iarthd's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands lie in the Atlantic to 
the south of Barnstable county, and together form Duke's county. 
Martha^s Vineyard is separated from Barnstable county, on the main- 
land, by Vineyard Sound, a sheet of water from 3 to 7 miles wide. 
The island is 21 miles long, and from 3 to 9 miles wide. Edgarton 
is the chief town. The Elizabeth Islands, 16 in number, lie between 
Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound. Only 2 or 3 are inhabited. 
The people of Duke's county are engaged principally in fishing and 
navigation. 

Nantucket is the name given to a large island in the Atlantic, about 
30 miles south of Barnstable county. It is about 15 miles long, and 
from 3 to 4 miles wide. Several small islands lie immediately on its 
northern coast, and with it form the county of Nantucket. The chief 
town is Nantucket, on the northern part of the main island. This town 
was founded in 1659, and is one of the most thriving in the State. 
It is compactly and neatly built, has a library of several thousand 
volumes, 8 or 9 churches, a bank with a capital of $200,000, and 
several handsome buildings. The inhabitants are actively engaged 
in the fisheries, and, until the discovery of petroleum rendered this 
traffic of comparatively little importance, Nantucket was one of the 
principal depots of the whale trade. In 1863, 4407 tons of shipping 
were owned on the island. Steam communication is maintained with 
the mainland. In 1860, the population of the town was 5000, of the 
county 6064. In 1870, it was 4134. During the Revolution and 
the war of 1812-15, Nantucket sent out numerous privateers against 
the British commerce, and a Nantucket ship was the first to show the 
" Stars and Stripes " in the river Thames, after the recognition of our 
indejiendence by Great Britain. 

The surface of Massachusetts is generally uneven, and in the west- 
ern part is broken into mountain ranges of a moderate elevation.. 
The southeastern part is level and sandy, and the eastern and middle 
parts are broken and rugged. The Green Mountains pass across the 
western part of the State, from Vermont, and extend into Connecticut. 
They are about 20 or 30 miles west of the Connecticut River, and 
jiursue a course parallel with it. Besides this range, there are several 



252 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

isolated peaks in the State, the principal of which are Wachusetts 
Mountain, 2018 feet; in the north-central part of the State, Mount 
Tom, 1200 feet; and Mount Holyoke, 910 feet, near Northampton. 
These are considered- outliers of the White Mountain range, of New 
Hampshire. The Green Mountains are divided into two ridges in 
IMassachusetts. The eastern is the lowest, and is called the Hoosic 
Kitlgo ; and tiie western is the most elevated, and is called the Tang- 
kannic Range. Its highest peak is Mount Washington, 2264 feet, in 
the southwest corner of the State. 

The Connecticut is the principal river of the State, flowing across it 
from north to south, and into the State of Connecticut. It is rendered 
navigable by means of canals, and furnishes excellent water-power. 
The Ilenimac, which has already been described in the chapter on 
New Hampshire, turns the mills of Lowell and Lawrence. The tribu- 
taries of the former stream in this State are Miller's, the Chicoopec, 
Deerfield, and Westfield rivers; those of the latter, the Nashua and 
Concord. Taunton River furnishes excellent water-power, and sup- 
plies the factories of the cities of Taunton and Fall River. Charles 
River rises in the interior, and flows into Massachusetts Bay. 

"Massachusetts abounds in picturesque scenery. This observation 
is especially true of the western part of the State, and the view of the 
Connecticut River and Valley from Mount Holyoke has long been 
celebrated. Though rather less than 1000 feet in height, the views 
it commands, and its easy ascent, being traversed to its summit by a 
good carriage road, have invited hither many tourists in the season 
for travelling. The spectator has below him the beautiful meander- 
ing Connecticut wending its way through the meadows and among tlio 
villages, while to the southwest, and at no great distance, is Mount 
Tom ; and still farther in the same direction, Bald or Washington 
Mount, and in the northwest Saddle Mountain, the highest ground in 
the State; and turning to the east and northeast he has the peaks of 
Wachusetts in Massachusetts, and Monadnock in New Hampshire; 
the intermediate parts of the scene being filled up with a great variety 
of landscape, villages, hills, rivulets, and low mountains. There is a 
good iiotel on the top of Mount Holyoke, and in the vicinity the 
beautiful village of Northampton, at which the tourist may take up 
his quarters and make his excursion from thence over the mountain. 
A yet more extensive view is obtained from Saddle Mountain, but it has 
hitherto lain more out of the line of travel, and been less visited, though 
of thrice the elevation of Mount Tom. It commands a view of the 



MASSACHUSETTS. 253 

surrounding country for 40 or 50 miles, extending to the Catskills on 
the west, overlooking the Green Mountains on the north, south, and 
east, and on the northeast reaching to Monadnock Mountain, in New 
Hampshire. This mountain is fertile to the summit, near which is a 
small lake or pond. Goodrich describes a phenomenon as having oc- 
curred here in 1784, called by the inhabitants the bursting of a cloud. 
About dawn of a certain morning, the tenants of a house on the banks 
of the Hoosic, on the western slope, were aroused by the roaring of 
the torrent, and had barely time to escape before their dwelling was 
swept away by the flood. The torrent wore a gully in the mountain 
20 feet deep, and swept away the timber entirely from about 10 acres 
of land. Berkshire county abounds in sublime and picturesque 
scenery, and has become a favorite resort not only for tourists, but for 
citizens seeking pleasant summer residences. Hawthorne, Miss Sedg- 
wick, Fanny Ivemble, James, and others, have rendered their tribute 
to the charms of Berkshire scenery, by taking up their abode there 
for considerable periods. The Ice Hole, a narrow and deep ravine 
of great wildness, in Stockbridge, where the ice remains the year 
round; a fall of about 70 feet descent, amid wild scenery, in the 
Housatonic, in Dalton ; the Natural Bridge, on Hudson's Brook, in 
Adams, where a fissure of from 30 to 60 feet deep, and about 500 
feet long, has been worn through the limestone rock, forming a bridge 
50 feet above the water ; a rock of 30 or 40 tons, in New INIarlboro', 
so nicely balanced that a finger can move it ; and Hanging Mountain, 
on the Farmington River, in Sandisfield, rising in a perpendicular 
wall above the river to the height of more than 300 feet; are, after 
the mountains already named, the most remarkable natural objects in 
Berkshire. Blue Hill, 11 miles southwest of Boston, which com- 
mands a fine view of Boston Harbor and the ocean, is 635 feet high, 
being the most elevated land in Eastern Massachusetts. On the side 
of Mount Toby, a hill of sandstone, elevated about 1000 feet above 
the Connecticut, is a cavern about 150 feet in length and 60 in depth. 
Nahant, a rocky promontory on the north shore of Boston Bay, ex- 
tending 4 miles into the sea, is the most noted watering-place in Mas- 
sachusetts. It is about 9 miles northeast of Boston, and commands a 
fine view of the ocean, and of the shipping entering and departing 
from the harbor. In addition to its good beach, Nahant has the 
charm of wildness given to it by the rugged rocks which form the 
promontory, and into the caves and recesses of which the sea surges 
at times with great violence. The mineral springs of this State have 



254 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

not acquired any great celebrity beyond her own limits ; the principal 
are, one in the town of Hopkinton, impregnated with carbonic acid, 
and carbonates of lime and iron ; one in Shutesbury, containing mu- 
riate of lime; and a chalybeate sulphur spring in Winchenden. The 
Quincy granite quarries, 6 or 8 miles south of Boston, in a range of 
hills 200 feet high, are worthy of a visit." * 

MINERALS. 

Granite abounds, and is shipped to all parts of the Union for build- 
ing purposes. The gray granite of the Quincy Hills is famous. Mar- 
ble is found in Berkshire county. The new wings of the Capitol at 
Washington, and Girard College at Philadelphia are constructed of 
marble from this county. Small deposits of anthracite coal are found 
in Hampshire county. Iron is found in great abundance west of the 
Connecticut River, and in limited quantities in Plymouth and Bristol 
counties, while lead mines have beei> worked in Hampshire county 
(at Northampton), since 1765. The other minerals are gneiss, quartz, 
mica, limestone, hornblende, serpentine, asbestus, and slate. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of Massachusetts is very severe in the winter. The 
writer has seen the thermometer indicate 28° below zero at 8 o'clock 
A. M. in Boston. The summers are short, and would be pleasant on 
the coast were it not for the sudden changes from extreme heat to 
cold by which they are marked. The spring is rendered disagreeable 
by severe northeast winds, which are a fruitful source of pulmonary 
complaints. In the western part of the State, the climate is steadier. 
The winter sets in early in all sections, and lasts long, but the spring, 
though late, is rapid. The early fruit trees are in full bloom by the 
middle of April. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of Massachusetts is not naturally fertile, but has been ren- 
dered productive by the industry of its people. The best lands are 
in the central and western counties, especially in the valleys of the 
Connecticut, Housatonic, and other streams. The farmers of Massa- 
chusetts compare favorably with those of any other part of the Union 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1156. 



II 



MASSACHUSETTS. 255 

in intelligence, and there is perhaps no State which devotes more sci- 
entific skill to the production of its crops. The population is the 
densest in the Union, and the amount of grain produced is not ade- 
(|nate to the demands of the community. 

There are about 2,155,512 acres of improved land in Massachusetts, 
and 1,183,212 acres of unimproved land. The following statement 
shows the remainder of the agricultural wealth of the State at the 
present time : 

Cash value of farms, - . . . $123,255,948 

Value of farming implements and machinery, $3,894,998 

I^ umber of horses, 49,430 

" asses and mules, 139 

" milch cows, 160,2i:0 

" . other cattle, 140,340 

" sheep, • 119,560 

" swine, 93,540 

Value of domestic animals, $9,737,744 

Bushels of wheat, 167,000 

" rye, 46J,000 

'' Indian corn, 1,950,000 

'' oats, 1,525,000 

" Irish potatoes, ........ 4,300,000 

barley, 144,000 

" buckwheat, 85,000 

Pounds of wool, 377,207 

" butter, 8,297,936 

" cheese, 5,294,090 

" hops, 111,301 

" maple sugar, 1,006,078 

" beeswax and honey, 62,414 

Tons of hay, 850,000 

Value of orchard products, $925,519 

" market garden products, $1,397,623 

" home-made manufactures, .... $245,886 

" slaughtered animals, $2,915,045 

COMMERCE. 

In the extent and value of her commerce, Massachusetts stands 
next to New York. The total tonnage of the State in 1874 was 
458,373, of which a part Avas engaged in the whale fisheries. In 
1855, the total value of the product of the whale fisheries was 
$6,766,996. In the same year the product of the cod and mackerel 
fisheries was $2,902,796. In 1861, the total exports of Massachusetts 
were $16,532,736, and the total imports, $45,399,844. 



256 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



MANUrACTURES. 

Massachusetts is the third State in the Union in manufactures, ami 
tlie first as regards her cotton and woollen manufactures. By the 
census of 1870 there were 13,212 establishments in the State, devoted 
to manufactures, mining, and tlie mechanic arts, employing a capital 
of $231,677,862 and 279,380 hands, and yielding an annual product 
of $553,912,568. There were 194 cotton mills, employing 13,713 
male and 24,128 female hands and a capital of $44,822,395. They 
consumed raw material worth $37,545,686 ; paid $13,61 2,925 for labor; 
and yielded an annual product of $59,979,153. There were 182 
woollen mills, employing 10,754 male, and 7437 female hands, and a 
capital of $20,622,400. They consumed raw material worth $24,- 
866,118, paid $7,296,752 for labor, and returned an annual product 
of $39,489,242. The value of leather produced was $33,658,475 ; of 
boots and shoes, $88,399,583 ; of pig iron, $722,225; of rolled iron, 
$6,699,907; of steam engines and machinery, $16,426,842; of agricul- 
tural implements, $1,033,590 ; of sawed and planed lumber, $8,651,- 
690; of malt liquors, $1,542,487; of spirituous liquors, $774,821; 
of furniture, $4,124,822; the value of paper manufactured was 
$12,687,481. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In proportion to its size" and population, Massachusetts is the most 
important State in the Union as regards its railroads. In 1871, there 
were 1975 miles of single track in the State. These were constructed 
and equipped at a cost of $72,175,091, and during the year 1865, 
their net earnings amounted to $6,173,157. Boston is the great rail- 
road centre. Three continuous lines extend from that city into New 
York, two of them passing through the principal towns of Rhode 
Island and Connecticut. Two lines extend from Boston to Portland, 
passing through the intervening towns. Lines extend from the former 
city to all parts of the State, into New Hampshire, Vermont, and 
Canada, and by means of the Boston and Troy (N. Y.) Railroad, 
there is now unbroken railroad communication between Boston ami 
all parts of the west and the Pacific Ocean. 

EDUCATION. 

The State provides liberally for the cause of education. "The 
Board of Education, which consists of the Governor, Lieutenant- 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



257 




IIARVAKD TjxiVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. 

Governor, and eight members appointed by the Governor and Coun- 
cil, has the general oversight of the Normal Schools, Public Schools, 
and of Educational Statistics. The ofificers, trustees, or persons in 
charge of every institution of learning, whether litcrarv, scientific, or 
professional, public or private, and of all reform sc^hools or alm.s- 
houses, are required by law to report to the Board on or before the 
l.st day of June in each year, giving such statistics as the Board shall 
pre.scribe. The Board appoints a Secretary, who is its chief executive 
officer, and who gives his whole time to the supervision and improve- 
ment of common schools. Each town elects a School Committee of 
three persons, or a number which is a multiple of three, who examine 
teachers, visit schools, and have a general oversight of the schools of 
the town. In the cities and some of the larsrer towns, the School 
Committee appoints a superintendent, who has the immediate charge 
of the schools. The number of school districts is annually diminish- 
ing, there being 323 less in 1867 than in 1866, and 672 less than in 
1861. Where the districts are abolished, the schools arc managed 
entirely by the towns. Each town having 500 or more families is by 
law reqniro'd to n>aintain a ptiblic high S'-linol. 



258 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" Provision for the special education of teachers is made in four 
State Normal Schools, two of which are for both sexes, and two for 
female teachers only. A Girls' High and Normal School, and an ef- 
ficient Training School, are also maintained by the city of Boston, for 
preparing teachers for primar}"^ schools. Teachers' Institutes are held 
annually under the direction of the Secretary of the Board of Edu- 
cation." 

The public schools are supported by direct taxes. In 1870, the 
amount expended for these schools, exclusive of the cost of erecting 
and repairing buildings, was $3,125,053. In 1870 there were in the 
State 5100 public schools, presided over by 8977 teachers. The 
attendance was as follows: 242,155 pupils; 121,572 being males, and 
120,573 females. 

Harvard University, at Cambridge, is the oldest college ill the 
Union, and ranks among the first in standing and usefulness. Besides 
the regular collegiate course, it has schools of divinity, medicine, law, 
science, and philosophy. Its museum of Scientifio' Zoology is the best 
in the country. Its faculty has included some of the most eminent 
men of the land, and many of our greatest statesmen, jurists, and men 
of science are numbered amongst its alumni. Williams College, at 
Williamstown, Amherst, at Amherst, Holy Cross, at Worcester, and 
Tufts, at Medford, are the other colleges of the State. All are well 
attended, and are prosperous. 

In 1871, there were 55 incorporated academies, with an average 
attendance of 3696 pupils; and 553 private schools of all grades, the 
estimated average attendance of which was 14,417. 

In 1870, there were in the State 3169 libraries, containing 
3,017,813 volumes. Of these, about 1500 were public. In Massa- 
chusetts, as well as in the other New England States, there is a public 
library in nearly every town. 

In 1870. there were 259 periodicals published in the State — 129 
political, 31 religious, 54 literary and niiscellaneous. Of these, 21 
were daily, 1 tri-weekly, 14 semi-weekly, 1' 3 weekly, 48 monthly, 
6 quarterly, and 1 annual. Their aggregate annual circulation was 
129,691,266 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Prison is located at Charlestown. It was founded in 
1800. The commutation system is in successful operation. Prisos- 
ers are confined in separate cells, and are required to perform their 



MASSACHUSETTS. 259 

work in silence. On the 30th of September, 1869, there were 593 
prisoners confined "in this establishment. The profits of the labor 
performed by the convicts amounted, during the year 1868-69, to 
$26,781 over the expenses of conducting the' establishment. 

In the old graveyard adjoining the prison is the monument to John 
Harvard, erected to his memory in 1828, by the students of Harvard 
University. 

There are in Massachusetts 20 jails, 16 houses of correction, and 1 
House of Industry. 

The Board of State Charities has charge of all the charitable insti- 
tutions of the State. These are the lunatic asylums, the almshouses, 
and reform schools. 

There are three State Lunatic Hospitals, located respectively at 
Worcester, Taunton, and Northampton. All these receive State, 
town, and private patients. The State patients at the Northampton 
Hospital consist of incurables transferred from the other institutions. 

The State Almshouses are three in number, and are located respec- 
tively at Tewksbury, Monson, and Bridgewater. The Tewksbury 
Almshouse is a receptacle for aged, helpless, harmless, and insane 
paupers ; that at Monson is provided with a primary school, and is 
devoted to children old enough to receive education; while the 
Bridgewater Almshouse is a place of confinement for persons sen- 
tenced to a workhouse. 

There are three Reform Schools, — the State Industrial School for 
girls, at Lancaster, where a most excellent influence is exerted for the 
purpose of reclaiming young girls from vicious lives ; the State Reform 
School for boys, at Westborough, where a similar course of treatment 
is pursued for boys ; and the 3Iassachusetts Nautical School, estab- 
lished on two ships, at Boston and New Bedford, in which boys of 
bad character are placed for reformation. In this school the boys are 
trained for the U. S. Navy and the whaling service. 

These institutions are all in a flourishing condition. 

The State also supports wholly, or in part, the School^ for Idiotic 
and Feeble-Minded Youth, at South Boston ; the Perkins Institution 
and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind ; the Massachusetts General 
Hospital; the Eye and Ear Infirmary; the Wash ingtonian Home; 
the Discharged Soldiers' Home; the Temporary Asylum for Dis- 
charged Female Prisoners; the Home for the Friendless; the New 
England* ISIoral Reform Society ; and the Agency for Discharged 
Convicts, Pupils are maintained at the expense -of the State in the 



260 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb/' at Hartford, Conn., and at the 
.Clarke Institution for Deaf Mutes, at Northampton, Mass. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in Massachusetts was 
^24,488, 285. In the same year there were 1764 churches in the 
State. 

FINANCES. 

On the 1st of January, 1875, the total State debt was $29,465,204. 
In the same year, the sinking fund for the redemption of this debt 
amounted to over $10,989,595. 

On the 1st of October, 1868, there were 207 National Banks in the 
State, with an aggregate paid-in capital of $30,032,000. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The right of suffrage in this State is denied to j^aupers and persons 
under guardianship, but is extended to each male adult, able to read 
the Constitution of the State in the English language and to write his 
name, who has been a resident of the State for one year, and of his 
election district for six months. 

The State Government is vested in a Governor, assisted by an Ex- 
ecutive Council of 8 members (one from each Council district of the 
State), a Lieutenant-Governor, a Legislature consisting of a Senate 
(of 40 members) and a House of Representatives (of 240 members), 
together styled "The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massa- 
chusetts," a Secretary of State, a Treasurer, an Auditor, and an At- 
torney General, all chosen annually by the people, on the Tuesday 
after the first Monday in November. They enter upon their duties 
on the first Wednesday in January. 

The Judiciary comprises a Supreme Judicial Court, a Superior 
Court, a Probate Court in each county, and municipal and police 
courts in the cities and towns. 

The Supreme Judicial Court consists of a Chief Justice, and five 
Associate Justices. It has exclusive cognizance of all capital crimes, 
and "exclusive chancery jurisdiction so far as chancery powers are 
conferred by statute, and concurrent original jurisdiction of all civil 
cases whei'e the amount in dispute exceeds $4000 in Suffolk county 
and $1000 in all other counties." 



MASSACHUSETTS. 261 

The Superior Court consists of a Chief Justice, and nine Associate 
Justices. It has jurisdiction in all criminal cases, except capital cases, 
and in all civil cases where the amount in dispute is over $20. 

The Governor of the State, by and with the advice and consent of 
his Council, appoints the Judges of both Courts, who hold office dur- 
ing good behavior. The seat of Government is established at Boston. 

For the purposes of government, the State is divided into 14 
counties. 

HISTORY. 

According to the Icelandic legend, Massachusetts was first discov- 
ered by Biorn, in the year 906 ; but, as we have elsewhere intimated, 
this legend is vague and devoid of substantial proof, and the credit of 
the first discovery must be given to John Cabot, who visited the coast 
in 1497, under the orders of Plenry VII. of England, and five years 
after the first voyage of Columbus. He failed to discover any inhabi- 
tants,'but at a later period, his son, Sebastian, while endeavoring to dis- 
cover a northwest passage to China, visited the waters of New England, 
found that the country was inhabited, and took three of the natives 
with him to England. The Spaniards subsequently made some landings 
on the coast, and carried off a number of the natives, Avhom they sold 
in Europe as slaves. No attempt at settlement was made until 1602, 
when Bartholomew Gosnold, with a colony of 32 persons, made a 
lodgement on one of the Elizabeth Islands. The settlement was 
abandoned in a few weeks, however, in consequence of internal dis- 
sensions, and the expedition returned to England. This attempt had 
the effect of bringing the new country into prominent notice in Eng- 
land, and the Plymouth Company was organized, several years later, 
under the leadership of Sir John Popham and Sir Ferdinando Gorges, 
tiie first the Chief Justice of the Kino;'s Bench, and the other the 
Governor of Plymouth. This company was given almost sovereign 
powers over tlie territory assigned it. In 1614, Captain John Smith 
published a map of New England, together with a description of the 
country along the coast, which greatly increased the interest felt in 
the matter. The company sent out one or two trading expeditions, 
which were successful ; but the first permanent settlement was made 
in 1620, at Plymouth, by a band of English Puritans, who were flee- 
ing from religious persecution in their own country, and whose at- 
tempt was made without the sanction or authority of the Plymouth 
Company. They held a patent from the Virginia Company, whose 
17 



262 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

territory lay south of the Hudson, and the king would do no more 
than promise not to molest them. 

Soon after landiiig at Plymouth, this colony made a treaty of friend- 
ship with the Indians, which was not broken for a long period. The 
settlers endured many privations and hardships, but bore them all 
bravely until they had placed tlieir settlement beyond all danger of 
failure, and were joined by oth-rr emigrants from England. Other 
lodgements Avere made along the coast during the next twenty years, 
at Salem, Boston, CharlestoAvn, Roxbury, Watertown, Dorchester, 
Mystic and Saugus (Lynn), and other places. In 1G29, Charles I. 
granted the Plymotith Colony a charter, and the government of the 
province was divided between the colonies of Plymouth and Massa- 
chusetts Bay, Avhich were miited under one adn^inistration in 1692. 

The Bay colony was much annoyed by the interference of the home 
Government, which became jealous of its rapid growth and prosperity, 
and after an aggravating contest, whi{;h at onetime bade fair to result 
in blows, the m:itter w'as settled. The king refused to yield what he 
claimed as his right to interfere in the domestic affairs of the colony, 
whose officials, however, adroitly managed to prevent the exercise of 
such authority on his part. 

In 1637, the war against the Pequots broke out, and the settlements 
tow^ards Connecticut, upon which colony fell the principal shock of 
the war, suifered cousiderably. In 1675, King Philip's war began. 
This struggle was a bloody one, and lasted for more than a year. 
During its continuance, 12 or 13 towns were destroyed, more tlian 
600 men were killed, and about 600 houses burned by the savages. 
The war cost the colony half a million of dollars, and rendered one- 
twentieth of the number of families homeless. 

Massachusetts at this time claimed jurisdiction over New Hamp- 
shire and Maine, but was deprived of it by the home Government in 
1684. This act was followed iiy the appointment of Sir Edmund 
Andros as Governor of New England. Andros and his Council were 
guilty of the most infamous tyranny. They made laws and levied 
taxes in the most outrageous manner, and rendered themselves so 
odious to the colony, that as soon as news was received of the landing 
of William and Mary in England, the people of Boston rose in arras, 
imprisoned Andros and his companions, reinstated the former magis- 
trates, and declared for the new king and queen. They were sus- 
tained in this action by the rest of the province. 

In 1 690, in the war with France, INIassachusetts sent out an expe- 



MASSACHUSETTS. 263 

dition under Sir William Phipps, which took and plundered Port 
Royal. When the fleet returned, the Province was not able to pay 
the men engaged in the expedition, and treasury notes were issued for 
that purpose. This was the first paper money seen in the colony. 

In 1692, the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were 
united by the Crown under one Government. Massachusetts at this 
time was divided into the counties of Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, and 
Hampshire. It contained 55 towns, and had a total population of 
about 40,000. Plymouth was divided into the counties of Plymouth, 
Bristol, and Barnstable. It contained 17 towns, and had a population 
of 7000. Sir William Phipps was appointed the first Governor under 
the new charter. 

In 1692, a remarkable delusion broke out in the colony on the sub- 
ject of witchcraft, beginning at and centering in Salem. In 1703, 
great suffering prevailed along the western border in consequence of 
the outrages of the French and Indians. During this war, Deerfield 
was burned a second time, having been first destroyed during King 
Philip's war. The struggle lasted several years, but the colony con- 
tinued to grow and prosper in spite of it. In 1722, war was resumed 
with the Indians, and continued for three years. It was prosecuted 
with such vigor on the part of the province, that the power of the 
savages was broken forever, and the long contest with them which 
had lasted for forty years was finally and triumphantly closed. 

In 1744, war again broke out with France, and the forces of the 
province distinguished themselves in the capture of Louisburg. Peace 
was restored in 1748, but did not long continue. The colony bore a 
fair share in all the struggles against the power of France in America, 
and responded liberally to every call for men and money. The les- 
sons learned in these contests were of infinite value in the great strug- 
gle for freedom which followed them. 

At the commencement of the troubles with the mother country, the 
province was well settled in all its parts, and had a total population 
of about 250,000 souls. In spite of the efforts of Great Britain to 
prevent it, it had built up a flourishing commerce, was largely engaged 
in the fisheries, and was to some extent interested in manufactures. 
Its enterprise and energy, and above all, the native independence of 
its people, made it the chief mark of the aggressions of the Crown, 
which were met by it with spirit and firmness. Massachusetts was 
the first to inaugurate an organized effort to secure justice from the 
Crown, which example was followed by her sister provinces. The 



264 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

events which preceded the Revolution having been narrated in another 
chapter, it is not necessary to return to them here. Massachusetts, 
being the principal object of British injustice, was forced into the 
most prominent position, which she maintained with dignity and 
credit. The other colonies made common cause with her, and the 
war began in the encounter between the Royal troops and the people 
at Lexington. The conflict at Concord followed, and the people of 
the province flew to arms with a rapidity which proved how thor- 
oughly and carefully they had prepared themselves for the main- 
tenance of their rights. During the war which ensued, Massachusetts 
sustained her reputation for patriotism, bravery, and self-sacrifice. 

In 1780 a State Constitution was adopted, and John Hancock was 
elected Governor of the Commonwealth. In 1786, the people of the 
western counties, feeling themselves too poor to jiay the heavy taxes 
levied for the purpose of defraying the State debt, took up arms 
against the authorities of the Commonwealth. The insurrection was 
settled after a sharp conflict with the insurgents, who were forced 
to submit. The outbreak is known as "Shays's Rebellion," in con- 
sequence of the insurgents having been led by one Daniel Shays. 

The Constitution of the United States was ratified by Massachu- 
setts in 1788. Although the State opposed the second war with 
England, the seamen of Massachusetts were true to the country, and 
formed a considerable part of the crews of those famous vessels which 
won the glorious naval victories of the war. The people of the State, 
as a whole, however, sustained their authorities in opposing the war, 
in which they had a deeper interest than they were willing to admit, 
and throughout the struggle hampered the Federal Government by a 
most unwise and unpatriotic opposition. The State bore a prominent 
part in the Hartford Convention, in 1814. 

In 1820 the Constitution of the Commonwealth was amended, and 
again in 1857. In 1820 the State consented to the separation of the 
province of Maine, which was in the same year erected into an inde- 
pendent establishment, and admitted into the Union as a State. 

During the late Rebellion, Massachusetts furnished 159,165 men 
to the army and navy of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns are : Cambridge, Lowell, Lynn, 
Lawrence, Charlestown, Salem, New Bedford, Newburyport, Nan- 
tucket, Gloucester, Marblehead, Plymouth, Provincetown, Worcester, 



II 



MASSACHUSETTS. 265 

Springfield, Fall River, Chelsea, Taunton, Chicopee, Danvers, Ando- 
ver, and Haverhill. 

BOSTON, 
The capital of the State, and the largest city in New England, is 
situated on Massachusetts Bay, 464 miles northeast of Washington, 
and 236 miles northeast of New York. Latitude 42° 21' 22" N. ; 
longitude 71° 4' 9" W. It is decidedly one of the most interesting 
cities in the Union, apart from its being the metropolis of New Eng- 
land and the second commercial city of the Republic. 

It is divided into 3 sections, Boston proper. East, and South Bos- 
ton. Boston proper, or the old city, is built upon a peninsula origi- 
nally covering about 700 acres, but now much enlarged by the 
addition of "made land." The surface of this peninsula is broken bv 
3 hills, which caused the first settlers to call the place Tremont, or 
Trimountain. The city was originally very narrow at its soutliern 
end, but the " Back Bay," as the shoal water surrounding it is called, 
is now being filled up with gravel brought from Needham, to an ave- 
rage height of 18 feet above the surface of the water. This "made 
land" will eventually double the size of the old city. It is graded 
as it is formed, and is laid off regularly with broad streets and hand- 
some parks. It is already well built up, and constitutes the hand- 
somest part of Boston. It will ultimately be one of the most splendid 
cities in America. The old city was originally joined to the main 
land by a strip of land called " The Neck," so narrow and low that it 
afforded scarcely room for a single vehicle to pass on firm ground. 
Now it has been raised and widened, and 4 fine avenues traverse it 
and connect Boston and Roxbury. 

South Boston formed a part of Dorchester until 1 804, when it was 
added to Boston. It extends along the south side of the harbor for 
2 miles, between Fort Independence and the city proper. It is de- 
voted principally to the residences of the middle classes. This part 
of the city contains the famous " Dorchester Heights," the occupation 
of which by Washington, during the Revolution, compelled the British 
commander to evacuate Boston. 

East Boston occupies an island in the harbor, formerly known as 
Noddle's Island. It is about 650 yards distant from the city proper, 
with which it is connected by a steam ferry. It contains a number 
of residences of the middle classes, and is the seat of an important 
manufacturing interest. Shipbuilding is carried on, and the Grand 
Junction Railroad terminates here. 



266 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Boston proper may be divided into the old and the new city. The 
old city still preserves its ancient characteristics. The houses are 
mostly in the style of a century ago ; the streets are narrow and 
crooked, and have a prim, formal air. Wandering through them, 
one can scarcely help watching to see some old-time Puritan step out 
from the quaint doorways. The new city is regularly laid out. The 
streets are broad and straight ; they cross each other at right angles, 
and are lined with magnificent edifices. Everything is modern. 

Near the southern end of the old city is one of the finest parks in 
America, known as " Boston Common," It covers an area of about 
50 acres, and is beautifully ornamented. Adjoining it is a handsome 
enclosure of 25 acres, used as a botanic garden, and known as the 
" Public Garden." Both the " Garden " and " Common " are sur- 
rounded by tasteful iron fences. The fence enclosing the "Common" 
is nearly a mile and an eighth in length. The centre of the grounds 
is occupied by a pretty little pond, from which a fountain sends a fine 
jet of water into the air. Not far from the pond is an old elm, sup- 
ported by metallic bands and enclosed with an iron railing. It is the 
oldest tree in America, having attained its full growth in 1722. 
From the pond the grounds rise abruptly to the State House, which 
is situated on Beacon hill, just outside the enclosure. From this 
point they slope gently to CharJes River, which washes the western 
shore of the city. Several small but handsome parks lie in various 
parts of the city. 

The residences of Boston exhibit considerable taste, and much 
wealth, but are marked by a sameness peculiar to American cities, 
and the stores and public buildings are among the finest in the 
country. 

The State House, on Beacon street and Beacon hill, is a handsome, 
old-style structure, surmounted by a fine dome. It occupies the high- 
est ground in the city, and is the most prominent feature of any view 
of Boston. Its foundation is 110 feet above the level of the sea. It 
was commenced in 1795, and completed in 1798, at a cost of $133,330. 
In 1855 it was enlarged, $243,204 being expended upon it for that 
purpose. From the dome, a magnificent view of the city, the harbor, 
and the surrounding country may be had. More than a dozen cities 
and towns can be seen from it, and in fair weather, the White INIoun- 
tains of New Hampshire may be dimly discerned. The State Library 
is located in this building, and contains more than 25,000 volumes. 
In the rotunda is a collection of flags taken from the Southern forces 



i^ 




MASSACHUSETTS. 



269 




STATE HOUSE, HOSTON. 

during the late war, and two camion captured from the British during 
the war of 1812-15. lu the Boric Hall, oa the entrance floor, is 
Chantrey's statue of Washington. Statues of Daniel Webster and 
Horace Mann ornament the steps facing the " Common," The 
Chambers of the Senate and Honse of Delegates are handsome apart- 
ments. 

The Old State House, at the head of State street, is a venerable and 
interesting building. The General Court sat here until the comple- 
tion of the new State House, and in the square just below it occurred 
the famous " Boston Massacre." 

The Court House, on Court street, the Merchants' Exchange and 
Post Office, on State street, and the Custom House, at the foot of State 
street, are fine granite buildings, and among the principal ornaments 
of the city. The City Hall, on School street, is a magnificent edifice, 
of light New Hampshire granite. It contains the offices of the City 
Government, but is badly located, and is almost hidden by the sur- 
rounding houses. Just opposite it stands a fine white mai'ble hotel, 
called the " Parker House." The Horticultural Hall and the Masonic 



270 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




FA^KUIL HALL. 



Temple, on Tremont street, opposite the Common, are amongst the 
handsomest buildings in the city. They are exhibited to strangers 
by the Bostonians with a pardonable pride. The former is built of 
white marble, and the latter of a fine granite. 

Faneidl Hall, in Faneuil Hall Square, is decidedly the most inter- 
cstinii; buildinai; in Boston. It is a large old-fashioned building. 
The lower ])art is nsed as a market, and the upper part as a public 
hall. It is 133 years old, tind Avas built in 1742, by Peter Faneuil, 
who presented it to the city for a town hall. It was destroyed by fire 
in 1761, rebuilt in 1763, and enlarged to its present dimensions in 
1805. It is often called "The Cradle of Liberty," since the public 
meetings of the patriots were held here in the exciting days which 
preceded the Revolution. To the east of the Hall is a fine granite 
i)uilding called the Quincy Market. The upper part comprises one 
of the largest halls in the Union. 

The Music Hall, fronting on Winter street and Bumstead place, is 
one of the best halls in the country, and contains the great organ, one 



MASSACHUSETTS. 271 

of the most powerful and excellent instruments ever constructed. It 
was built at Ludwigslust, in Germany. It contains about 6000 pij^es 
and 89 stops. It is 60 feet liigh, 48 feet broad, and 24 feet deep. It 
cost $60,000. 

The literary and scientific institutions of Boston are amongst the 
best in the country. 

The Athcnccum, situated on Beacon street, is one of the wealthiest 
organizations in the world. It occupies a splendid freestone building, 
and possesses a library of 90,000 volumes, besides pamphlets and 
manuscripts, and fine galleries of paintings and statuary. 

The Public Library occupies a handsome brick building on Boyls- 
ton street, erected at a cost of $250,000. It is one of the noblest in- 
stitutions in the world. Its collection is free to all tax-payers ujjon 
certain liberal conditions. It contains nearly 200,000 volumes. 

The Mercantile Library, on Summer street, contains over 20,000 
volumes. Tiie Ilassachusetts Historical Society })ossesses one of the 
best American libraries in the world. It numbers about 13,000 vol- 
umes, besides many valuable maps, charts, papers, manuscripts, and 
other documents. The Young Mcn\ Christian Association has also 
a good library. That of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 
numbers over 20,000 volumes. The others are the State Library, 
Social Laio Library, and General Theological Library. Besides these, 
the city will compare favorably with any in the country, with respect 
to its private libraries. 

The other institutions of a literary and scientific character are, the 
Lowell Institute, the Institute of Technology, the Natural History So- 
ciety, the American Statistical Society, the Musical, Educational, and 
Handel and Hiydn Societies, and the Boston Academy of Music. 

The public schools of Boston are amongst the best in the world. 
There. are 254 primary, 20 grammar, and 3 high schools in the city. 
The school houses alone have cost the city about $2,980,000, and the 
annual sum expended for their sni)port is about $800,000. Besides 
these, there are a large number of private schools in the city. 

The benevolent institutions are numerous and well endowed. The 
Massachusetts General Hospital, on Charles River, just opposite 
Charlestown, and tlie new i^rce City Hospital, at the "South End," 
are fine institutions. The buildings of the latter constitute one of the 
principal ornaments of the city. The McLean Asylum for the Insane, 
a branch of tiie General Hospital, is located at Somerville, two miles 
northwest of Boston. The Boston Lunatic Asylum is situated in 



272 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

South Boston, and the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum 
for the Blind is in the same part of the city. The Alms House, the 
House of Industry and Reformation, and the Quarantine Hospital are 
on Deer Ishmd. There are over 60 benevolent institutions in the 
city. We have not the space to name each one, and have given only 
the most important. 

About 125 newspapers and periodicals are issued in Boston, 6 of 
which a^e daily. Several of the leading literary and scientific jour- 
nals of the country are published here. 

There are more than 115 churches in the city, the largest number 
belonging to the Unitarians. Christ Church (Episcopal) in Salem 
street, was erected in 1722, Trinity Church (Episcopal) in 1734, and 
King's Chapel in 1636. The graveyard attached to the last named 
church contains the remains of many of the Puritan settlers, and is 
one of the most interesting spots in the city. The Old South Church, 
on Washington street, was erected in 1730. The original edifice was 
of wood, and was built in 1670. It was one of the famous meeting 
places of the leaders of the Revolution, and during the occupation of 
the city by the British, was used as a riding-school. In the front of 
the tower of the Brattle Street Church, finished in 1773, may be seen 
a round shot fired from the American batteries at Cambridge during 
the evacuation of Boston by the British. The church edifices of Bos- 
ton, as a general rule, are not so handsome as those of the other large 
cities of the Union. 

The Cemeteries are Mount Auburn, Forest Hill, and Woodlawn. 
They are very beautiful, Mount Auburn being one of the loveliest in 
the world. 

The city is well supplied with theatres and places of amusement. 
The Boston Theatre is one of the largest and handsomest halls in the 
world. 

Boston is connected with the surrounding cities of Cambridge, 
Charlestown, and Chelsea, and with South Boston by seven fine 
bridges. Nearly all are free, and all will eventually become so. A 
massive causeway unites it with Brookline, now a part of the city. 

Telegraph lines enter the city from all parts of the Union, and 
there is also a municipal fire alarm and police telegraph connecting 
the various sections of the corporate limits. 

The city is lighted with gas, and supplied with excellent water 
from Cochituate Lake, 20 miles distant. Lines of horse cars connect 
all parts of Boston wi,th a common centre at the foot of Tremont 
street, and with the surrounding towns and villages. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 273 

Seven lines of railroad terminate here, extending directly to the 
Eastern, Middle, Southern, and Western States, and into Canada. 

The principal hotels are the Parker, Treniont, and Revere Houses, 
and the American, St. James, and United States Hotels. 

The wharves are the finest in the United States, and anions: the 
best in the world. They would measure an aggregate length of 5 
miles, and are lined with splendid warehouses, many of which are 
built of a rough granite, and are very handsome. 

The harbor opens to the sea between Point Alderton, on Nantasket, 
and Point Shirley, in Chelsea. The distance across from point to point 
is about 4 miles. There are three entrances formed by several islands 
which lie in the lower part. The main channel lies between Castle 
and Governor's Islands, and is so narrow that two ships, can scarcely 
sail abreast througli it. It is defended by Fort Independence and 
Fort Winthrop. Fort Winthrop also protects the passage north of 
Governor's Island, and Fort Warren, on George's Island, guards the 
lower entrance. The harbor covers an area estimated at 75 square 
miles. It is free from sand-bars, is rarely closed by ice, is sheltered 
from the sea, and is easy of access. About one-half of it affords a 
sure anchorage for vessels of the largest class. It receives the waters 
of the Cliarles, Mystic, JSTcponset, and Manatiquot rivers. 

Boston is the second commercial city in the Union. In 1864, its 
total imports were valued ai $30,751,595, and its exports at 
$21,142,834. 

There are about 45 banks in the city, with a capital of about 
$30,000,000. 

The population (including Roxbury and Dorchester) is 250,526. 

Roxhury was, until a few years since, a distinct city of Norfolk 
county, but is now a part of the corporation of Boston. At the be- 
ginning of the present century it was situated 3 or 4 miles south of 
Boston, but the intervening distance has since been built up, and the 
two cities, for some time before their union, joined each other so 
closely that a stranger could not tell where one began or the other 
ended. It contains a number of manufactures of its own, but is oc- 
cupied principally by the residences of persons doing business in 
Boston. The city abounds in picturesque views, and many of its lo- 
calities are very beautiful. It contained a population of about 30,000 
previous to its annexation to Boston. 

Dorchester, in Norfolk county, has been recently annexed to Boston. 
Like Roxbury, this city was chiefly occupied with residences. It 
contains a population of about 15,000. 



274 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Boston, as we have said, was originally called Tremont. Its first 
white inhabitant was the Rev. John Blackstone, who lived here alone 
until the arrival of Governor Winthrop, in 1630, when a settlement 
was established here. By the year 1635, quite a thriving village had 
sprung up, and the Rev. Mr. Blackstone sold his claim to the penin- 
sula for X30. The first church was erected in 1632, and the first 
wharf in 1673. In 1677, the first postmaster was appointed, and in 
1704, the first newspaper, called The Boston Neios Letter, was issued. 
Boston was one of the first communities to resist the aggressions of 
the mother country, and Avas the scene of many of the most interesting 
of the events which preceded the Revolution. On the 5th of March, 
1770, the "Boston Massacre" occurred ; on the 31st of March, 1774, 
the harbor of Boston was closed; on the 17th of June, 1775, the bat- 
tle of Bunker Hill was fought; and in March, 1776, the town was 
evacuated by the British. Boston was incorporated as a city on the 
23d of February, 1822. 

The following incidents in the early history of Boston will be found 
interesting by the reader : 

THE BOSTON MASSACRE. 

On the 2d of March, 1770, a fray took place in Boston, near Mr. Gray's rope. 
walk, between a private soldier of the 29th Regiment and an inhabitant. The 
former was supported by his comrades, the latter by the rope-makers, till several 
on both sides were involved in the consequences. On the 5th a ihore dreadful 
scene was presented. The soldiers when under arms were pressed upon, insulted, 
and pelted by a mob armed with clubs, sticks, and snow balls covering stones. 
They were also dared to fire. In this situation, one of the soldiers, who had 
received a blow, in resentment fired at the supposed aggressor. This was followed 
by a single discharge from six others. Three of the inhabitants were killed, and 
five were dangerously wounded. The town was immediately in commotion. 
Such was the temper, force, and number of the inhabitants, that nothing but an 
engagement to remove the troops out of the town, together with the advice of 
moderate men prevented the townsmen from falling on the soldiers. The killed 
were buried in one vault, and in a most respectful manner, in order to express 
the indignation of the inhabitants at the slaughter of their brethren, by soldiers 
quartered among them, in violation of their civil liberties. Captain Preston, who 
commanded the party which fired on the inhabitants, was committed to jail, and 
afterwards tried. The captain, and six of the men, were acquitted. Two were 
brought in guilty of manslaughter. It appeared, on the trial, that the soldiers 
were abused, insulted, threatened and pelted, before they fired. It was also 
proved, that only seven guns were fired by the eight prisoners. These circum- 
stances induced the jury to make a favorable verdict. The result of the trial 
reflected great honor on John Adams' (the late President of the United States) 
and Josiah Quincy, Esqrs. the counsel for the prisoners ; and also on the integrity 
of the jury, who ventured to give an upright verdict, in defiance of popular 
opinions. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 275 

The people, not dismayed by the blood of their neighbors thus wantonly shed, 
determined no longer to submit to the insolence of military power. Col. Dal- 
ryniple, who commanded in Boston, was informed the day after the riot in King 
street, "that he must withdraw his troops from the town within a limited term, 
or hazard the consequences." 

The inhabitants of the town assembled in Faneuil Hall, where the subject was 
discussed with becoming spirit, and the people unanimously resolved that no 
armed force should be suffered longer to reside in the capital ; that if the king's 
troops were not immediately withdrawn by their own officers, the Governor slioukl 
be requested to give orders for their removal, and thereby prevent the necessity 
of more rigorous steps. A committee from the body was deputed to wait on the 
Governor, and request him to exert that authority which tlie exigencies of the 
times required from the supreme magistrate. Mr. Samuel Adams, the chairman 
of the committee, with a pathos and address peculiar to himself, exposed the 
Illegality of quartering troops in the town in the midst of peace ; he urged the 
appreliensions of the people, and the fatal consequences that might ensue if their 
removal was delayed. 

But no arguments could prevail on jMr. Hutchinson ; who either from timidity, 
or some more censurable cause, evaded acting at all in the business, and grounded 
his refusal on a pretended want of authority. After which. Col. Dalrymple, 
wishing to compromise the matter, consented that the 29th Regiment, more 
culpable than any other in the late tumult, should be sent to Castle Island. This 
concession was by no means satisfactor}^ ; the people, inflexible in their demands, 
insisted that not one British soldier should be left Avitliin the town ; their requisi- 
tion was reluctantly complied with, and within four days the whole army decamped. 

THE DP:STRUCTI0N of the tea in boston HARBOR. 

As we have stated in another part of this work, the cargoes of three 
of the tea ships sent over to Boston in 1773 were destroyed by the 
citizens, in consequence of the refusal of the .Governor to permit the 
vessels to return to England. The following narrative of the occurence 
is by one of the actors in it — Mr. Hewes : 

The tea destroyed was contained in three ships, lying near each other, at what 
was called at that time Griffin's wharf, and were surrounded by armed ships of 
war ; the commanders of which had publicly declared, that if the rebels, as they 
were pleased to style the Bostonians, should not withdraw their opposition to the 
landing of the tea before a certain day, the 17th day of December, 1773, they 
should on that day force it on shore, under the cover of their cannon's mouth. 
On the day preceding the 17th, there was a meeting of the citizens of the county 
of Suffolk, convened at one of the churches in Boston, for the purpose of consult- 
ing on what measures might be considered expedient to prevent the landing of 
the tea, or secure the people from the collection of the duty. At that meeting a 
committee was appointed to wait on Governor Hutchinson, and request him to 
inform them whether he would take any measures to satisfy the people on the 
object of the meeting. To the first application of this committee, the Governor 
told them he would give them a definite answer by five o'clock in the afternoon. 
At the hour appointed, the committee again repaired to the Governor's house, and 
on inquiry found he had gone to lus country seat at Milton, a distance of about 



276 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

six miles. When tlie committee returned and informed the meeting of the 
absence of the Governor, there was a confused murmur among the members, and 
tlie meeting was immediately dissolved, many of them crying out, Let every man 
do his duty, and be true to his country ; and there was a general huzza for Griffin's 
wharf. It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume 
of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denomi- 
nated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and 
hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, 
where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street, 
after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and 
painted as I was, and wlio fell in with me, and marched in order to the place of 
our destination. When we arrived at the wharf, there were three of our number 
wlio assumed an authority to direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. 
They divided us into three parties, for the purpose of boarding tlie three ships 
which contained the tea at the same time. The name of him who commanded 
the division to which I was assigned, was Leonard Pitt. The names of the other 
commanders I never knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective 
commanders to board all the ships at the same time, which we promptly oljeyed. 
The.commander of the division to which I belonged, as soon as we were onboard 
the ship, appointed me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain, and 
demand of him the keys to the hatches and a dozen candles. I made the demand 
accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles ; but 
requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then 
were ordered by our commander to open the hatches, and take out all the chests 
of tea and throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his 
orders ; first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly 
to expose them to the effects of the water. In about three hours from the time 
we went on board, we had thus broken and tlirov/n overboard every tea-chest to 
be found in the ship, while those in the other ships were disposing of the tea in 
the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, 
but no attempt was made -to resist us. We then quietly retired to our several 
places of residence, without having any conversation with each other, or taking 
any measures to discover who were our associates ; nor do I recollect of our 
having had the knowledge of the name of a single individual concerned in that 
affair, except that of Leonard Pitt, the commander of my division, who I have 
mentioned. There appeared to be an understanding that each individual should 
volunteer his services, keep his own secret, and risk the consequences for himself. 
No disorder took place during that transaction, and it was observed at that time, 
that the stillest night ensued that Boston had enjoyed for many months. 

During the time we were throwing the tea overboard, there were several 
attempts made by some of the citizens of Boston and its vicinity, to carry off 
small quantities of it for their family use. To effect that object, they would 
watch their opportunity to snatch up a handful from the deck, where it became 
plentifully scattered, and put it into their pockets. One Captain O' Conner, 
Avhom I well knew, came on board for that purpose, and when he supposed he 
was not noticed, filled his pockets, and also the lining of his coat. But I had 
detected him, and gave information to the captain of what he was doing. We 
were ordered to take him into custody, and just as he was. stepping from the 
vessel, I seized him by the skirt of his coat, and in attempting to pull him back, 
I tore if off but springing forward, by a rapid effort he made his escape. He had 



MASSACHUSETTS. 277 

however to run a gauntlet through the crowd upon the wharf; each one, as he 
passed, giving him a kick or a stroke. 

The next day we nailed the skirt of his coat, which I had pulled off, to the 
whipping post in Charlestowu, the place of his residence, with a label upon it, 
commemorative of the occasion which had thus subjected the proprietor to the 
popular indignation. 

Another attempt was made to save a little tea from the ruins of the cargo, by a 
tall aged man, who wore a large cocked hat and white wig, which was fashionable 
at that time. He had slightly slipped a little into his pocket, but being detected, 
they seized him, and taking his hat and wig from his head, threw them, together 
with the tea, of which they had emptied his pockets, into the water. In considera- 
tion of his advanced age, he was permitted to escape, with now and then a slight 
kick. 

The next morning, after we had cleared the ships of the tea, it was discovered 
that very considerable quantities of it was floating upon the surface of the water ; 
and to prevent the possibility of any of it being saved for use, a number of small 
boats were manned by sailors and citizens, who rowed them into those parts of 
the harbor wherever the tea was visible, and by beating it with oars and paddles, 
so thoroughly drenched it, as to render its entire destruction inevitable. 

CHARLESTOWN, 
In Middle.sex county, is situated on a peninsula immediately north of 
Boston, is separated from it by the Charles River, and is connected 
with it by several bridges. It is regularly laid off, and handsomely 
built. It contains a number of churches, several banks, a large 
hotel, and the State Prison. It is supplied with M'ater from Mystic 
Lake, is lighted with gas, and traversed by several street railways. 
It is extensively engaged in manufactures, but is, after all, merely a 
suburb of Boston, the majority of its inhabitants pursuihg their avo- 
cations in that city. 

It contains an important Navy Yard of the United States, which 
covers an area of 70 or 80 acres. This is, perhaps, the most complete 
establishment owned by the Government, 

The population of Charlestowu is 28,323. 

In the centre of the city stands Breed's Hill, or, as it is more com- 
monly called. Bunker Hill, the scene of the battle of the 17th of June, 
1775. The site of the old American redoubt is enclosed Avith a hand- 
some iron railing, and marked by a magnificent shaft of granite 220 
feet high, 31 feet square at the base, and 15 at the top. It is ascended 
by means of an inner winding stairway, Avhich leads to a chamber 
immediately at the top. In this chamber are two old cannon, which, 
with two others, constituted all the artillery owned by the Americans 
at the beginning of the Revolution. The corner stone of this monu- 
ment was laid by Lafayette, on the 17th of June, 1825, in presence 
of an immense concourse of citizens. 



278 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




BUNKER niLL MONUMENT. 



The following is a desci-iption of the struggle which the shaft com- 
memorates : • 

After the affair of Lexington and Concord, on tlie 19tli of April, 1775, tlie 
people, animated by one common impulse, flew to arms in every direction. The 
husbandman changed his ploughshare for a musket ; and about 15,000 men, 10,000 
from Massachusetts, and the remainder from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and 
Connecticut, assembled under General Ward in the environs of Boston, then oc- 
cupied by 10,000 highly disciplined and well fequipped British troops, under the 
command of Generals Gage, Howe, Clinton, Burgoyne, Pigot and others. 

Fearing an intention, on the part of the British, to occupy the important 
heights at Charlcstown and Dorchester, which would enable them to command 
the surrounding country, Colonel Prescott was detached, by his own desire, from 
the American camp at Cambridge, on the evening of the 16th of June, 1775, with 
about 1000 militia, mostly of Massachusetts, including 120 men of Putnam's regi- 
ment from Connecticut, and one artillery company, to Bunker Hill, with a view 
to occupy and tbitify that post. At this hill the detachment made a short halt, 
but concluded to advance still nearer the British, and accordingly took possessiot 
of Breed's Hill, a position which commanded the. whole inner harbor of Boston. 
Here, about midnight, they commenced throwing up a redoubt, which they com- 
pleted, notwithstanding every possible effort from the British ships and batteries 
to ^event them, about noon the next day. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 279 

So silently had the operations been conducted through the night, that the 
British had not the most distant notice of the design of the Americans, until day- 
break presented to their view the half-formed battery and daring stand made 
against them. A dreadful cannonade, accompanied with shells, was immediately 
commenced from the British battery at Copps' Hill, and the ships of war and 
floating batteries stationed in Charles River. 

The break of day, on the 17th of June, 1775, presented a scene, which, for 
daring and firmness, could never be surpassed ; 1000 unexperienced militia, in 
the attire of their various avocations, without discipline, almost without artillery 
and bayonets, scantily supplied with ammunition, and wholly destitute of provis- 
ions, defying the power of the formidable British fleet and army, determined to 
maintain the liberty of their soil, or moisten that soil with their blood. 

Without aid, however, from the main body of the army, it seemed impossible 
to maintain their position ; the men having been without sleep, toiling through 
the night, and destitute of the necessary food required by nature, had become 
nearly exhausted. Representations were repeatedly made, through the morning, 
to headquarters, of the necessity of reenforcements and supplies. Major Brooks, 
the late revered Governor of Massachusetts, Avho commanded a battalion of min- 
ute-men at Concord, set out for Cambridge about 9 o'clock on foot (it being im- 
possible to procure a horse), soliciting succor ; but as there were two other points 
exposed to the British, Roxbury and Cambridge, then the headquarters, at which 
place all the little stores of the army were collected, and the loss of which would 
be incalculable at that moment, great fears were entertained lest they should 
march over the neck to Roxbury, and attack the camp there, or pass over the bay 
in boats (there being at that time no artificial avenue to connect Boston with the 
adjacent country), attack the headquarters, and destroy the stores : it was there- 
fore deemed impossible to aff'ord any reenforccment to Charlestown Heights, till, 
the movements of the British rendered evidence of their intention certain. 

The fire from the Glasgow frigate and two floating batteries in Charles River, 
were wholly directed with a view to prevent any communication across the isth- 
mus that conn-ects Charlestown with the mainland, which kept up a continued 
shower of missiles, and rendered the communication truly dangerous to those who 
should attempt it. AVhen the intention of the British to attack the heights of 
Charlestown became apparent, the remainder of Putnam's regiment. Colonel Gar- 
diner's regiment (both of which, as to numbers, were very imperfect), and some- 
New Hampshire militia, marched, notwithstanding the heavy fire, across the- 
neck, for Charlestown Heights, where they arrived, much fatigued, just after the: 
British had moved to the first attack. 

The British commenced crossing the troops from Boston about 12 o'clock, and' 
landed at Morton's Point, southeast from Breed's Hill. At 2 o'clock, from the- 
best accounts that can be obtained, they landed between 3000 and 4000 men, un- 
der the immediate command of General Howe, and formed, in apparently invin- 
cible order, at the base of the hill. 

The position of the Americans, at this time, was a redoubt on the summit of 
the heiglit, of about 8 rods square, and a breastwork extending, on the left of it, 
about 70 feet down the eastern declivity of the hill. This redoubt and breastwo; k 
was commanded by Prescott in person, who had superintended its construction, 
and who occupied it with the Massachusetts militia of his detachment, and a part 
of Little's regiment, which had arrived about 1 o'clock. They were dreadlully 
deficient in equipments and ammunilion, had been toiling incessantly for many 
18 



280 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

liours, and, it is said by some accounts, even tlien were destitute of provisions, 
A little to tlie eastward of the redoubt, and northerly to the rear of it, "svas a rail 
fence, extending almost to ]\Iystic Riven; to this fence another had been added 
during the night and forenoon, and some newly mown grass thrown against 
them, to afford something like a cover to the troops. At this fence the 120 Con- 
necticut militia were posted. 

Tlie movements of the British made it evident their intention was to march a 
strong column along the margin of the Mystic, and turn the redoubt on the uortli, 
Avhile another colun^n attacked it in front ; accordingly, to prevent tliis design, a 
large force became necessary at the breastwork and rail fence. The whole of the 
reenforcements that arrived, amounting in all to 800 or 1000 men, were ordered 
to this point by General Putnam, Avho had been extremely active throughout the 
niglit and morning, and liad accompanied the expedition. 

At this moment thousands of persons of both sexes had collected on the church 
steeples. Beacon Hill, housetops, and every place in Boston and its neighbor- 
hood, wliere a view of tlie battle ground could be obtained, viewing, with painful 
anxiety, the movements of the combatants ; wondering, yet admiring the bold 
stand of the Americans, and trembling at the thoughts of the formidable army 
marshalled in array against them. 

Before 3 o'clock the British formed, in two columns, for the attack ; one column, 
as had been anticipated, moved along the Mystic River, witii the intention of 
taking the redoubt in the rear, while the other advanced up the ascent directly in 
front of the redoubt, where Prescott was ready to receive them. General War- 
ren, President of the Provincial Congress and of the Committee of Safety, who 
had been appointed but a few days before a major-general of the Massachusetts 
troops, had volunteered on the occasion as a private soldier, and was in the re- 
doubt with a musket, animating the men by his influence and example to the 
most daring determination. 

Orders were given to the Americans to reserve their fire till the enemy ad- 
vanced sufficiently near to make their aim certain. Several volleys were fired by 
the British with but little success ; and so long a time had elapsed, and the British 
allowed to advance so near the Americans without their fire being returned, that 
a doubt arose whether or not the latter intended to give battle ; but the fatal mo- 
ment soon arrived : when the British had advanced to -^yithin about 8 rods, a 
sheet of fire was poured upon them, and continued a short time with such deadly 
effect that hundreds of the assailants lay weltering in their blood, and the remaiu- 
dej- retreated in dismay to the point where they had first landed. 

From daylight to the time of the British advancing on the works, an incessant 
fire had been kept up on the Americans from the ships and batteries — this fire was 
now renewed with increased vigor. 

After a short time, the British officers had succeeded in rallying their men, and 
again advanced, in the same order as before, to the attack. Thinking to divert 
the attention of the Americans, the town of Charlestown, consisting of 500 
wooden buildings, was now set on fire by the British ; the roar of the flames, the 
crashing of falling timber, the awful appearance of desolation presented, the 
dreadful shrieks of the dying and wounded in the last attack, added to the know- 
ledge of the formidable force advancing against them, combined to form a scene 
apparently too mucli for men bred in the quiet retirement of domestic life to sus- 
tain. But the stillness of deatli reigned within the American works, and nought 
could be seen but the deadly presented -weapon, ready to hurl fresh destruction 



MASSACHUSETTS. * 281 

on the assailants. The fire of the Americans was again reserved till the British 
came still nearer than helbre, when the same unerring aim was taken, and the 
British shrunk, terrified, from before its fatal effects, flying, completely routed a 
second time, to the banks of the river, and leaving, as before, the field strewed 
with their wounded and their dead. 

Again the ships and batteries renewed their fire, and kept a continual shower 
of balls on the works. Notwithstanding every exertion, the British officers 
found it impossible to rally the men for a third attack ; one-third of their comrades 
had fallen ; and finally it was not till a reenforcement of more than 1000 fresh 
troops, with a strong park of artillery, had joined them from Boston, that they 
could be induced to form anew. 

In the mean time every effort was made on the part of the Americans to resist 
a third attack ; General Putnam rode, notwithstanding the heavy fire of the ships 
and batteries, several times across the neck, to induce the militia to advance ; 
but it w\as only a few of tlie resolute and brave who would encounter the storm. 
The British receiving reenforcemeuts from their formidable main body — the 
town of Charlestown presenting one wide scene of destruction — the probability 
the Americans must shortly retreat — the shower of balls pouring over the 
neck — presented obstacles too appalling for raw troops to sustain, and embodied 
too much danger to allow them to encounter. Yet, notwithstanding all this, the 
Americans on the heights were elated with their success, and waited with cool- 
ness and determination the now formidable advance of the enemy. 

Once more the British, aided by their rei-nforcements, advanced to the attack, 
but with great skill and caution ; their artillery was planted on the eastern de- 
clivity of the hill, between the rail fence and the breastwork, where it was directed 
along the line of the Americans, stationed at the latter place, and against the 
gateway on the northeastern corner of the redoubt ; at the same time they at- 
tacked the redoubt on the southeastern and southwestern sides, and entered it 
with fixed bayonets. The slaughter on their advancing was great ; but the 
Americans, not having bayonets to meet them on equal terms, and their powder 
being exhausted, now slowly retreated, opposing and extricating themselves from 
tlie British with the butts of their pieces. 

The column that advanced against the rail fence was received in the most 
dauntless manner. The Americans fought with spirit and heroism that could not 
be surpassed, and, had their ammunition held out, would have secured to them- 
selves a third time the palm of victory ; as it was, they effectually prevented the 
enemy from accomplishing his purpose, which was to turn their flank, and cut 
the whole of the Americans off; but having become perfectly exhausted, this body 
of the Americans also slowly retired, retreating in much better order than could 
possibly have been expected from undisciplined troops, and those in tlie redoubt 
having extricated themselves from the host of bayonets by which they had been 
surrounded. 

The British followed the Americans to Bunker Hill, but some fresh militia at 
this moment coming up to the aid of the latter, covered their retreat. The 
Americans crossed Charlestown neck about 7 o'clock, having in the last twenty 
hours performed deeds which seemed almost impossible. Some of them pro- 
ceeded to Cambridge, and others posted tliemselves quietly on Winter and Pros- 
pect hills. 

From the most accurate statements that can be found, it appears the British 
must have had nearly 5000 soldiei's in tlie battle ; between 3000 and 4000 having 



282 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

first landed, and the reenforcement amounting to over 1000. The Americans, 
throughout the whole day, did not have 2000 men on the field. 

The slaughter on the side of the British was immense, having had nearly 1500 
killed and wounded, 1200 of whom were either killed or mortally wounded ; the 
Americans about 400. 

Had tlie commanders at Charlestown Heights become terrified on being cut off 
from the main body and supplies, and surrendered their army, or even retreated 
before they did, from the terrific force that opposed them, where would now have 
been that ornament and example to the world, the Independence of the United 
States ? When it was found that no reenforcements were to be allowed them, the 
most sanguine man on that field could not have even indulged a hope of success, 
but all determined to deserve it; and although they did not obtain a victory, their 
example was the cause of a great many. The first attempt on the commence- 
ment of a war is held up, by one party or the other, as an example to those that 
succeed it, and a victory or defeat, though not, perhaps, of any great magnitude 
in itself, is most powerful and iuiportant in its eff'ects. Had such conduct as was 
here exhibited been in any degree imitated by the immediate commander in the 
first military onset in the last war, how truly difierent a result would have been 
eS"ected, from the fatal one that terminated that unfortunate expedition. 

From the immense superiority of the British, at this stage of the war, having 
a large army of highly disciplined and well equipped troops, and the Americans 
possessing but few other munitions or weapons of war, and but little more disci- 
pline, than what each man possessed when he threw aside his plough and took 
the gun that he had kept for pastime or for profit, but now to be euiployed for a 
different purpose, from off" the hooks that held it, — perhaps it would have been in 
their power, by pursuing the Americans to Cambridge, and destroying the few 
stores that had been collected there, to inflict a blow which could never have 
been recovered from ; but they were completely terrified. The awful lesson they 
had just received filled them with horror ; and the blood of 1500 of then- compan- 
ions, who fell on that day, presented to them a warning which they could never 
forget. From the battle of Bunker Hill sprung the protection and the vigor that 
nurtured the tree of liberty, and to it, in all probability, may be ascribed our in- 
dependence and glory. 

The name of the first martyr that gave his life for the good of his countr}^ on 
that day, in the importance of the moment, was lost ; else a monument, in con- 
nection with the gallant Warren, should be raised to his memory. The manner 
of his death was thus related by Colonel Prescott : 

" The first man who fell in the battle of Bunker Hill was killed by a cannon 
ball which struck liis head. He was so near me that my clothes were besmeared 
with his blood and brains, which I wii)ed off, in some degree, with a handful of 
fresh earth. The siglit was so shocking to many of the men, that they left their 
posts and ran to view him. I ordered them back, but in vain. I then ordered 
him to be buried instantly. A subaltern officer expressed surprise that I should 
allow him to be buried without having prayers said ; I replied, this is the first 
man that has been killed, and the only one that will be buried to-day. I put him 
out of sight that tiie men may be kept in their places. God only knows who, or 
how many of us, will fall before it is over. To your post, my good fellow, and 
let each man do his duty." 

The name of the patriot wiio thus fell is supposed to have been Pollard, a 
young man belonging to Billcrica. He was struck by a cannon ball, thrown 
from the line-of-baf.le sliii> Somerset. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 283 

CAMBRIDGE, 

In Middlesex county, lies west-northwest of Boston, and is connected 
with it by two bridges. It is a beautiful city. The streets are broad, 
and are shaded with lofty elms, and the houses are mostly of wood, 
and stand back amidst a profusion of tasteful shrubbery. The cor- 
porate limits contain 24 churches, several banks, and an excellent 
hotel. There are a number of manufacturing establishments in the 
city, but it is principally occupied with private residences. The popu- 
lation is 39,634. 

Cambridge ia the seat of Harvard University, one of the oldest and 
most important institutions of learning in the country. It is about 
three miles from Boston, and M^as founded in 1638, by the Rev. John 
Harvard. The University embraces, besides its collegiate depart- 
ment, schools of law, medicine, and theology. The buildings are 15 
in number, and are all located in Cambridge, except the Medical 
School, which is in Boston. They are very handsome edifices, and 
are surrounded by tasteful grounds. 

LOWELL, 

In Middlesex county, is the second city in the State, and one of the 
most important manufacturing places in America. It is situated at 
the confluence of the Merrimac and Concord rivers, about 8 miles 
south of the New Hampshire line, and 25 miles northwest of Boston. 
The site is hilly, but the city is regularly laid out, and the streets are 
broad, are lighted with gas, and are traversed by a horse railway. 
Some of the buildings are handsome. The Court House is the princi- 
pal edifice. The city contains 7 banks, 4 savings institutions, 22 
churches, and 5 newspaper establishments. The population is 40,928. _ 
As a manufacturing city, Lowell has no rival. Early in the present 
century some Newbury port merchants built a canal at this place as a 
means of floating lumber around Pawtucket Falls in the Merrimac 
Biver. In 182], a party of Boston merchants bought up this canal 
and the adjoining lands, for the purpose of utilizing the immense 
water-power furnished by the falls. They enlarged the canal to a 
width of 60 feet and a depth of 8 feet, and constructed mill races and 
feeders. They then laid out the town, and offered mill sites and town 
lots for sale. Their venture met with such success, that in 1846 it be- 
came necessary to construct an additional canal, 100- feet wide, 16 feet 
deep, and with sides of mason work. 



284 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

To-day, the town projected by them has no superior in its speciality. 
In 1864, there were 13 manufacturing corporations in Lowell, with 
an aggregate capital of $13,850,000, engaged in operating 54 mills and 
factories. Previous to the war there were 1 2,384 operatives employed 
in these mills, divided as follows : males 3979, females 8405. Cotton 
and woollen goods, paper, cotton and paper machinery, locomotives, 
and machinists' tools are the principal products. 

In 1862, the celebrated English writer, Anthony Trollope, visited 
Lowell and its mills. He gives the following as the result of his 
observations : 

That which most surprises an English visitor, on going through the mills at 
Lowell, is the personal appearance of the men and women who work at them. 
As there are twice as many women as there are men, it is to them that the atten- 
tion is chiefly called. They are not onlj' better dressed, cleaner, and better 
mounted in every respect than the girls employed at manufactories in England, 
but they are so infinitely superior as to make a stranger immediately perceive 
that some very strong cause must have created the difference. We all know the 
class of young women whom we generally see serving behind counters in the 
shops of our larger cities. They are neat, well dressed, careful, especially about 
their hair, composed in their manner, and sometimes a little supercilious in the 
propriety of their demeanor. It is exactly the same class of young women that 
one sees in the factories at Lowell. They are not sallow, nor dirty, nor ragged, 
nor rough. They have about them no signs of want, or of low culture. Many 
of us also know the appearance of those girls who work in the factories in Eng- 
land ; and I think it will be allowed that a second glance at them is not wanting 
to show that they are in every respect inferior to the young women who attend 
our shops. The matter, indeed, requires no argument. Any young woman at 
a shop would be insulted by being asked whether she had worked at a factory. 
The difference with regard to the men at Lowell is quite as strong, thongli not so 
striking. Workingmen do not show their status in the world by their outward 
appearance as readily as women ; and, as I have said before, the number of the 
women greatly exceeded that of the men. 

One would of course be disposed to say that the superior condition of the 
workers must have been occasioned by superior wages ; and this, to a certain 
extent, has been the cause. But the higher payment is not the chief cause. 
Women's wages, including all that they receive at the Lowell factories, average 
about 14s. a week, which is, I take it, fully a third more than women can earn in 
Manchester, or did earn before the loss of the American cotton began to tell upon 
them. But if wages at Manchester were raised to the Lowell standard, tlie 'Ms.n- 
chester women would not be clothed, fed, cared for, and educated like the Lowell 
women. The fact is, that the workmen and the workwomen at Lowell are not 
exposed to the chances of an open labor market. They are taken in, as it were, 
to a philanthropical manufacturing college, and then looked after and regulated 
more as girls and lads at a great seminary, than as hands by whose industry profit- 
is to be made out of capital. Tliis is all very nice and pretty at Lowell, but I am 
afraid it could not be done at Manchester. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 285 

Thus Lowell is the realization of a commercial Utopia. Of all the statements 
made iu the little book which I have quoted, I cannot point out one which is ex- 
aggerated, much less false. I should not call the place elegant ; in other respects 
I am disposed to stand by the book. Before I had made any inquiry into the 
cause of the apparent comfort, it struck me at once that some great effort at ex- 
cellence was being made. I went into one of the discreet matrons' residences ; 
and, perhaps, may give but an indifferent idea of her discretion, when I say that 
she allowed me to go into the bed-rooms. If you want to ascertain the inner 
ways or habits of life of any man, woman, or child, see, if it be practicable to do 
so, his or her bed-room. You will learn more by a minute's glance round that 
holy of holies, than by any conversation. Looking-glasses and such like, sus- 
pended dresses, and toilet-belongings, if taken without notice, cannot lie or even 
exaggerate. The discreet matron at first showed me rooms only prepared for 
use, for at the period of my visit Lowell was by no means full ; but she soon 
became more intimate with me, and I went through the upper part of the house. 
Jly report must be altogether in her favor and in that of Lowell. Everything 
was cleanly, well ordered, and feminine. There was not a bed on which any 
woman need havfe hesitated to lay herself if occasion required it. I fear that this 
cannot be said of the lodgings of the manufacturing classes at Manchester. The 
boarders all take their meals together. As a rule, they have meat twice a day. 
ilot meat for dinner is with them as much a matter of course, or probably more 
so, than with any Englishman or woman who may read this book. For in the 
States of America regulations on this matter are much more rigid than with us. 
Cold meat is rarely seen, and to live a day without meat would be as great a pri- 
vation as to pass a night without bed. 

The rules for the guidance of these boarding-houses are very rigid. The houses 
themselves belong to the corporations, or diiferent manufacturing establishments, 
and the tenants are altogether in the power of the managers. None but opera- 
tives are to be taken iu. The tenants are answerable for improper conduct. The 
doors are to be closed at ten o'clock. Any boarders who do not attend diviae 
worship are to be reported to the managers. The yards and walks are to be kept 
clean, and snow removed at once ; and the inmates must be vaccinated, etc., etc. 
It is expressly stated by the Hamilton Company — and 1 believe by all the com- 
panies — that no one shall be employed who is habitually absent from public 
worship on Sunday, or who is known to be guilty of immorality. It is stated 
that the average wages of the women are two dollars, or eight shillings, a week, 
besides their board. 1 found when I was there that from three dollars to three 
and a half a week were paid to the women, of which they paid one dollar and 
twenty-five cents for their board. As this would not fully cover the expense of 
their keep, twenty-five cents a week for each was also paid to the boarding- 
house keepers by tlie mill agents. ■ This substantially came to the same thing, as 
it left the two dollars a week, or eight shillings, with the girls over and above 
their cost of living. The board included washing, lights, food, bed, and attend- 
ance — leaving a surplus of eight shillings a week for clothes and saving. Now 
let me ask any one acquainted with Manchester and its operatives, whether that 
is not Utopia realized. Factory girls, for whom every comfort of life is secured, 
with 211. a j^ear over for saving and dress ! One sees the failing, however, at a 
moment. It is Utopia. Any Lady Bountiful can tutor three or four peasants 
and make them luxuriously comfortable. But no Lady Bountiful can give luxu- 
rious comfort to half a dozen parishes. Lowell is now nearly 40 3'ears old, and 



286 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

contains but 40,000 inhabitants. From the very nature of its corporations it can- 
not spread itself. Chicago, wliich has grown out of nothing in a mucli sliorter 
period, and -wliich has no factories, has now 120,000 inhabitants. Lowell is a 
very •w'onderful place and shows what philanthropy can do ; but I fear it also 
shows what philanthropy cannot do. . . 

One cannot but be greatly struck by the spirit of philanthropy in which the 
system of Lowell was at first instituted. It may be presumed that men who put 
their money into such an undertaking did so with the object of commercial profit 
to themselves ; but in this case that was not their first object. I think it may be 
taken for granted that when Messrs. Jackson and Lowell w' ent about their task, 
their grand idea was to place factory work upon a respectable footing— to give 
employment in mills Avhich should not be unhealthy, degrading, demoralizing, 
or hard in its circumstances. Throughout the Northern States of America the 
same feeling is to be seen. Good and thoughtful men have been active to spread 
education, to maintain health, to make Avork compatible with comfort and per- 
sonal dignity, and to divest the ordinary lot of man of the sting of that curse 
which was supposed to be uttered when our first father was ordered to eat his 
bread in the sweat of his brow. One is driven to contrast this feeling, of which 
on all sides one sees such ample testimony, with that sharp desire for profit, that 
anxiety to do a stroke of trade at every turn, that acknowledged necessity of 
being smart, which we must own is quite as general as the nobler propensity. I 
believe that both phases of commercial activity may be attributed to the same 
characteristic. Men in trade in America are not more covetous than tradesmen 
in England, nor probably are they more generous or philanthropical. But that 
which tliey do, they are more anxious to do thoroughly and quickly. They desire 
that every turn taken shall be a great turn — or at any rate that it shall be as great 
as possible. They go ahead either for bad or good with all the energy they have. 
In the institutions at Lowell I think we may allow that the good has very much 
prevailed. 

I went over two of the mills, those of the Merrimac corporation and of the 
Massachusetts. At the former the printing establishment only was at work ; the 
cotton mills were closed. I hardly know whether it will interest any one to 
learn that something under half a million yards of calico are here printed annu- 
ally. At the Lowell Bleachery fifteen million yards are dyed annually. The 
Merrimac Cotton Mills were stopped, and so had the other mills at Lowell been 
stopped, till some shoi-t time before my visit. Trade had been bad, and there 
had of course been a lack of cotton. I was assured that no severe suffering had 
been created by this stoppage. The greater number of hands had returned into 
the country — to the farms from whence they had come ; and though a discontiuu- 
ance of work and wages had of course prod\iced hardship, there had been no 
actual privation — no hunger and want. Those of the work-people who had no 
homes out of Lowell to which to betake themselves, and no means at Lowell of 
living, had received relief before real suffering had begun. I was assured^ Avith 
something of a smile of contempt at the question, that there had been nothing 
like hunger. But, as I said before, visitors always see a great deal of rose color, 
and should endeavor to allay the brilliancy of the tint with the proper amount of 
human shading. But do not let any visitor mix in the browns with too heavy a 
hand '. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 287 

SPRINGFIELD, 

In Hampden county, on the banks of the Connecticut River, 98 miles 
southwest of Boston, and 26 miles north of Hartford, Conn., is the 
largest city in Western Massachusetts. It is handsomely built, and 
is one of the most attractive cities in New England. The principal 
thoroughfare. Main street, is nearly 3 miles long. The city contains 
many fine buildings, 12 or 13 churches, 8 or 9 banks, several good 
hotels, and 5 newspaper establishments. It is lighted with gas, and 
supplied with water. The Connecticut is navigable to this place 
during the season of navigation. Four lines of railway centre here, 
and have added very much to the prosperity of the city. 

The United States Arsenal is one of the principal features of the 
place, and the most important establishment belonging to the Govern- 
ment. About 2800 hands are employed in the various departments 
of the Arsenal. The buildings are principally of brick, and are ar- 
ranged around a square of 20 acres. They are very handsome, and 
being situated on rising ground, command a fine view of the city and 
surrounding country. 

Springfield is actively engaged in manufactures. Paper, iron goods, 
locomotives, railroad cars, machinery, pistols, and woollen goods, are 
the principal articles. The population is 26,703. 

Taunton, in Bristol county, contains 18,629 inhabitants. Fall River, 
in the same county, contains 26,786 inhabitants. Both are important 
manufacturing cities. Salem, in Essex county, has a fine harbor, and 
is a city of some commercial importance. It. has a population of 
24,117, and is noted as the scene of the famous witchcraft delusion. 
Plymouth, in the county of tlic same name, is extensively engaged in 
manufactures and the fisheries. It is the oldest town in New England, 
and is the place where the Pilgrim Fathers first landed after their 
voyage from England. 

MISCELLANIES. 

ARRIVAL OF THE PILGRIMS AT CAPE COD. 

On the 10th of November, 1620, the Mayflower, with her precious freight of 
emigrants, readied the harbor of Cape Cod. The charter which they liad 
brought with them from England, gave them permission to settle within the do- 
minions of the South Virginia Company, and was worthless in the region in which 
they liad arrived. In this situation they determined to take the matter into tlieir 
own hands. . A government was organized, a covenant drawn up and signed by 
all on board, and John Carver was elected Governor. 



288 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Government having bccu thus regularly established, on a truly republican 
principle, sixteen armed men were sent on shore, as soon as the weather would 
permit, to fetch wood and make discoveries. They returned at night with a boat 
load of juniper wood, and made report " that they found the land to be a narrow 
neck, having the harbor on one side, and the ocean on the other ; that tlie ground 
consisted of sandhills, like the Downs in Holland ; that in some places the soil 
was black earth ' a spit's depth ;' that the trees were oak, pine, sassafras, juniper, 
birch, holly, ash, and walnut ; that the forest was open and without underwood ; 
that no inhabitants, houses, nor fresh water were to be seen." This account was 
as much as could be collected in one Saturday's afternoon. The next day they 
rested. 

While they lay in this harbor, during the space of five weeks, they saw great 
flocks of seafowl and whales every day playing about them. The master and 
mate, who had been acquainted with the fisheries in the northern seas of Europe, 
supposed that they might in that time have made oil to the value of £3000 or £4000. 
It was too late in the season for cod ; and, indeed, they caught none but small fish 
near the shore, and shellfish. The margin of the sea was so shallow, that they 
were obliged to wade ashore, and the weather being severe, manj-- of them took 
colds and coughs, which in the course of the winter proved mortal. 

On Monday, the 13th of November, the women went asliore under guard to 
wash their clothes, and the men were impatient for a farther discovery. The 
shallop, which had been cut down and slowed between decks, needed repairing, 
in which 17 days were employed. While this was doing, they proposed that ex- 
cursions might be made on foot. Much caution was necessary in an enterprise 
of this kind, in a new and savage country. After consultation and preparation, 
16 men were equipped M'ith musket and ammunition, sword and corslet, under the 
command of Captain Miles Standish, who had William Bradford, Stephen Hop- 
kins, and Edward Tilly for his council of war. After many instructions given, 
they were rather permitted than ordered to go, and the time of their absence was 
limited to two days. 

When they had travelled one mile by the shore, they discovered five or six of 
the natives, who, on sight of them, fled. They attempted to pursue, and, lighting 
on their tracks, followed them till night ; but the thickets through which they 
had to pass, the weight of their armor, and the debility after a long voj^age, made 
them an unequal match, in point of travelling, to these nimble sons of nature. 
They rested at length by a spring, which afl"orded them the first refreshing draught 
of American water. 

The discoveries made in this march were few, but novel and amusing. In one 
place they found a deer trap, made by the bending of a young tree to the earth, 
with a noose under ground covered with acorns. Mr. Bradford's foot was caught 
in the trap, from which his companions disengaged him, and they were all enter- 
tained with the ingenuity of the device. In another place they came to an In- 
dian burying-ground, and in one of the graves they found a mortar, an earthen pot, 
a bow and arrows, and other implements, all which they very carefully replaced, 
because they would not be guilty of violating the repositories of the dead. But 
when they found a cellar, carefully lined with bark and covered with a heap of 
sand, in which about four bushels of seed-corn in ears were well secured, after 
reasoning on the morality of the action, they took as much of the corn as they 
could carry, intending, when they sliould find the owners, to pay them to their 
satisfaction. On the third day they arrived, weary and welcome, where the ship 



MASSACHUSETTS. 289 

lay, and delivered their corn into the common store. The company resolved to 
keep it for seed, and to pay the natives the full value when they should have an 
opportunity. 

When the shallop was repaired and rigged, 24 of the company ventured on a 
second excursion to the same place, to make a farther discovery, having Captain 
Jones for their commander, with 10 of his seamen and the ship's long-boat. Tlie 
wind being high and the sea rough, the shallop came to anchor under the land, 
while part of the company waded on shore from the long-boat, and travelled, as 
they supposed, six or seven miles, having directed the shallop to follow them 
the next morning. The weather was very cold, with snow, and the people, hav- 
ing no shelter, took such colds as afterwards proved fatal to many. 

THE FIRST SABBATH IN NEW ENGLAND. 

The 10th of December, 1630, was the first Christian Sabbath in New England. 
The "Mayflower," a name now immortal, had crossed the ocean. It had borne 
its hundred passengers over the vast deep, and after a perilous voyage, it had 
reached the bleak shores of New England in the beginning of winter. The spot 
which was to furnish a home and a burial-place, was now to be selected. The 
shallop was unshipped, but needed repairs, and 16 weary days elapsed before it 
was ready for service. Amidst ice and snow, it was then sent out, with some 
half a dozen Pilgrims, to find a suitable place where to land. The spray of the 
sea, says the historian, froze on them, and made their clothes like coats of iron. 
Five days they wandered about, searching in vain for a suitable landing-place. 
A storm came on, the sn ow and rain fell ; the sea swelled ; the rudder broke ; 
the mast and the sail fell overboard. In this storm and cold, without a tent, a 
house, or the shelter of a rock, the Christian Sabbath approached — the day which 
they regarded as holy unto God — a day on which they were not to "do any work. ' ' 
What should be done ? As the evening before the Sabbath drew on, they pushed 
over the surf, entered a fair sound, sheltered themselves under the lee of a rise 
of laud, kindled a fire, and on that island they spent the day in the solemn wor- 
ship of their Maker. On the next day their feet touched the rock now sacred as 
the place of the landing of the Pilgrims. Nothing more strikingly marks the 
character of this people, than this act. The whole scene — the cold winter — the 
raging sea — the driving storm — the houseless, homeless island — the families of 
wives and children in the distance, weary with their voyage and impatient to 
land — and yet, the sacred observance of a day which they kept from principle, 
and not from mere feeling, or because it was a form of religion, shows how 
deeply imbedded true religion is in the soul, and how little it is afi"ected by sur- 
rounding difficulties. 

THE FIRST CRIMES IN NEW ENGLAND. . 

The first offence punished in the colony was that of John Billington, who was 
charged with contempt of.the captain's lawful commands, while on board the May- 
flower. He was trieJ by the whole company, and was sentenced to have his neck 
and heels tied together ; but on humbling himself, and craving pardon, he wa3 
released. This same Billington, however, in 1630, waylaid and murdered one 
John Newcomen, for some aff'ront, and was tried and executed in October of that 
year. Governor Bradford says : " AVe took all due means about his trial ; he was 



290 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

found guilty, both by grand and petit jury; and we took advice of Mr. Win- 
throp and others, the ablest gentlemen in the Massachusetts Bay, who all con- 
curred with ns, that he ought to die, and the laud be purged from blood." 

The first duel and second offence that took place in the colony was between 
two servants of Stephen Hopkins. They fought with sword and dagger, and 
were both slightly wounded. They were arraigned for the offence, on the 18tli 
June, 1621, before the Governor and company for trial, and were sentenced to 
have their heads and feet tied together, and to remain in that position for 24 hours. 
After an hour's endurance of this novel punishuient, these men of valor begged 
for a release, and the Governor set them at liberty. 



THE SALEM WITCHCRAFT. 

[From Governor Hutcldnson'' s History of Massachusetts. "[ 

The great noise which the New England witchcrafts made throughout the 
English dominions, proceeded more from the general panic with which all sorts 
of persons were seized, and an expectation that the contagion would spread to all 
parts of the country, than from the number of persons who were executed, more 
having been put to death in a single county in England, in a short space of time, 
than have suffered in all New England from the first settlement until the present 
time. Fifteen j^ears had passed, before we find any mention of witchcraft among 
the English colonists. The Indians were supposed to be worshippers of the Devil, 
and their powows to be wizards. The first suspicion of witchcraft, among the 
English, was about the year 1645 ; at Springfield, upon Connecticut River, sev- 
eral persons were supposed to be under an evil hand, and among the rest two of 
the minister's children. Great pains were taken to prove the facts upon several 
persons charged with the crime, but either the nature of the evidence was not 
satisfactory, or the fraud was suspected, and so no person was convicted until the 
year 1650, when a poor wretch, Mary Oliver, probably weary of her life from the 
general reputation of being a witch, after long examination was brought to con- 
fession of her guilt, but I do not find that she was executed. "Whilst this inquiry 
was making, Margaret Jones was executed at Charlestown ; and Mr. Hale men- 
tions a woman at Dorchester, and another at Cambridge about the same time, 
who all at their death asserted their innocence. Soon after, Hugh Parsons was 
tried at Springfield and escaped death. In 1655, Mrs. Hil)bins, the assistant's 
widow, was hanged at Boston. In 1662, at Hartford in Connecticut (about 30 
miles from Springfield, upon the same river), one Ann Cole, a young woman who 
lived next door to a Dutch family, and, no doubt, had learned something of the 
language, was supposed to be possessed with demons, who sometimes spake Dutch 
and sometimes English, and sometimes a language which nobody understood, and 
who held a conference with one another. Several ministers, who were present, 
took down the conference in writing, and the names of several persons, mentioned • 
in the course of the conference, as actors or bearing parts in it ; particularly a wo- 
man, then in prison upon suspicion of witchcraft, one Greensmith, who upon ex- 
amination confessed and appeared to be surprised at the discovery. She owned 
that she and the others named had been familiar with a demon, who had carnal 
knowledge of her, and although she had not made a formal covenant, yet she had 
promised to be ready at his call, and was to have had a high frolic at Christmas, 
When the agreement was to have been signed. Upon this confession she was 



MASSACHUSETTS. 291 

executed, and two more of the company -were condemned at the same time. In 
1669, Susanna INIartin, of Salisbury, Avas bound over to the court, upon suspicion 
of witchcraft, but escaped at that time. 

In 1671, Elizabeth Knap, another ventriloqua, alarmed the people of Groton 
in much the same manner as Ann Cole had done those of Hartford ; but her de- 
mon was not so cunning, for instead of confining himself to old women, he railed 
at the good minister of the town and other persons of good character, and the 
people could not then be prevailed on to believe him, but believed the girl, when 
she confessed she had been deluded, and that the devil had tormented her in the 
shape of good persons ; so she escaped the punishment due to her fraud and im- 
posture. 

In 1673, Eunice Cole of Hampton was tried, and the jury found her not legally 
guilty, but that there were strong grounds to suspect her of familiarity with the 
devil. 

In 1679, William Morse's house, at Xewbury, was troubled with the throwing 
of bricks, stones, etc., and a bo}-, of the family, was supposed to be bewitched, 
who accused one of the neighbors ; and in 1683, the house of George AValtou, a 
.quaker, at Portsmouth, and another house at Salmon-falls (both in New Hamp- 
shire), were attacked after the same manner. 

In 1683, the demons removed to Connecticut River again, where one Desbo- 
rough's house was molested by an invisible hand, and a fire kindled, nobody knew 
how, which burnt up great part of his estate ; and in 1684, Philip Smith, a judge 
of the court, a military ofBcer and a representative of the town of Hadley, upon 
the same river (a hypochondriac person), fancied himself under an evil hand, 
and suspected a woman, one of his neighbors, and languished and pined away, 
and was generally supposed to be bewitched to death. While he lay ill, a num- 
ber of brisk lads tried an experiment upon the old woman. Having dragged her 
out of her house, they hung her up until she was near dead, let her down, rolled 
her some time in the snow, and at last buried her in it and there left her, but it 
happened that she survived, and the melancholy man died. 

Notwithstanding these frequent instances of supposed witchcrafts, none had 
Buflered for near 30 years, in the Massachusetts colony. The execution of the 
assistant or councillor's widow in 16.j."), was disapproved of by many principal 
persons, and it is not unlikely that her death saved the lives of many other infe- 
rior persons. But in 16S.'5, a very circumstantial account of all or most of the 
cases I have mentioned, was published, and many arguments were brought to 
convince the country that they were no delusions or impostures, but the efTects 
of a familiarity between the devil and such as he found fit for his instruments ; 
and in 1687 or 1688, began a more alarming instance than any which had pre- 
ceded it. Four of the children of John Goodwin, a grave man and a good liver, 
at the north part of Boston, were generally believed to be bewitched. I have 
often heard persons, who were in the neighborhood, speak of the great conster- 
nation it occasioned. The children were all remarkable for ingenuity of temper, 
had been religiously educated and were thought to be without guile. The ekicst 
was a girl of 13 or 14 years. She had charged a laundress with taking away some 
of the family linen. The mother of the laundress was one of the wild Irish, of 
bad character, and gave the girl harsh language ; soon after which she fell into 
fits, which were said to have something diabolical in them. One of her sisters 
and two brothers followed her example, and it is said, were tormented in the 
same part of their bodies at the same time, although kept in separate apartments, 



292 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and ignorant of one another's complaints. One or two things were said to be 
very remarliable ; all their complaints were in the day time, and they slept com- 
fortably all night ; they were struck dead at the sight of the Assembly's Catechism, 
Cotton's Milk for Babes, and some other good books, but could read in Oxford 
jests, popish and quaker books, and the common prayer, without any difficulty. 
Is it possible the mind of man should be capable of such strong prejudices as that 
a suspicion of fraud should not immediately arise ? But attachments to modes 
and forms in religion had such force, that some of these circumstances seem rather 
to have confirmed the credit of the children. Sometimes they would be deaf, 
then dumb, then blind ; and sometimes all these disorders together would come 
upon them. Their tongues would be drawn down their throats, then pulled out 
upon their chins. Their jaws, necks, shoulders, elbows and all their joints would 
appear to be dislocated, and they would make most piteous outcries of burnings, 
of being cut with knives, beat, etc., and the marks of wounds were afterwards 
to be seen. The ministers of Boston and Charlestown kept a day of fasting and 
prayer at the troubled house ; after whicli, the youngest child made no more 
complaints. The others persevered, and the magistrates then interposed, and 
the old woman was apprehended, but upon examination would neither confess 
nor deny, and appeared to be disordered in her senses. Upon the report of 
physicians that she was compos mentis^ she was executed, declaring at her death 
the children should not be relieved. The eldest, after this, was taken into a 
minister's family, where, at first, she behaved orderly, but, after some time, sud- 
denly fell into her fits. The account of her affliction is in print ; some things are 
mentioned as extraordinary, which tumblers are every daj^ taught to perform ; 
others seem more than natural, but it was a time of great credulity. The children 
returned to their ordinary behavior, lived to adult age, made profession of reli- 
gion, and the affliction they had been under they publicly declared to be one 
motive to it. One of them I knew many years after. She had the character of 
a very sober virtuous woman, and never made any acknowledgment of fraud in 
this transaction. The printed account was published with a preface by Mr. Bax- 
ter, who says, '•'■the evidence is so convincing, that he must be a very obdurate 8ad- 
ducee who will not believe.''^ It obtained credit sufficient together with other pre- 
paratives, to dispose the whole country to be easily imposed upon by the more 
extensive and more tragical scene, which was presently after acted at Salem and 
other parts of the county of Essex. Not many years before, Glanvil published his 
witch stories in England ; Perkins and other nonconformists were earlier ; but 
the great authority was that of Sir Matthew Hale, revered in New England, not 
only for his knowledge in the law, but for his gravity and piety. The trial of the 
Avitches in Sulfolk was publislied in 1684. All these books were in New England, 
and the conformity between the behavior of Goodwin's children and most of the 
supposed bewitched at Salem, and the behavior of those in England, is so exact, 
as to leave no room to doubt the stories had been read by the New England per- 
sons themselves, or had been told to them by others who had read them. Indeed, 
this conformity, instead of giving suspicion, was urged in confirmation of the 
truth of both ; the Old England demons and the New being so much alike. The 
court justified themselves from books of law, and the autliorities of Keble, Dalton 
and other lawyers, then of the first character, who lay down rules of conviction, 
as absurd and dangerous as any which were practised in New England. The 
trial of Ricliard Hatheway, the impostor, before Lord Chief .Justice Holt, was 10 
or 12 years after. This was a great discouragement to prosecutions in England 



MASSACHUSETTS. 293 

for witchcraft, but an effectual stop was not put to them, until the Act of Parlia- 
ment in the reign of his late iMujesty. Even this has not wholly cured the com- 
mon people, and we hear of old women ducked and cruelly murdered within 
these last twenty years. Reproach, then, for hanging witches, although it has 
been often cast upon the people of New England, by those of Old, yet it must 
have been done with an ill grace. The people of New England were of a grave 
cast, and had long been disposed to give a serious solemn construction even to 
common events in providence ; but in Old England, the reign of Charles II. was 
as remarkable for gaiety as any whatsoever, and for scepticism and infidelity, as 
any which preceded it. 

Sir William Phips, the governor, upon his arrival, fell in with the opinion pre- 
vailing. Mr. Stoughton, the lieutenant-governor, upon -whose judgment great 
stress was laid, had taken up this notion, that although the devil might appear in 
the shape of a guilty person, yet he would never be permitted to assume the 
shape of an innocent person. •This opinion, at first, Avas generally received. 
Some of the most religious women who were accused, when they saw the appear- 
ance of distress and torture in their accusers, and heard their solemn declarations, 
that they saw the shapes or spectres of the accused afflicting them, persuaded 
themselves they were witches, and that the devil, some how or other, although 
they could not remember how or when, had taken possession of their evil hearts 
and obtained some sort of assent to his afflicting in their shapes ; and thereupon 
they thought they might be justified in co:i!Vssing themselves guilty. 

It seems, at this day, with some poopie, perhaps but few, to be the question 
whether the accused or the afflicted were under a preternatural or diabolical pos- 
session, rather than whether the afflicted were under bodily distempers, or alto- 
gether guilty of fraud and imposture. 

As many of the original examinations have fallen into my hands, it may be of 
service to represent this affair in a more full and impartial light than it has yet 
appeared to the world. 

In February, 1691-2, a daughter and a niece of Mr. Parris, the minister of 
Salem village, girls of ten or eleven years of age, and two other girls in the 
neighborhood, made the same sort of complaints as Goodwin's children had 
made, two or three years before. The ph3'sicians, having no other way of ac- 
counting for the disorder, pronounced them bewitched. An Indian woman, wlio 
was brought into the country from New Spain, and then living with Mr. Parris, 
tried some experiments which she pretended to be used in her own country, 
in order to find out the witch. This coming to the children's knowledge, they 
cried out upon the poor Indian as appearing to them, pincliing, pricking, and 
tormenting tliem ; and fell into fits. Tituba, the Indian, acknowledged that she 
had learned how to find out a witch, but denied that she was one herself Several 
private fasts were kept at the minister's house, and several, more public, by the 
whole village, and then a general fast through the colony, to seek to God to re- 
buke Satan, etc. So much notice taken of the children, together with the pity 
and compassion expressed by those who visited them, not only tended to confirm 
them in their design, but to draw others into the like. Accordingly, the number 
of the complainants soon increased, and among them there were two or three 
women, and some girls old enough for witnesses. These had tlieir fits too, and, 
when in them, cried out, not only against Tituba, but against Sarah Osburn, a 
melancholy distracted old woman, and Sarah Good, another old woman who was 
bedrid. Tituba, at length, confessed herself a witch, and that the two old women 



294 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

-n-ere her confederates ; and they were all committed to prison ; and Tituba, upon 
searcli, was found to have scars upon iier back which were called the devil's 
mark, but might as well have been supposed those of her Spanish master. This 
commitment was on the 1st of March. Aljout three weeks after, two other wo- 
men, of good characters and church members, Corey and Nurse, were coiuplaiued 
of and brought upon their examination ; when these children fell into fits, and the 
motlier of one of them, and wile of Thomas Putnam, joined with the children 
and complained of Nurse as tormenting her ; and made most terrible shrieks, to 
the amazement of all the neighborhood. The old women denied everything ; but 
were sent to prison ; and such was the infatuation, that a child of Sarah Good, 
about four or five years old, was committed also, being charged with biting some 
of the afflicted, who showed the print of small teeth on their arms. On April 3d 
Mr. Parris took for his text, '•'Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a 
devil.'''' Sarah Cloyse, supposing it to be occasioned by Nurse's case, who was 
hei- sister, went out of tlie meeting. She was, presently after, complained of for 
a witch, examined, and committed. Elizabeth Procter was charged about the 
same time : her husband, as every good husband would have done, accompanied 
her to her examination, but it cost the poor man his life. Some of the afflicted 
cried out upon him also, and they were both committed to prison. 

Instead of suspecting and sifting the witnesses, and sufiFering them to be cross- 
examined, the authority, to say no more, were imprudent in making use of lead- 
ing questions, and thereby putting words into tlieir mouths or suffering others to 
do it. Mr. Parris was over-officious ; most of the examinations, although in the 
presence of one or more of the magistrates, were taken by him. 

Governor Hutchinson, in the second volume of his History, introduces an ex- 
amination of several of the accused, which is certified by John Hawthorne and 
John Corwin, Assistants, but owing to prescribed limits they are here omitted : 

No wonder the whole country was in a consternation, when persons of sober 
lives and unblemished characters were committed to prison upon such sort of 
evidence. The most effectual way to prevent an accusation, was to become an 
accuser ; and accordingly the number of the afflicted increased every day, and the 
number of the accused in proportion, who in general persisted in their inno- 
cency ; but, being strongly urged to give glory to God by their confession, and 
intimation being given that this was the only way to save their lives, and their 
friends urging them to it, some were brought to own their guilt. The first con- 
fession upon the files is of Deliverance Hobbs, May 11th, 1692, being in prison. 
She owned everything she was required to do. The confessions multiplied the 
witches ; new companions were always mentioned, who were immediately sent 
for and examined. Thus more than a hundred women, many of them of fair 
characters and of the most reputable families, in the towais of Salem, Beverly, 
Andover, Billerica, etc., were apprehended, examined, and generally committed 
to pi-ison. The confessions being much of the same tenor, one or two may serve 
for specimens : 

"The examination and confession (8 Sept. 93,) of Mary Osgood, wife of 
Captain Osgood of Andover, taken before John Hawthorne and other their 
Majesties justices. 

"She confesses, that about 11 years ago, when she was in a melancholy state 
and condition, she used to walk abroad in her orchard ; and upon a certain time 



MASSACHUSETTS. 295 

she saw the appearance of a cat, at the end of the house, which yet she thought 
was a real cat. However, at that time, it diverted her from firayiug to God, and 
instead thereof she prayed to the devil ; about which time she made a covenant 
with the devil, who, as a black man, came to her and presented her a book, upon 
which she laid her finger and that left a red spot : and that upon her signing, the 
devil told her he was her God, and that she should serve and worship him, and, 
she believes, she consented to it. She saj-s farther, that about two years agone, 
she was carried through the air, in company with deacon Frye's wife, Ebeuezer 
Baker's wife, and Goody Tyler, to five-mile pond, where she was baptized by 
the devil, who dipped her face in the water and made her renounce her former 
baptism, and told her she must be his, soul and body, forever, and that she must 
serve him, which she promised to do. She says, the renouncing her first baptism 
was after her first dipping, and that she was transported back again through the 
air, in company with the forenaraed pei-sons, in the same manner as she went, 
and believes they were carried upon a pole. Q. How manj' persons were upon 
the pole? A. As I said before (viz., four persons and no more but whom she 
had named above). She confesses she has afflicted three persons, John Sawdy, 
Martha Sprague, and Rose Foster, and that she did it by pinching her bed 
clothes, and giving consent the devil should do it in her shape, and lliat the devil 
could not do it without her consent. She confesses the afflicting persons in the 
court, by the glance of her eye. She says, as she was coming down to Salem to 
be examined, she and the rest of the company with her stopped at Mr. Phillips' 
to refresh themselves, and the afflicted persons, being behind them iTpon the road, 
came up just as she was mounting again, and were then afflicted, and cried out 
upon her, so that she was forced to stay until they were all past, and said she 
only looked that way towards them. Q Do you know the devil can take the 
shape of an innocent person and afflict? A I believe he cannot. Q. Who 
taught you this way of witchcraft ? A Satan (and that he promised her abun- 
dance of satisfaction and quietness in her future state, but never performed any- 
thing ; and that she has lived more miserably and more discontented since, than 
ever before). She confesses further, that she herself, in company with Goody 
Parker, Goody Tyler, and Goody Dean, had a meeting at Moses Tyler's house, 
last Monday night, to afflict, and that she and Goody Dean carried the shape of 
Mr. Dean, the minister, between them, to make persons believe that Mr. Dean 
afflicted. Q. What hindered you from accomplishing what you intended ? A. 
The Lord would not suffer it so to be, that the devil should afflict in an innocent 
person's shape. Q. Have you been at any other witch meetings 'i A. l know 
nothing thereof, as I shall answer in the presence of God and his people ; (but 
said, tiiat the black man stood before her, and told her that what she had con- 
fessed was a lie ; notwithstanding, she said that what she had confessed was true, 
and thereto put her hand). Her husband being present, was asked if he judged 
his wife to be any way discomposed. He answered, that having lived with her 
so long, he doth not judge her to be anj"- ways discomposed, but has cause to be- 
lieve what she has said is true, . . . When Mistress Osgood was first called, 
she afflicted Martha Sprague and Rose Foster, by tlie glance of her eyes, and re- 
covered them out of their fits by the touch of her hand. Mary Lacey, Betty 
Johnson, and Hannah Post saw Mistress Osgood afflicting Sprague and Foster. 
. . . The said Hannah Post, and Mary Lace}-^, and Betty .Johnson, jun., and 
Rose Foster and Mary Richardson were afflicted by Mistress Osgood, in the time 
of their examination, and recovered by her tonchinj. of their hands. 
19 



296 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

"I undenvritten, being appointed by authority, to take this examination, do 
testify upon oath, taken in court, that this is a true copy of tlie substance of it to 
the best of my knowledge, 5 Jan., 1693-3. The within Mary Osgood was ex- 
amined before their Majesties justices of the peace in Salem. 

"Attest, John Higgikson, Just. Peace." 

A miserable negro woman, charged by some of the girls with afflicting them, 
confessed, but was cunning enough to bring the greatest share of the guilt upon 
her mistress : 

"Salem, Monday, July 4, 1693. The examination of Candy, a negro woman, 
before Bartholomew Gedney and John Hawthorne, Esqrs. Mr. Nicholas Noyes 
also present : 

"Q. Candy, are you a witch ? A. Candy no witch in her country. Candy's 
mother no witch. Candy no witch, Barbados. This country, mistress give 
Candy witch. Q. Did your mistress make you a witch in this country ? A. 
Yes, in this country mistress give Candy witch. Q. "What did your mistress do 
to make you a witch ? A. Mistress bring book and pen and ink, make Candy 
write in it. Q. What did you write in it ? A. She took a pen and ink, and upon a 
book or paper made a mark. Q. How did you afflict or hurt these folks, where 
are the puppets you did it with ? Slie asked to go out of the room and she would 
show or tell ; upon which she had liberty, one going with her, and she presently 
brought in two clouts, one w^ith two knots tied in it, the other one ; which being 
seen byMary Warren, Deliverance Hobbs, and Abigail Hobbs, they were greatly 
affrighted and fell into violent fits, and all of them said tljat the black man and 
Mrs. Hawkes, and the negro stood by the puppets or rags and pinched them, and 
then they were afflicted, and when the knots were untied yet they continued as 
aforesaid. A bit of one of the rags being set on fire, the afflicted all said they 
were burned, and cried out dreadfully. The rags being put into water, two of 
the forenamed persons were in dreadful fits, almost choked, and the other was 
violently running down to the river, but was stopped. 

"Attest, John Hawthorne, Just. Peace." 

Mrs. Hawkes, the mistress, had no other way to save her life but to confess 
also. 

The recantation of several persons in Andover will show in what manner they 
were brought to their confessions : 

" We, whose names are underwritten, inhabitants of Andover ; when as that 
horrible and tremendous judgment beginning at Salem village in the year 1692, 
by some called witchcraft, first breaking forth at Mr. Parris's house, several 
young persons, being seemingly afflicted, did accuse several persons for afliicting 
them, and many there believing it so to be, we being informed that if a person 
was sick, the afflicted person could tell what or who was the cause of that sick- 
ness : Joseph Ballard, of Andover, his wife being. sick at the same time, he, either 
from himself or by the advice of others, fetched two of the persons called the af- 
flicted persons, from Salem village to Andovir, Avhich was the beginning of that 
dreadful calamity that befell us in Andover, believing the said accusations to be 
true, sent for the said persons to come together to the meeting house in Andover, 
the afflicted persons being there. After Mr. Barnard had been at prayer, we 
were blindfolded, and our hands were laid upon the afflicted persons, they being 
in their fits and falling into their fits at our coming into their presence, as they 



MASSACHUSETTS. 297 

said ; and some led us and laid our hands upon them, and then they said they 
were well, and that we were guilty of afflicting them : whereupon Ave were all 
seized as prisoners, by a warrant from the justice of the peace, and forthwith 
carried to Salem. And, by reason of that sudden surprisal, we knowing our- 
selves altogether innocent of that crime, we were all exceedingly astonished and 
amazed, and consternated and affrighted even out of our reason ; and our nearest 
and dearest relations, seeing us in that dreadful condition, and knowing our 
great danger, apprehended there was no other way to save our lives, as the case 
was then circumstanced, but by our confessing ourselves to be such and such 
I)ersons as the afflicted represented us to be, they, out of tenderness and pitj', 
persuaded us to confess what we did confess. And indeed that confession, that 
it is said we made, was no other than what was suggested to us by some gentle- 
men, they telling us that we were witches, and thej^ knew it, and we knew it, 
which made us think it was so ; and our understandings, our reason, our faculties, 
almost gone, we were not capable of judging of our condition ; as also the hard 
measures they used with us rendered us incapable of making our defence, but 
said anything and everything which they desired, and most of what we said was 
l)nt, in effect, a consenting to what they said. Some time after, when we were 
better composed, they telling us what we had confessed, we did profess that we 
were innocent and ignorant of such things ; and we hearing that Samuel Ward- 
well had renounced his confession, and quickly after condemned and executed, 
some of us were told we were going after Wardwell. 

Mary Osgood, Deliverance Dane, Sarah Wilson, 
Mary Tiler, Abigail Barker, Hannah Tiler." 

The testimonials to these persons' characters, by the principal inhabitants of 
Andover, will outweigh the credulity of the justices who committed them, or of 
the grand jury which found bills against them. 

Although the number of prisoners had been increasing, from February until 
the beginning of June, yet there had been no trials. The charter was expected 
from day to day, and the new constitution of government to take place. Soon 
after its arrival, commissioners of oyer and terminer were appointed for the trial 
of witchcrafts. By the charter, the general assembly are to constitute courts of 
justice, and the governor with the advice of the council is to nominate and ap- 
point judges, commissioners of oyer and terminer, etc., but whether the gover- 
nor, with advice of council, can constitute a court of oyer and terminer, without 
authority for that purpose derived from the general assembly, has been made a 
question ; however, this, the most important court to the life of the subject which 
ever was held in the province, was constituted in no other manner. It was 
opened at Salem, the first week in June. Only one of the accused, Bridget 
Bishop, alias Oliver, was then brought to trial. She had been charged with 
witchcraft twenty years before. The accuser, upon his death-bed, confessed his 
own guilt in the accusation ; but an old woman, once charged with being a witch, 
is never afterwards wholly free from the accusation, and she being, besides, of a 
fractious temper, all the losses the neighbors met with in their cattle and poultry, 
and accidents in oversetting their carts, etc., W'ere attributed to her spite against 
them, and now suffered to be testified against her. This evidence, together with 
the testimony of the afflicted, and of the confessors, what they had heard from 
the spectres and seen of her spectre, and an excrescence, called a teat, found 
upon her body, were deemed by court and jury plenary proof, and she was con- 



298 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

victed, and on the lOtli of June executed. The further trials were put off" to the 
adjournment, the 30th of June. 

At tlie. first trial, there was no colony or provincial law against witchcraft in 
force. The statute of James the First must therefore have been considered as in 
force in the province, witchcraft not being an offence at common law. Before 
the adjournment, the old colony law, which makes witchcraft a capital offence, 
was revived, with the other local laws, as they were called, and made a law of 
the province. 

At the adjournment, June 30, five women were brought upon trial, Sarah Good, 
Rebekah Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth How, and Sarah Wilder. 

There was no diflaculty with any but Nurse. She was a member of the church 
and of a good character, and, as to her, the jury brought in their verdict not 
guilty ; upon which the accusers made a great clamor, and the court expressed 
their dissatisfaction with the verdict, which caused some of the jury to desire to 
go out again ; and then they brought her in guilty. This was a hard case, and can 
scarcely be said to be the execution of the laio and justice in mercy. In a capital 
case, the court often refuses a verdict of guilty, but rarely, if ever, sends a jury 
out again upon one of not guilty. It does not indeed appear that in this case the 
jury was ordered out again ; but the dissatisfaction expressed by the court seems 
to have been in such a manner as to have the same effect. 

At the next adjournment, August 5th, George Burroughs, John Procter, and 
Elizabeth his wile, John Willard, George Jacobs, and Martha Carrier were all 
brought upon trial and condemned, and all executed upon the 19tli of August, 
except Elizabeth Procter, who escaped by pleading pregnancy. 

Burroughs had been a preacher, several years before this, at Salem village, 
where there had been some misunderstanding between him and the people. Af- 
terwards he became a preacher at Wells, in the province of Maine. W^e will be 
a little more particular in our account of his trial. The indictment was as 
follows : 

"Anno Regis et Reginse, etc., quarto. 

'■'■ Essex ■)«. The Jurors for our sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen, 
present, that George Burroughs, late of Falmouth, in the province of Massachu- 
setts bay, clerk, the ninth day of May, in the fourth j'ear of the reign of our 
sovereign Lord and Lady William and Mary, by the grace of God of England, 
Scotland, France, and Ireland, King and Queen, defenders of the faith, etc., and 
divers other daj's and times, as well before as after, certain detestable arts called 
witchcrafts and sorceries ; wickedly and feloniously hath used, practised, and 
exercised, at and within the town of Salem, in the county of Essex aforesaid, in, 
upon, and against one Mary Walcot of Salem village, in the county of Essex, 
single woman ; by which said, wicked arts, the said Mary Walcot, the ninth day 
of May, in the fourth year above said, and divers other days and times, as well 
before as after, was and is tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, wasted, and tor- 
mented, against the peace of our sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen, 
and against the form of the statute in that case made and provided. Endorsed 
Billa vera." Three other bills were found against him for witchcrafts upon 
other persons, to all which he pleaded not guilty, and put himself upon trial, etc. 

September the 9th, Martha Cory, Mary Esty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeater, 
Dorcas Hoar, and Mary Bradbury were tried, and September 17th, Margaret 
Scott, Wilmoi Bead, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Abigail Falkuer, Rebekah 



MASSACHUSETTS. 299 

Eames, Mary Lacey, Ann Foster, and Abigail Hobbs, and all received sentence 
of deatli. Those in italics were executed the 22d following. 

Mary Esty, who was sister to Nurse, gave in to the court a petition ; in which 
she says she does not ask her own life, although she is conscious of her inno- 
cence ; but prays them, before they condemn any more, to examine the confessing 
witches more strictly ; for she is sure they have belied themselves and others; 
which will appear in the world to which she is going, if it should not in this 
world. 

Those who were condemned and not executed, I suppose, all confessed their 
guilt. I have seen the confessions of several of them. Wardwell also confessed,' 
but he recanted and suffered. His own wife, as well as his daughter,* accused 
him and saved themselves. There are many instances, among the examinations, 
of children accusing their parents, and some of parents accusing their children. 
This is the only instance of a wife or husband accusing one the other, and surely 
this instance ought not to have been suffered. I shudder while I am relating it. 
Besides this irregularity, there were others in tlie course of these trials. The 
facts laid in the indictments were, witchcrafts upon particular persons, there was 
no evidence of these facts, but wliat was called spectral evidence, which, in the 
opinion of the ministers, was insufficient ; some of the other evidence was of facts 
ten or twenty years before, wliich had no relation to those with which they were 
charged ; and some of tliem no relation to the crime of witchcraft. Evidence is 
not admitted, even against the general character of persons upon trial, unless to 
encounter other evidence brought in favor of it ; mucii less ought their whole 
lives to be arraigned, without giving time sufficient for defence. 

Giles Cory was the only, person, besides those already named, who suffered. 
He, seeing the fate of all who had put themselves upon trial, refused to plead ; 
but the judges, who had not been careful enough in observing the law in favor 
of tlie prisoners, determined to do it against this unhappy man, and he had judg- 
ment oi peine fort et dure for standing mute, and was pressed to death ; the only 
instance which ever was, either before this time or since, in New England. In 
all ages of the world superstitious credulity has produced greater cruelty than is 
practised among the Hottentots, or other nations, whose belief of a deity is called 
in question. 

This court of oyer and terminer, happy for the country, sat no more. Nine- 
teen persons had been executed, all asserting tlieir innocence ; but this was not 
enough to open the eyes of the people in general. The jail at Salem was filled 
with prisoners, and many liad been removed to other jails : some were admitted 
to bail, all reserved for trial, a law having passed constituting a supreme standing 
court, with jurisdiction in capital, as well as all other criminal cases. The gen- 
eral court also showed their zeal against witchcraft, by a law passed in the words 
of the statute of James I., but this law was disallowed by the king. 

The time, by law, for holding tiie court at Salem, was not until January. This 
gave opportunity for consideration ; and this alone might have been sufficient for a 
change of opinions and measures, but another reason has been given for it. Ordi- 
narily, persons of the lowest rank in life have had the misfortune to be charged 
with witchcrafts ; and although many such liad suffered, yet there remained in prison 
a number of women, of as reputable families as any in the towns where they lived, 

* Tlie daugliter upon a second enquiry denied tliat she knew her fitlier aiiJ mother to be witches; the 
vife was not asked a second tini(» 



300 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and several persons, of still superior rank, were hinted at by the pretended bo- 
witched, or by the confessing witches. Some had been publicly named. Dudley 
Bradstreet, a justice of the peace, who had been appointed one of president Dud- 
ley's council, and who was son to the worthy old Governor, then living, found 
it necessary to abscond. Having been remiss in prosecuting, he had been charged 
by some of the afflicted as a confederate. His brother, John Bradstreet, was 
forced to fly also. Calef says it was intimated that Sir WiUiam Pliips's lady was 
among the accused. It is certain, that one who pretended to be bewitched at 
Boston, where the infection was beginning to spread, charged the secretary of 
the colony of Connecticut. 

At the court in January, the grand jury found bills against about 50 for witch- 
craft, one or two men, the rest women ; but upon trial, they were all acquitted, 
except three of the worst characters, and those the Governor reprieved for the 
king's mercy. All that were not brought upon trial he ordered to be discharged. 
Such a jail delivery was made in this court as has never been known at any other 
time in New England. 

PRIMITIVE EXTRAYAGANCE. 

Mv. Dudley was in favor of making Newtown, now Cambridge, the metropoHs 
of the colony ; and after consultation. Governor Winthrop, and the assistants, 
agreed to settle there, and streets and squares, and market places, were duly sur- 
veyed and laid out. In the spring of 1631, Mr. Dudley and others commenced 
building. Governor Winthrop had set up the frame of a liouse, but soon after 
changed his mind, and removed it to Boston. Mr. Dudley finished his house, 
and moved into it with his family. The first houses were rude structures, the 
rool's covered with thatch, the fii-e-places generally made of rough stones, and the 
chimneys of boards, plastered with clay. The settlers were publicly enjoined to 
avoid all superfluous expense, in order that their monc}' might be reserved for 
any unforeseen necessities. Mr. Dudley having finished his house with a little 
more regard to domestic comfort, exposed himself to public censure. At a meet- 
ing of the Governor and assistants, he was told, that "he did not well to bestow 
such cost about wainscoting and adorning his house, in the beginning of a planta- 
tion, both in regard to the expense, and the example." Dudley's answer, was, 
that it was for the warmth of his house, and the charge was little, '■'■being but 
clapboards nailed to the wall in the form of wainscot.'''' 

THE MEN OF " SEYENTY-SIX." 

In Stockbridge, Berkshire county, Mass., Deacon Cleveland and another lead- 
ing member of the church had been selected, for their positions in the centre of 
the valley and of the village, to spread the note of alarm. The son of the deacon, 
a young man only 17 years of age at the time, gave to a friend of the writer a 
description of the reception of the news in that little village. 

One quiet Sabbath morning, when all was still, as it ever was in that peaceful 
valley on that holy day, he was suddenly startled by the report of a musket. On 
going out to ascertain what it meant, he saw his father in the back yard with the 
discharged piece in his hand. Before he had time to express his wonder, another 
■report broke the stillness of the Sabbath morning, and as the smoke curled up in the 
damp atmosphere, he saw in the neighboring j-ard one of the chief pillars of the 
church, standing with his musket in his hand. He paused astounded, not know- 



MASSACHUSETTS. 301 

ing what awful phenomenon this strange event portended. lie said that he 
thought that the judgment day had come. But in a few moments he noticed 
men hurrying along the hitherto deserted street, with weapons in their hands. 
One by one they entered his father's gate, and gathered on the low stoop. The 
flashing eye and flushed cheek told that something eventful had transpired — and 
there had. 

When tlie report of tliose two muskets echoed along the sweet valley of the 
Housatouic and up the adjacent slopes, the sturdy farmers knew what it meant, 
T)ie father, just preparing for the duties of the sanctuary, heard it, and, flinging 
aside his Sahbath garments, hastily resumed his work-day dress, and taking down 
his musket, strained his wife and children in one long farewell embrace to his 
bosom, then turned from the home he might never see again. Tlie young man 
buckled on his knapsack, and amid sobs and tears shut the little farm gate behind 
liim, the fire in his eye drying up the tears as fast as they welled to the surface. 
Although the heart heaved with emotion, the step was firm and the brow knit 
and resolute. 

In a short time the little porch was crowded with men. A moment after, Dr. 
"West, the pastor, was seen slowly descending the hill towards the same place of 
rendezvous. It was a cold, drizzly morning, and as, with his umbrella over his 
head, and the Bible under his arm, he entered the dnoryard, his benevolent face 
revealed the emotion that was struggling within. He, too, knew the meaning 
of those shots ; tliey were the signals agreed upon to infonn the minute-men of 
Stockbridge that their brethren in the East had closed with the foe in battle. He 
ascended the steps, and, opening the Bible, read a few appropriate passages, and 
then sent up a fervent prayer to Heaven. When he ceased, the rattling of arms 
was heard. A short and solemn blessing closed the impressive scene, and before 
13 oYlock twenty men, with knapsacks on their backs and muskets on their shoul- 
ders, had started on focvt for Boston, nearly 200 miles distant. 

Oh, how deep down in tlie consciences of men had tlie principles of that strug- 
gle sunk, when they made those Puritans forget the solemn duties of the sanc- 
tuary for the higher duties of the battle-field. Tliey had been taught from the 
pulpit that it was the cause of God, and they took it up in the full belief they had 
his blessing and his promise. Such scenes as these were enacted every where, 
and from the consecrating hand of the man of God went forth the thousand sepa- 
rate bands that soon after met and stood shoulder to shoulder on the smoky 
heights of Bunker Hill. 

GREAT FIEE OF 71. 

On the 9th and 10th of November, 1871, Bostton experienced the greatest calamity 
that ever befell it. On the 9th a fire broke out, and raged for two days. It resisted 
for a while every efibrt to staj' its progress, and swept through the ricliest business 
quarter of the city. It began at about 7 o'clock in tlie evening of the 9th of Novem- 
ber, at the corner of Summer and Kingston streets, and owing to the delay of the 
engines, consequent upon the prevalence of disease among the horses of the Fire Depart- 
ment, gained considerable headway before anything could be done to check it. Its 
course was steadily to the northward. It passed through, and laid in ruins, most of 
the district bounded by Summer, Washington, and State streets and the water line. 
This district embraced the heavy wholesale portion of the business quarter, and was 
built in the most .solid and substantial manner, the buildings being chiefly of stone and 
iron. 



RHODE ISLAND. 

Area, 1,306 Square Miles 

Population in 1800, 174,620 

Population in 1870, 217,356 

The State of Rhode Island is the smallest in the Union. It is 
sliuuted between 41° 18' and 42° N. latitude, and 71° 8' and 71° 52' 
\Y. longitude. It is. bounded on the north and east by Massachusetts, 
<m the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Connecticut. 
Its greatest length, from north to south, is 47 miles, and its greatest 
breadth, from east to west, about 37 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Narraganset Bay divides the State into two unequal portions. It 
enters the extreme eastern part, and extends inland for 30 miles in a 
northerly direction. It is a beautiful sheet of water, and has a depth 
sufficient to accommodate the largest vessels. It abounds in good 
harbors, of which the harbor of Newport is the finest, and is unsur- 
passed by any in the world. 

The bay is about 12 miles wide, is thickly studded with the most 
picturesque islands. Different names are given its various parts. The 
upper part is called Providence Bay ; the northeastern part, Bristol 
Bay; just east of whi-^h is Mount Hope Bay, separated from Providence 
and Bristol bays by a 'ong, narrow peninsula which comprises Bristol 
county. Providence, at the extreme northern end, and Newport at 
the southern end of Narraganset Bjiy, are the capitals of the State. 

Block Island, lying in the Atlantic Ocean, 10 miles south of the 
mainland, belongs to this State. 

Rhode Island, lying near about the centre of Narraganset Bay, is 
the principal island belonging to the StatCj and has given its name 
302 



RHODE ISLAND. 303 

to the whole Commonwealth. It is exceedingly beautiful in forma- 
tion ; is delightfully situated, and covers an area of 37 square miles, 
being 15 miles long, and about 3 J miles wide. It contains the city 
of Newport," and is one of the most fashionable summer resorts in the 
Union. 

Canonicut, Prudence, and several other small islands He in 
the bay. 

The Rivers of Rhode Island are small. The principal are the 
PawtxLcket and the Pawtuxet. The former flows into Narraganset Bay 
to the east of Providence, while the latter and its tributaries drain 
the southern and western parts of the State. The Pawtucket has a 
fall of 50 feet at the town of Pawtucket. Above this fall, it is called 
the Blackstone; and below it, the Seekonk. The Taunton Piver 
enters the southeastern part of the State, from Massachusetts. These 
streams all possess admirable water-power. 

Along the Atlantic coast and the shores of Narraganset Bay, the 
surface of the State is level ; but as it recedes westward and north- 
ward it becomes rolling, although there are no elevations in any part 
meriting the name of mountains. Mount Hope, in the eastern part, 
the Woousocket Hills, in the northern part, and Hopkins' Hill, about 
the centre of the State, are the principal elevations. 

MINERALS. 

Rhode Island possesses very few minerals. Anthracite coal has 
been found, but scarcely any attention has been paid to it. Iron, 
limestone, marble, and serpentine also exist to a limited extent. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate resembles that of Massachusetts, except that the imme- 
diate proxiinity of the sea does much to mitigate the extremes of cold 
in the winter and of heat in the summer, with which the Bay State is 
afflicted ; so that Rhode Island is, perhaps, in this respect, the most 
pleasant of all the New England States. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

In some places the soil is passably fertile, but in others it requires 
the most careful and laborious cultivation. On the islands it is richer 
than on the mainland. Dairy farming and grazing occupy the atten- 
tion of the principal portion of the agricultural class. 



304 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1869, there were in the State 335,128 acres of improved land, 
and 186,096 acres of unimproved. The agricultural wealth of the 
State at the present time is as follows : 

Cash value of farms (estimated) $25,000,000 

Value of farming implements and machinery 

(estimated), $850,000 

Number of horses, 9,120 

" asses and mules, 20 

" milch cows, 23,180 

" other cattle, 21,420 

" sheep, 34,320 

" swine, 21,960 

»Yalue of domestic animals, $2,942,144 

Bushels of wheat, 8,600 

" rye, 31,000 

" Indian corn, 440,000 

" oats, 250,000 

" Irish potatoes, 770,000 

" barley, 55,000 

Pounds of wool, 90,699 

butter, 1,021,767 

" cheese, 181,511 

Tons of hay, 71,000 

Value of orchard products, $83,691 

" market garden products, .... $146,661 

" home-made manufactures, . ." . . $7,824 

" slaughtered animals, $713,725 

COMMERCE. • 

Rhode Island is actively engaged in commerce, both foreign and 
domestic. During the year 1861, the total value of its exports Avas 
^255,297, and of the imports $543,652. In 1862, the tonnage owned 
in the State was 41,671, of which 11,440 was registered tonnage, 
30,231 enrolled licensed, of which 5064 was steam tonnage. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The State is extensively engaged in manufactures, its streams fur- 
nishing water-power unsurpassed by any in New England. The first 
cotton-mill ever erected in this country was built in Rhode Island. 
By the census of 1870, there were 1850 establishments in the State 
devoted to manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. They em- 
ployed 49,417 hands, and a capital of $66,557,322, consumed raw 
material worth $73,154,109, and yielded an annual product of $111^- 
418,354. There were 142 cotton factories, employing 5697 male 
and 8060 female hands, and a capital of $18,885,300, consuming raw 



RHODE ISLAND. 305 

material worth $13,325,938, and returning an annual product of 
$22,139,203. There were 65 woollen factories, employing 3354 
male and 2198 female hands, and a capital of $8,167,500, consuming 
raw material worth $8,089,948, and yielding an annual product of 
$12,558,117. The other manufactures were as follows : 

Value of steam engines and machinery, . . . $5,125,650 

" agricultural implements, 92,461 

" sawed and planed lumber, 298,638 

tlour, 1,728,704 

" sewing machines, 200,000 

" boots and shoes, 570,854 

" furniture, 311,620 

" jewelry, silver ware, etc., 3,043,846 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1870, there were 152 miles of railroad completed in the State 
of Rhode Island, whicli had been constructed and equipped at a cost 
of $5,011,000. Providence and Newport have railway communica- 
tion with Boston and New York, and the principal cities of the 
Union. Railroads also connect the principal towns of the State. 

EDUCATION. 

There is a permanent school fund which amounts to over $420,000. 
The public schools are under the general supervision of the State 
Superintendents of Public Instruction, and are immediately in charge 
of the local school committees, who perform the duties already 
explained in connection with the committees of*" the other States. 
There was a Normal School in operation until 1865, but it was 
abolished in that year. Efforts are now being made to revive it, and 
in the meantime the State provides for the education of teachers in 
certain Academies. 

There are about 487 public schools in the State. The atten- 
dance is as follows : in the summer, 24,953 pupils ; in the winter, 
30,780; average summer attendance, 19,972; average winter- atten- 
dance, 23,720. 

The only college in the State is Broion University , iowndied in 1764. 
It has schools of agriculture and science connected with it, and is in a 
flourishing condition. There are, also, a few academies in prosperous 
condition. 

In 1870, there were in Rhode Island 759 libraries, containinsf 
693,387 volumes — over 300 being public libraries. 



306 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

There were, in the same year, 5 daily, 1 serai-weekly, 19 weekly 
newspapers, and 1 monthly periodical, published in this State. Their 
aggregate annual circulation was 5,289,280 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

T1ie State Prison is located at Providence. It is provided with a 
library, and religious services are held regularly in the chapel. The 
number of convicts in prison, in 1868, was 59. 

The Reform School at Providence, is not a State institution, though 
the Letrislature makes a liberal donation to it for board of inmates 
sent there from localities outside of Providence. It receives both 
sexes ; and after educating them, provides for their establishment in 
some useful trade. 

Rhode Island has no public asylum for the insane. Patients are 
maintained at the expense of the State in the Butler Asylum, at Provi- 
dence, and in the State Lunatic Asylums of Massachusetts and Ver- 
mont. Patients are also supported by Rhode Island in the Deaf and 
Dumb Asylum at Hartford, Conn., and in the Perkins Institution 
for the Blind, at Boston. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

The total, value of church ])roperty in 1870, was $4,117,200. There 
were 283 churches in the State, in the same year. 

FINANCES. 

The State debt, in 1874, amounted to $2,563,500. The receipts 
of the Treasury for the year 1874 were $549,701, and the expendi- 
tures 1282,854, leaving a balance of $266,947. The State debt is due 
entirely on account of the late war. 

In 1868, there were 62 National Banks in Rhode Island, with an 
aggregate capital of $20,364,800. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male citizen, who has resided in the State one year, and in 
the town six months, and who owns real estate worth $134, or rents 
$7 per annum, and every native male citizen, twenty-one years old, 
who has resided in the State two years, and six months in the town, 
who is duly registered, and has paid a tax of $1, or done militia 
duty within the year, is entitled to vote. 



RHODE ISLAND. 307 

The Government of the State is confided to a Governor, Lieutenant- 
Governor, a Legislature, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Attorney- 
General, who are chosen annually by the people on the first Wednes- 
day of April, and hold office for one year, commencing from the last 
Tuesday in May. 

The Senate consists of the Lieutenant-Governor and one member 
from each of the 34 towns of the State, and is presided over by the 
Governor. The House of Representatives consists of 72 members. 
The Legislature meets regularly at Newport on the last Tuesday in 
May, and holds an adjourned session at Providence, the next January. 

The judiciary is comprised of a Supreme Court, consisting of a 
Chief Justice, and three Associate Justices. It has exclusive power 
to try all indictments for crimes for which the penalty is imprison- 
ment for life. 

A Court of Common Pleas is held in each county, by one of the 
Justices of the Supreme Court, at stated times. The capitals of the 
State are Providence and Newport. 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into 5 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Rhode Island was first settled in 1636, by Roger Williams and 
five associates, who had been driven out of Massachusetts for express- 
ing opinions, upon political and religious matters, adverse to those 
entertained by the magistrates of the Bay Colqny. They fixed their 
abode at the head of Narraganset Bay, and called the name of their 
settlement Providence, "in grateful acknowledgment of God's merci- 
ful providence to him (Williams) in his distress." This colony was 
planted upon the basis of entire freedom in religious opinions and 
utterances. In 1637, William Coddington and 18 others, having been 
banished from Massachusetts, for their religious opinions, joined Wil- 
liams, and, by his advice, purchased the island of Aquetneck (Rhode 
Island) from the Indians, and settled upon it, founding Newport and 
Portsmouth. A third settlement was made at Warwick, in 1642, and 
all three settlements began and continued to receive fresh accessions 
from the Bay Colony. In 1642, Williams went to England, and the 
next year secured a patent for the United Government of Providence, 
Newport, and Portsmouth, but the patent was not accepted until 1647. 
It continued in force until 1663, when the province was reorganized 
under a new charter, granted by Charles II., which formally estab- 
lished the colony of " Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." 



308 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





COAST FISHING. 



This charter continued to be the sole Constitution of Rhode Island 
until the year 1842, when the present Constitution was adopted. 

The colony continued to grow and prosper, but suffered severely at 
the hands of the savages during King Philip's war, in which struggle 
Providence was burned, as were many houses in other parts of the 
province. ■ Philip's principal stronghold was in this State, in the 
swamp near Mount Hope. He was killed there in August, 1676, 
The great battle which destroyed the Narragansets as a nation, took 
place in a swamp in the southern part of this State. Rhode Island 
was opposed to the policy of exterminating the Indians, upon which 
Connecticut and Massachusetts had decided, and was not even con- 
sulted in regard to the war by those colonies. 

In 1686, Sir Edmund Andros was appointed Governor-General of 
New England. One of his first acts was to abrogate the charter of 
Rhode Island, and reduce the province to a mere county, which he 
governed by his own creatures. Upon his downfall, the magistrates 
reorganized the colonial government under the charter. 

Rhode Island bore a prominent part in the various wars with the 
French in America. Her troops distinguished themselves in the 
attacks upon Louisburg, Cape Breton, Crown Point, and Oswego, and 



RHODE ISLAND. 309 

in the various expeditions against Canada. In 1756, there were 50 
privateers, manned by over 1500 men, belonging to this colony, and 
at sea. Tliey were employed along the coast and in the West Indies, 
where they inflicted considerable damage upon the commerce of 
France. 

The colony was warm in its resistance of the injustice of Great 
Britain, and gave a liberal support to the Revolution. Privateers 
were sent out from, and government cruisers equipped in the ports 
of this State, and a full complement of men was furnished to the con- 
tinental army. General Greene, of the army, and Captains Whipple 
and Talbot, of the navy, were natives of Rhode Island. The harbors 
along the Narraganset Bay were of the greatest importance to the 
colonial cause at the outset of the struggle. In December, 1776, Sir 
Henry Clinton, the British commander, occupied the island of Rhode 
Island, and held Newport for several years, during which time he 
kept the greater part of the State in a continual terror. In the fall 
of 1778, an unsuccessful effort was made by an American army, aided 
by the French fleet under Count de Grasse, to drive the enemy away. 
Late in 1779, Clinton evacuated Newport, and concentrated his forces 
at New York, and the next year the fleet and army of Count de Ro- 
chambeau reached Newport from France. 

Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original States to ratify the 
Federal Constitution, and was not admitted into the Union until the 
29th of May, 1790. 

The victory on Lake Erie in 1812, was won by a Rhode Island 
Commander (Oliver H. Perry), whose force was principally made up 
of Rhode Island seamen. 

In 1842, a change in the Constitution of the State having become 
desirable, a portion of the people, known as the " suffrage party," 
illegally framed a new constitution, and proceeded to elect a legisla- 
ture and Governor, and to make laws for the State. They were led 
by Thomas W. Dorr, their pretended governor, and endeavored to 
establish their authority by force of arms. They Avere disjiersed by 
the State troops. The proper authorities then summoned a conven- 
tion. It met in September, 1842, and adopted the present Consti- 
tution of the State, which w^as ratified by the almost unanimous vote 
of the people in ] 84e3. 

During the late war, Rhode Island contributed 25,355 men to the 
military fervice of the Union. 



310 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





>A.lilAOANSli;T BAY. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The cities and towns of importance, besides the capitals, are, Smith- 
field, North Providence, Warwick, Bristol, South Kingston, Coventry, 
East Greenwich, and Pawtucket. 

PROVIDENCE, 

In Providence county, is the largest city, and one of the capitals of 
the State. It is situated at the head of navigation on Narraganset 
Bay, 43 miles south-southwest of Boston. 

"It is one of the most beautiful cities in New England, and is sur- 
passed only by Boston in wealth and population. It is pleasantly 
situated on the northern arm of the Narraganset Bay, called Provi- 
dence River. It is an ancient town, dating as far back as 1G36 — 
when its founder, Roger Williams, driven from the domain of Massa- 
chusetts, sought here that religious liberty which was denied him 
elsewhere. 

" This city makes a charming picture seen from the approach by 



RHODE ISLAND. 311 

the beautiful waters of the Narraganset, which it encircles on the 
north by its business quarter, rising beyond and rather abruptly to a 
lofty terrace, where the quiet and gratefully shaded streets are filled 
with dainty cottages and handsome mansions. Providence was once 
a very important commercial depot, its rich ships crossing all seas, and 
at the present day the city is equally distinguished for its manufac- 
turing and commercial enterprise. In the former department of hu- 
man achievement it early took the lead, which it still keeps, the first 
cotton-mill which was built in America being still in use, in its sub- 
urban village of Pawtucket, and some of the heaviest mills and print- 
works of the Union being now in operation within its limits. It has 
also extensive manufactories of machinery and jewelry. The work- 
shops of the American Screw Company are the best appointed of their 
kind in the country. The total capital invested here in manufactures 
is upwards of $16,000,000. 

" Providence is the seat of Brown University, one of the best educa- 
tional establishments in America. It was founded in Warren, Rhode 
Island, in 1764, and removed to Providence in 1770. Its library is 
very large and valuable, and is remarkably rich in rare and costly 
works. 

"Rhode Island Hospital, now progressing towards completion in the 
southwestern suburb, will be one of the finest structures in the State. 
The entire cost, including grounds, will exceed a quarter million of 
dollars. 

"The Athenaeum has a fine reading-room, and a collection of 29,000' 
books. The Providence Historical Society, incorporated 1822, has a. 
library of 4000 volumes. The Butler Hospital for the Insane, upon 
the banks of Seekonk River, is an admirable institution, occupying 
large and imposing edifices. In the same part of the city, and lying 
also upon the Seekonk River, is the Swan Point Cemetery, a spot of 
great rural beauty. There are upwards of 60 public schools in Provi- 
dence, in which instruction is given to between eight and nine thou- 
sand pupils. The Dexter Asylum for the Poor stands upon an elevated 
range of land east of the river. In the same vicinage is the yearly 
meeting boarding-school, belonging to the Society of Friends. The 
Reform School occupies the large mansion, in the southeast part of the 
city, formerly known as the Tockwotton House. The Home for Aged 
Women and the Children's Friend Society are worthy a visit. The 
Custom-House (Post-Office, and United States Courts) is a handsome 
granite structure, and one of the principal architectural ornaments of 
20 



312 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the city. The raih'oad depot, some of the banks, and many of the 
churches of Providence, are imposing structures. The railways di- 
verging from Providence, are the Providence and Worcester, 43 miles, 
to Worcester, Mass. ; Hartford, Providence and Fishkill, 123 miles, to 
Waterbury, Conn. ; Boston and Providence, and Stonington and Provi- 
dence, 62 miles, to New London ; and the Providence, Warren and Bris- 
tol. Upon the immediate edge of the city, on the shore of a charming 
bay in the Seekonk River, stands the famous What Cheer Rock, where 
the founder of the city, Roger Williams, landed from the Massachu- 
setts side, to make the first settlement here. 

"At Hunt's Mill, 3 or 4 miles distant, is a beautiful brook with a 
picturesque little cascade, a drive to which is among the morning or 
evening pleasures of the Providence people and their guests. Vue de 
I'Eau is the name of a picturesque and spacious summer hotel, perched 
upon a high terrace 4 miles below the city, overlooking the bay and 
its beauties for many miles around. 

" Gaspee Point, below, upon the opposite shore of the Narraganset, 
was the scene of an exploit during the Revolution. Some citizens of 
Providence, after adroitly beguiling an obnoxious British revenue 
craft upon the treacherous bar, stole down by boats in the night and 
settled her business by burning her to the water's edge." * 

Providence . contains many handsome buildings, both j)ublic and 
private. There are 54 churches, 35 banks, 27 public schools, and 
7 or 8 newspaper establishments in the city. It is supplied with 
water, and lighted with gas. Street railways connect the prominent 
points. 

Providence is the centre of an important commerce with the At- 
lantic coast of the Union, and with foreign countries. Manufactures 
are also extensively carried on here. Jewelry is made in great quan- 
tities, sometimes amounting to $3,000,000 per annum. Cotton and 
woollen goods, furniture and wooden ware, iron goods, machinery of 
various kinds, paper, boots and shoes, carriages, and locomotives, are 
the principal articles. In 1864, the value of the manufactures of 
Providence was $30,638,177. The population of the city is 68,906, 
which makes it the second city .in New England. 

NEWPORT, 
In Newport county, 28 miles southeast of Providence, is one of the 
capitals of the State. It is situated on the west shore of the island 

* Iland-Book of American Travel. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



813 




NEWPORT. 



of* Rhode Island, about 5 miles from the sea. The town is located on 
the slope of a slight hill facing the harbor, and is, in the main, hand- 
somely built, containing a number of fine public buildings and private 
residences. The principal buildings are the State House, the Custom 
House, Market House, and the Redwood Library, a fine Doric building 
containing about 1500 volumes, and a number of valuable busts and 
paintings. There are abont 16 churches, 7 banks, 2 newspaper offices, 
and a number of manufacturing establishments in Newport. The 
city is well laid off, and is lighted with gas. It has a population 
of 12,521. 

The hotels are its principal attraction. There are several first-class 
establishments, capable of accommodating several thousand visitors. 
Its admirable climate and situation have made Newport one of the 
most popular seaside resorts in the Union. Th^ whole southern pai't 
of the island is now dotted with cottages and villas, many of them 
very handsome, belonging to wealthy citizens of various parts of the 
country, who pass the summer months here. 

"The facilities for surf-bathing at Newport are not excelled by any 
place in this country. There are three fine beaches, called Easton's, 
Sachuest's, and Smith's. Easton's is the one generally used by the 
majority;, and it is so situated that there is no danger to the bathers 



8U OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

from under-currents, while the breakers follow each other in majestic 
succession. This beach is about half a mile from the principal hotels, 
and public conveyances ply regularly to and fro. 

"The drives about Newport are excellent. In 1867, a new one 
was m-ade by the city authorities, commencing at Bollevue avenue, 
near the Ocean House, and continuing south 2 miles; thence west 
3 miles, along the shore; thence north 1 mile; and thence northeast 
to Bellevue avenue, 3 miles. The entire drive is 10 miles long, 80 
feet wide, and is macadamized. It is pronounced the best one in the 
country, and some of the finest residences in the city are located on it. 
An unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean is afforded for nearly 
the entire length of this road. 

" Near Sachuest Beach, at the northern extremity of the Bluff, is a 
dark chasm called Purgatory. By actual measurement, the chasm is 
160 feet in length; from 8 to 14 feet wide at the top; from 2 to 24 
feet wide at the bottom; 50 feet deep at the outer edge; and 10 feet 
of water at low tide. Near by are the Hanging Rocks, within whose 
shadow it is said that Bishop Berkeley wrote his " Minute Philoiiopher." 
The Glen and the Spouting Cave are charming places to ride to, when 
the w^eather invites. Lily Pond, the largest sheet of spring water' on 
the island, is easily reached from Spouting Cave. The waters of the 
pond swarm with perch. 

" The city of Newport is so ancient, and once so prominent a town, 
that it would be of interest to the visitor, wholly apart from its present 
fashionable relations. Indeed, Newport may be said properly to be 
two places — an old metropolis, and a watering-place ; and, like Que- 
bec reversed, it has its upper, or new town, and its lower, or old town. 
The harbor is one of the best and deepest in the world. The entrance 
to it is 2 miles in width, 29 fathoms in depth, and in only one instance 
has it been closed by ice since the first settlement. As late as 1769, 
the city exceeded New York in the extent of her foreign and domestic 
commerce. In the Revolution, the British long held possession of 
the place, during which time (till 1797) the population decreased from 
12,000 to 4000. Among the interesting relics to be found in the 
town, are : Franklin's printing-press, imported by James Franklin in 
1720, It is in the office of the Newport Mercury, established in 1758. 
Upon this press the first newspaper issued (1732) was printed. The 
Chair of State, in wdiich Benedict Arnold sat at the reception of the 
charter in 1633, is in the possession of the Gould family. The first 
Baptist Church, founded in 1638, and claimed as the oldest church in 
Rhode Island, is worthy a visit. 



RHODE ISLAND. 315 

" Newport was the birthplace of tlie gifted miniature painter Mal- 
bone, and Gilbert Stuart's place of nativity may be seen in Narra- 
ganset, across the bay. Stuart made two copies of his great Wash- 
ington picture for Rhode Island, one of which may be seen in the 
State House at Newport, and the other in that at Providence. 

" The old Stone Mill, in Touro Park, oj)posite the Atlantic House, 
is a curiosity, and is tenderly cared for by the city authorities. It is 
sometimes called the Round Tower. The origin and early history of 
this ^old mill' is a mystery, and has led to many fruitless conjec- 
tures. Some antiquarians claim for it the honor of having afforded a 
secure shelter to the Norsemen, who, they say, built it as a lookout 
and a tower of defence ; but the modern observers deny it this envia- 
ble renown, and maintain that it was built by Governor Benedict Ar- 
nold, the first charter governor of the colony, who owned the property 
at the time of his death, and calls it in his will ' my stone-built wind- 
mill.' Redwood Library, near the opera-house, established by Abra- 
ham Redwood in 1750, contains one of the very best collections of 
paintings, choice books, and statuary in the country. The Jewish 
Synagogue, on Touro street, was built in 1672, and up to the Revolu- 
tionary war was regularly opened for worship, and was the only place 
in New England where Hebrew was chanted and read weekly. There 
were many families of wealthy and influential Jews in Newport at 
that time; now there are none. Abraham Touro left $20,000 in 
charge of the town authorities, the interest to be expended in keeping 
the synagogue and grounds, and street leading to it, in repair ; and 
the wishes of the donor have been carefully complied with. Besides 
these places, the visitor should see the Perry Monument, Commodore 
Perry's house, built in 1763, and long known as the 'Granary;' the 
fortifications in the harbor. Fort Adams, Fort Wolcott, Fort Brown, 
and the Dumplings. Fort Adams, on Brenton Point, is one of the 
largest works in the United States, mounting 460 guns." * 

Newport was occuj)ied by the British during several years of the 
Revolution. They quartered 8000 troops upon the town, destroyed 
480 houses, robbed the library, which was then the finest in America, 
and carried off the town records. 

In the spring of 1776, Admiral Wallace was driven out of the harbor of New- 
port, by a vigorous attack, assisted by the Providence troops. But in December 
of the same year arrived the British fleet under Sir Peter Parker. It sailed up 
the West Passage, crossed from the north point of Conanicut, and landed an 
army of 8000 or 10,000 English and Hessians, commanded by General Clinton 
and Lord Percy, in Middletown, about five miles from Newport. The army im- 
mediately began to plunder, and Avas quartered upon the inhibitants until Mav, 



316 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

1777, when Clinton and Percy, with a large party left for New York, and General 
Prescott sncceeded to the command. He made himself obnoxious by petty 
tyranny, but Major Barton revenged the injuries of the island by a feat of memo- 
rable ingenuity and valor. 

Earton was on duty with the Rhode Island line, and after the capture of Gen- 
eral Lee, in November, 1770, he considered how he might retort upon the enemy, 
and resolved to capture Prescott. When the English landed. Major Barton was 
stationed at Tiverton, upon the mainland, not far from the shore of Rhode Island. 
He waited for several months, but found no fit opportunity, until a British de- 
serter was brought into his quarters. Barton ascertained from him the situation 
of Prescott' s headquarters, and all the necessary details, and prepared to put his 
plan immediately into execution. He and his men were new to the service, and 
failure was permanejit disgrace, as he well knew ; but without a moment's hesita- 
tion he selecled his companions from the officers, told them the scope of the "un- 
dertaking, and engaged their confidence and sympathy. Five whale-boats were 
procured and fitted. At the last moment Barton addressed his soldiers, and said 
that he wished the voluntary assistance of about 40 men. The whole regiment 
advanced, and declared itself ready to accompany him. On the 4th of Jul}-, 1777, 
the party left Tiverton, and crossed to the western shore of the bay. At o'clock 
on the evening of the 9th of July, they left Warwick Neck in the whalcJljoats. 
That of Major Barton went in front, and was distinguished from the others by a 
handkerchief tied to a pole in the stern. The little fleet dropped silently down 
the bay, between the islands of Patience and Prudence. In the stillness of tlie 
night they heard the drowsy call of "All's well," from the sentinels on the 
English ships, and as they touched the shore of Rhode Island a sound as of run- 
ning horses was heard. It was too late to be alarmed, and the party landed in 
silence. Major Barton detailing one man to remain in each boat. They landed 
about a mile from the headquaiters of General Prescott, and crept toward it in 
five divisions. There were three doors to the house — on the south, the east, and 
the west. One division was to advance upon each door, the fourth was to guard 
the road, and the fifth to act as a reserve. 

As they reached the house they were challenged by the sentinel. 

"Friends," said Barton. 

"Advance and give the countersign," was the reply. 

" D— n you, we have no countersign. Have you seen any deserters to-night ? " 
said Barton, advancing upon the sentrj', seizing his musket, telling him he was 
a prisoner, and threatening him with instant death if he betrayed them by making 
a noise. The sentry said that the general was in the house. Each division had 
now reached its station ; the doors were forced, and the soldiers rushed up stairs 
to the chamber of the host. He was speechless with fright, and pointed to the 
room below as that of the general. Making sure of the host, they returned into 
the entry, where Barton ordered them to fire the house at the four corners, as he 
meant to have the general, alive or dead. But at this moment, aroused by the 
aoise, Prescott called to know what was the matter. The soldiers ran down 
stairs and entered his room, where Barton saw a man sitting on the side of 
the bed. 

" Are yoiT General Prescott ?" demanded Barton. 

" I am, sir," replied the officer. 

" You are my prisoner," returned Barton. 

" I acknowledge it, sir," said tlie general. 



RHODE ISLAND. 317 

Major Barton then told him that he must go with them, and to his request that 
he might be allowed to dress himself, replied that he was very sorry that his busi- 
ness required great dispatch, and the general was obliged to hurry off as he was. 
Prescott's aid, Major Barrington, had leaped out of a window at tlie beginning 
of the fray, and had landed safely in the midst of the guard of reserve. Of the 
three prisoners, only the sentinel had his shoes on ; and as the party hurried 
across the field of rye-stubble tangled with blackberry bushes, the general's feet 
and legs, as also those of Major Barrington, were sorely scratched. But the 
party was led along to the shore as directly and rapidly as possible, and reached 
their boats safely. Barton placed the prisoners in his boat, and wrapping his 
cloak around the shivering general, he ordered the little fleet to put off. The 
alarm was given from the shore by guns and rockets, but the boats darted silently 
and swiftly out of danger. General Prescott asked if Barton commanded, and 
said to him : 

" You have made a bold push to-night," and expressed the hope that he should 
not be hurt. 

" Not while you are in my care," said Barton. 

The bay was in a wild confusion Avith the spreading alarm ; but straight under 
the bows and sterns of the English ships, in that darkest hour preceding dawn, 
the prisoner was safely rowed, and morning broke upon the expedition arriving 
under the guns of its own batteries. General Prescott ^w.s afterwards exchanged 
for General Lee. 

MISCELLANY. 

In 1773, the famous seizure of the British schooner Gaspee occurred in Narra- 
ganset Bay. The following account of the occurrence was written by Colonel 
Ephraim Bowen, of Providence, who was an actor in the scene : 

In the year 1772, the British Government had stationed at Newport, Rhode 
Island, a sloop of war, with her tender, the schooner called the Gaspee, of eight 
guns, commanded by William Duddingston, a lieutenant in the British navy, for 
the purpose of preventing the clandestine landing of articles subject to the pay- 
ment of duty. The captain of this schooner made it his practice to stop and 
board all vessels entering or leaving the ports of Rhode Island, or leaving New- 
port for Providence. 

On the 17th of June, 1772, Captain Thomas Lindsay left Newport, in his 
packet, for Providence, about noon, with the wind at north ; and soon after, the 
Gaspee was under sail, in pursuit of Lindsay, and continued the chase as far as 
Namcut Point. Lindsay was standing easterly, with the tide on the ebb, about 
two hours, when he hove about at the end of Namcut Point, and stood to the 
westward ; and Duddingston, in close chase, changed his course and ran on the 
point near its end and grounded. Lindsay continued in his course up the river, 
and arrived at Providence about sunset, when he immediately informed Mr. John 
Brown, one of our first and most respectable merchants, of the situation of the 
Gasp6e. Mr. Brown immediately resolved on her destruction ; and he forthwith 
directed one of his trusty shipmasters to collect eight of the largest long boats in 
the harbor, with five oars to each, to have the oar-locks well muffled to prevent 
noise, and to place them at Fenner's wharf, directly opposite to the dwelling of 
Mr. James Sabine. 

Soon after sunset, a man passed along the main street, beating a drum, and 
informing the inhabitants that the Gaspee was aground on Namcut Point, and 



318 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

inviting those persons who felt a disposition to go and destroy that troublesome 
vessel, to repair in the evening to Mr. James Sabine's house. About nine o'clock 
I took my father's gun, and my powder-horn and bullets, and went to Mr. Sa- 
bine's, and found it full of people ; where I loaded my gun, and all remained 
there till ten o'clock, some casting bullets in the kitchen, and others making ar- 
rangements for departure, when orders were given to cross the street to Fenner's 
Avharf and embark, which soon took place, and a sea-captain acted as steersman 
of each boat, of whom I recollect Captain Abraham Whipple, Captain John B. 
Hopkins (with whom I embarked), and Captain Benjamin Dunn. A line from 
right to left was soon formed, with Captain Whipple on the right, and Captain 
Hopkins on the right of the left wing. The party thus proceeded, till within 
iibout sixty yards of the Gaspee, when a sentinel hailed, " Who comes there ? " 
No answer. He hailed again, and no answer. In about a minute, Duddingston 
mcjunted the starboard gunwale, in his shirt, and hailed, " Who comes there ? " 
No answer. He hailed again, when Captain Whipple answered as follows: "I 
am the sheriff of the county of Kent ; I have got a warrant to apprehend you ; so 
surrender, d — n you." 

I took my seat on the thwart, near the larboard row-lock, with my gun at my 
right side, and facing forward. As soon as Duddingston began to hail, Joseph 
Bucklin, who was standing on the main thwart by my right side, said to me, 
"Ephe, reach me your^uu, and I can kill that fellow." I reached it to him 
accordingly, when, during Captain Whipple's replying, Bucklin fired, and Dud- 
dingston fell ; and Bucklin exclaimed, " 1 have killed the rascal ! " In less than 
a minute after Captain Whipple's answer, the boats were alongside the Gaspee, 
and boarded without opposition. The men on deck retreated below, as Dud- 
dingston entered the cabin. 

As it was discovered that he was wounded, John Mawney, who had, for two 
. or three years, been studying medicine and surgery, was ordered to go into the 
cabin and dress Duddingston's wound, and I was directed to assist him. On ex- 
amination, it was found that the ball took effect directly below the navel. Dud- 
dingston called for Mr. Dickinson to produce bandages and other necessaries for 
the dressing of the wound ; and, when this was done, orders were given to the 
schooner's company to collect their clothing and everything belonging to them, 
and to put them into the boats, as all of them were to be sent on shore. All were 
soon collected and put on board of the boats, including one of our boats. 

They departed and landed Duddingston at the old still-house wharf at Pawtuxet, 
and put the chief into the house of Joseph Rhodes. Soon after, all the party were 
ordered to depart, leaving one boat for the leaders of the expedition, who soon 
set the vessel on fire, which consumed her to the water's edge. 

The names of the most conspicuous actors are as follows, viz : Mr. John 
Brown, Captain Abraham Whipple, John B, Hopkins, Benjamin Dunn, and 
five others whose names I have forgotten, and John Mawney, Benjamin Page, 
Joseph Bucklin, and Toupin Smith, my youthful companions, all of whom are 
dead — I believe every man of the party — excepting myself; and my age is 
eighty-six years, this twenty-ninth day of August, eighteen hundred and thirty- 



CONNECTICUT. 

Area, 4,674 Square Miles. 

Population iu 1860, 460,147 

Population in 1870, 537,454 

The State of Connecticut lies between latitude 41° and 42° 3' N., and 
longitude 71° 55' and 73° 50' W. ; and is bounded on the north by Mas- 
sachusetts, on the east by Rhode Island, on the south by Long Island 
Sound, and on the west by New York. Its extreme length from east 
to west is about 93 miles, and its greatest width from north to south 
68 miles. It is, next to Rhode Island and Delaware, the smallest 
State in the Union. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The country bordering Long Island Sound is level, but a great part 
of the State is rugged and mountainous, though the mountains, as they 
are called, are little morje than high hills. In the eastern part, be- 
tween the Connecticut River and the Rhode Island line, is a ridge, 
supposed to be the extreme prolongation of the White Mountains of 
New Hampshire. The western part is crossed by an extension of the 
Green Mountains of Vermont, which reach almost, to the shore of the 
Souud. This range consists of a series of detached peaks. TheT'alcet 
or Greenwood Range passes across the State from the Massachusetts 
line to the immediate vicinity of New Haven. East of this range are 
the Middletown Mountains, which extend southward from Hartford 
to North Branford, east of New Haven, running parallel with the 
Greenwood Range In the northern part of the State there is a small 
range between the Green and the Greenwood Mountains. Though of a 
moderate elevation, these ranges are exceedingly picturesque, and give 

a peculiar charm to the scenery of the State. " Most of the ridges are 
320 



CONNECTICUT. 



321 




VIEW FROM MOUNT HOLYOKE. 



parallel, and their western parts generally precipitous, so that in many 
places the country seems divided by stupendous walls. Immense 
masses of ruins are collected at their feet. These consist sometimes of 
entire cliffs and pillars of many tons weight, which are thrown off by 
the freezing of water in the gullies, and often fall with a mighty con- 
cussion into the valleys. On the opposite side there is generally a 
slope covered with trees In Meriden is a natural ice- 
house, in a narrow defile, between ridges of greenstone. The defile is 
choked up with the ruins of the rocks which have fallen from the 



322 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ridges, and form a series of cavities overgrown with trees, and strewn 
with thick beds of leaves. The ice is formed in the cavities of these 
rocks, and remains the whole year. A portion of it melts during 
summer, causing a stream of cold water perpetually to flow from the 
spot. The space between the mountains is called Cat Hollow, and 
presents the most wild and picturesque scenery in the State." The 
principal peaks are Mount Tom, near Litchfield, and Bald Mountain 
in the extreme northern part of the State. 

The entire southern border is washed by Long Island Sound, into 
which flow the principal rivers of the State. There are several good 
harbors along the Sound, of which New London is the best, though 
New Haven Bay is the largest. 

The Connecticut River enters the State from Massachusetts, and 
flows through it into Long Island Sound, dividing it into two unequal 
parts. It is navigable for a distance of 50 miles for vessels drawing 
eight feet of water, and much higher for steamers.. The scenery of the 
valley of this stream is very beautiful in many places ; Hartford, 
Middletown, and Haddam are the j^rincipal places on its banks. 

The ITousatonic River flows through the western part of the State 
into the Sound. It is navigable for 12 miles for small vessels. It 
rises in the northern part of Berkshire county, Mass., and in its course 
through Connecticut receives a number of small tributaries, which 
drain the little lakes or ponds, which are quite numerous in Litchfield 
county. The whole region through which it flows is noted for the 
beauty of its scenery, and the healthfulness of its climate. It is a 
region of bold hills and lovely valleys, through which the merry little 
streams come leaping to join the main river. The falls of the Housa- 
tonic, 67 miles from its mouth, are 60 feet in height, and are among 
the most beautiful in America. 

The Thames River is formed by the junction of the Quinebaug, 
Shetucket, and Yantic rivers, near Norwich, in New London county, 
and is about 14 miles long. It flows southward into the Sound. At 
its mouth it widens into the fine harbor of New London, which is the 
best in the State. It is navigable for its entire length. Norwich and 
New London are its principal towns. 

Nearly all the rivers of the State furnish excellent water-power. 

* 
MINERALS. 

Connecticut is very rich in mineral deposits. Granite abounds, and 
marble of an excellent quality is found. The chrysoberyl and the 



CONNECTICUT. 323 

precious beryl are found near Haddam, and the columbite near Middle- 
town. Dr. Frankfort, of Middletown, thus sums up the mineral re- 
sources of the State : 

" The State of Connecticut may be geologically divided into two, 
large fields, the first of which is composed of tlie unstratified and 
niotamorphic rocks, and the other of those secondary strata which, 
under the name of * freestone,' are so extensively quarried in different 
parts of the State for building purposes, and constitute the new rci 
sandstone of Lyell. The best place to study this jDcculiar formation is 
near Portland, in Middlesex county. In the vicinity of the new red 
sandstone, are to be found in nearly every part of the State, large 
dykes of trap, Avhich protrude and traverse it, as for example, at Mcr- 
iden. This gives Connecticut a great analogy to the Lake Superior 
copper region, in which large veins of native copper, unequalled as yet 
in any other part of the world, are found nearly always at the junction 
of these trapdykes with the red sandstone. From this fact we might 
expect that in Connecticut, also similar deposits of copper would exist. 
In several instances indeed, the vestiges of the presence of such have been 
found ; as, for example, near New Haven, where a large mass of native 
copper was discovered; and also near Meriden, where ancient excava- 
tions made in search of j^opper may be seen. The State is very rich in 
mining resources, as veins of the different metals have been discovered, 
and more will undoubtedly be found. In every part of the world, 
such veins are chiefly known to exist where the mctamorphic strata 
are in junction with the secondary ; and the mineral veins of Connec- 
ticut are near these junctions, of which a great many may be found 
throug^hout the State. The followins: is a brief statement of the differ- 
ent localities in which valuable minerals are known to exist in veins 
or deposits. Gold has been found in small quantities in Middle Ilad- 
dara, Middlesex county ; silver, in the argentiferous lead ore of the 
Middletown mines, now extensively worked. One of the richest 
copper mines in the United States has been worked in Bristol, Hart- 
ford county, for ten years. The ores found here are chiefly sulphurets. 
Copper deposits also exist near Litchfield, Simsbury, Plymoutli, 
Granby, Farraington and Middletown. Lead occurs, as galena, at the 
miuL'S near Middletown; also near Wilton and Brookfield, and near 
Monroe, Fairfield county. Iron is mined at Salisbury, where large 
furnaces are suj^plied with ' brown hematite,' the ore chiefly found at 
the mines. Roxbury furnishes an excellent ore, from which the very 
best of steel could be manufactured, if the large deposits of pure spathic 



324 OUR -COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

iron, known to exist there, should be worked. Bismuth is found at 
different places in the town of Monroe. The only vein containing 
tliese valuable metals (cobalt and nickel) in abundance in the United 
States is in the town of Chatham, where at present extensive mining 
operations for their extraction are carried on."* 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is severe in winter, but pleasant in summer, owing to 
the cool sea breeze which mitigates the heat. The spring comes earlier 
than in the other New England States, but is accompanied by keen 
northeast winds, which are neither pleasant nor healthful. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

Except in the valleys of the principal rivers, the soil of Connecticut 
is not remarkable for fertility. In the river valleys the lands are very 
good, especially along the Connecticut River. The northwestern part 
of the State is devoted to dairy farming and grazing. Agriculture 
receives great attention in this State, and the soil is skilfully and in- 
dustriously tilled. , 

In 1869, there were 1,830,808 acres of improved, and 673,457 acres 
of unimproved land in Connecticut. The other agricultural products 
were stated as follows for the same year : 

Cash value of farms, - . . . $125,000,000 

Value of farming implements and machinery, 3,o00,000 

Number of horses, ' . 40,150 

" asses and mules, 110 

" milch cows, 99,350 

" other cattle, . 112,680 

" sheep, • 118,300 

" swine, 90,450 

Value of domestic animals, $17,311,009 

Busliels of Avheat, ... 75,000 

rye, 837,000 

" Indian corn, 1,950,000 

" oats, 2,100,000 

" Irish potatoes, 2,500,000 

" barley, 25,000 

" buckwheat, 270,000 

Poimds of tobacco, 6,000,000 

" wool, 350,000 



Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 489. 



Connecticut. • 325 

rounds of butter, • 7,G20,912 

" cheese 3,898,411 

" maple sugar, 44,259 

" beeswax and honey, 67,101 

Gallons of wine, . . ' 46,783 

Tons of hay, 750,000 

■ COMMERCE. 

Connecticut possesses little or no foreign conv.norce of her own, 
her trade with other countries, except that with the West Indies, 
being conducted almost entirely through the ports of New York and 
Boston. An active trade is maintained with the principal ports of 
the American coast, especially with New York. In 1863, the total 
tonnage owned in the State was 110,033. In 1861, the total exports 
of Connecticut amounted to $421,320, and the imports to $753,309. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Connecticut is extensively engaged in manufactures, and contains, 
perhaps, more small establishments conducted by persons of moderate 
capital than any of the New England States. The products of these 
little factories make up an imposing sum total, which compares favor- 
ably with that of the States containing larger establishments. The 
Avooden clocks of this State (to say nothing of its " wooden nutmegs ") 
are famous, and of late years have even been exported to Europe. 
"Nearly all the inhabitants are directly or indirectly interested in 
some kind of manufactures. It is the genius of the people to attend 
to a multiplicity of pursuits, and consequently, while all are busy, 
undertakings on a large scale are seldom made. More recently, how- 
ever, combined capital, aided by men of means from other States, has 
much enlarged manufacturing operations. Much of the machinery 
used is the fruit of the inventions and improvements by the manufac- 
turers themselves, among whom we need mention but the names of 
Whitney, Goodyear and Colt. The people are always contriving and 
enthusiastic in whatever they undertake. The most extensive manu- 
factures are those of iron, clocks, carriages and india-rubber goods ; 
iron of all possible varieties, from the heaviest castings to the finest 
cutlery, including anchors and boilers, firearms, edge-tools, wire, etc. 
Connecticut has almost engrossed the manufacture of clocks for our 
whole country, and for a large part of the civilized world. . . . The 
^-f^nius of Goodyear and of his co-laborers, has given gi^eater variety to 



326 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the manufactures of India rubber than of almost any other known 
substance. In the manufacture of carriages, Connecticut is second to 
no State in the Union." * 

In 1870, there were in the State 5128 establishments devoted to 
manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts, employing 89,523 hands, 
and a capital of $95,281,278, using raw material M^orth $86,419,517, 
and yielding an annual product of $191,065,474. There were 111 
cotton mills, employing 4734 male and 2909 female ha,nds, and a 
capital of $12,710,700, consuming raw material worth $8,818,651 ; 
paying $3,246,783 for labor; and yielding an annual product of 
$14,026,334. There were 103 woollen mills, employing 7285 male 
and 4247 female hands, and a capital of $12,490,400; consuming raw 
material worth $11,016,925; paying $2,800,120 for labor; and 
yielding an annual product of $17,365,148. The other manufactures 
are stated as follows in the same year : 

Value of agricultural implements, $1,183,947 

" pig iron, 979,125 

" rolled iron, 1,191,140 

" steam engines and machinery, . . . 4,910,389 

" sewing machines, 3,619,000 

" sawed and planed lumber, .... 2,123,118 

" flour, 3,966,328 

" leather, 1,307,030 

« boots and shoes, 2,319,596 

« furniture, 1,103,690 

" jewelry, silverware, etc., 4,150,000 

• INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In the year 1868, there were 637 miles of railroad in operation in 
Connecticut, the total cost of which was $24,370,000. Lines cross 
the State in every direction, connecting its principal towns with each 
other, and with New York and Boston. A continuous line skirts the 
shore of Long Island Sound, from which several routes diverge, at 
various points, to the northward. An important "Air Line" between 
New Y^ork and Boston is now in construction across the State. 

There is but one canal in the State, and that a short one around 
Enfield Falls, in the Connecticut River. 

* Appleton's Cyclopaedia, vol, v. p. 617. 



CONNECTICUT. 327 

EDUCATION. 

This State has always been noted for the excellence of its public 
school system. There is a permanent school fund, which, in 1870, 
amounted to $2,044,058. The interest of this sum is applied to the 
support of the schools, and the remainder of the amount needed for 
fheir maintenance is raised by taxation. In 1868 there were 1645 
public schools. The attendance was as follows : in the winter, 80,148, 
average attendance 57,117, in the summer, 73,863, average attendance 
52,299.. The proportion of children attending school is less than in 
any other New England State, and truancy prevails to such an alarm- 
ing extent that the authorities of the State are urged by the Board of 
Education to take decisive measures to put a stop to the evil. They 
assert that less than one half the children of the State are found on 
an average in the public schools. 

The school system is under the control of the State Board of Edu- 
cation, which consists of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, e.v 
officio, and one person appointed by the Legislature from each of the 
four Congressional districts, for a term of four years. The principal 
executive officer is the Secretary, who is chosen by the Board, and 
manages its affairs, and supervises the public schools under its direc- 
tion. The State is divided into 1620 educational districts, each of 
which is immediately in charge of a School Committee, elected by tli<' 
people of the district. In order to be entitled to the benefits of tho 
scliool fund, each common school must be conducted for at least six 
months in the year by a regularly licensed teacher. 

There is a State Normal School, for the education of teachers, at, 
New Britain, and Teachers' Institutes are held in various parts of 
the State under the direction of the Secretary of the Board of Educa- 
tion. The Commonwealth makes an appropriation of $3000 per 
annum to defray their expenses. Seven cities, and several of the ' 
large towns, support public high schools. 

There are 35 incorporated academies, and a number of flourishing 
private schools in the State. 

Connecticut contains three colleges, Yale College, at New Haven, 
Trinity College, at Hartford, and Wesleyan University, at Middle- 
town. The first is a Congregationalist, the second an Episcopal, and 
the third a Methodist institution. 

Yale College was originally located at Killingworth, and was 
founded in 1700. It was removed to Sajbrook in 1707, and to New 
21 



o28 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUPCES. 




YALE COLLEGE, NEW HAVEN. 



Haven in 1716. It embraces five schools, the academical, theological, 
medical, law school, and the school of science and the arts. Each of 
tliese has its own faculty. It is one of the best institutions of its kind 
in the Union, but is considerably hampered in its usefulness by a lack 
of means. Recently, however, it has received some assistance from 
the State and from private individuals. 

Trinity College was founded in 1823, is located at Hartford, and is 
under the direction of the Episcopal Church. The college is in a 
])rosperous condition, and ranks high amongst the institutions of its 
kind in the Union. 

The Wesleyan University, at Middletown, is a flourishing institu- 
tion under the direction of the Methodists. The course is similar to 
that of other first-class colleges. 

In 1867 there were 490 libraries in the State (of which 194 were 
public), conta'ning 404,200 volumes. In the same year there were 



CONNECTICUT. 329 

55 periodicals published in the State — 45 political, 3 religious, 5 
literary, and 2 miscellaneous. Of these, 14 were daily, 1 semi- 
weekly, 37 weekly, 1 monthly, and 2 quarterly. Their aggregate 
annual circulation was 9,555,672 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

- The State Prison is located at Wethersfield. The inmates work in 
silence during the day, and are confined in separate cells at night. 
Their labor is let out to contractors, and in ] 868 the earnings of the 
institution were slightly in excess of its expenses. The commutation 
system is carried out here with great success, and concerts and other 
healthful entertainments are occasionally given in the prison by 
benevolent citizens. In March, 1870, there were 219 convicts con- 
fined here. 

The American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, at Hartford, is the 
oldest as well as one of the best institutions of its kind in America. 
It was incorporated in 1816, and opened the next year. In 1819 it 
received from Congress an endowment of 23,000 acres of land, and 
the Legislatures of several of the States made liberal provisions for it, 
upon the condition that they should each have the privilege of placing 
a certain number of pupils under its care. This arrangement is still 
in operation. 

" In the earlier periods of instruction much use was made of the 
syvStem of methodical signs, so carefully elaborated by Dr. L'Epee and 
Sicard, in which each word had a definite and fixed sign, and could 
be given in the proper order in the sentence. These signs were 
greatly sim})lified and improved by Mr. Gallaudet and his early as- 
sociates. His successors continued to introduce such modifications 
and improvements as the experience of intelligent teachers suggested. 
The methods now pursued have the same general ends in view as at 
first, that is, to enable the pupils to hold communication with society 
by means of written language, but they secure this result earlier and 
more satisfactorily by leading the pupil sooner to use forms of con- 
nected language. Special attention has been given from the first to 
the religious and moral culture of the pupils." 

The average annual attendance at this institution is about 250. 
Nearly 1500 pupils have attended it since its establishment. 

The Retreat for the Insane, at Hartford, is supported in part by 
the State, and was incorporated in 1822. A General Hospital for 
the Insane has been established by the State at Middletown, on the 



330 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

banks of the Connecticut .River, and is now in operation. In 
1868 the number of patients at the Hartford Retreat was 413. 
Patients are maintained here by some of the other Eastern States. 

The State Reform School, at West Meriden, was opened in 1854. 
Boys between ten and sixteen years of age, convicted of offences, other 
than those for which the penalty is imprisonment for life, may be sent 
to this school, and parents and guardians may indenture unruly youths 
to the school by paying a sum of $3 a week while they continue their 
connection with it. The boys are required to be in the school-room 
four hours each day, where they are thoroughly taught in the various 
branches of a plain, practical education, and for several hours are en- 
gaged in the workshop and on the farm. The receipts of their labor 
in 1870 were as follows: from the farm, $1087; from the workshop, 
$20,887. In March, 1870, there were 267 boys in the school. 

The State supports in part a School for Imbeciles, at Lakeville, 
and three Homes for Soldiers' Orphans, located at Darien, Cromwell, 
and Mansfield, and makes an annual appropriation for the support of 
patients at the Perkins Institution for the Blind, at Boston. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the" total value of church property in Connecticut, was 
$13,428,109. The number of churches was 902. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874, the public debt, over and above the assets of the State, 
was $5,014,500, having been reduced one-half since the close of the 
civil war. There is no floating debt. The receipts of the Treasury 
for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 1874, were |1, 762,427. In 
1868, there were 88 banks in the State (6 of which were State banks), 
with an aggregate capital of $25,994,220. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The Constitution of Connecticut was adopted in 1818. Every male 
white citizen 21 years old and able to read any article of the Constitu- 
tion, who shall have resided in the State one year and in the town 
six months, may vote, upon taking the oath required by law. 

The Government of the State is conducted by a Governor, Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller, and 
a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of not less than 18 nor more 



CONNECTICUT. 331 

than 24 members), and a House of Representatives (of 237 members), 
all chosen annuallv by the people, on the first Monday in April. 
They enter upon their offices on the first AVednesday in May. 

The Legislature holds annual sessions at Hartford, the capital of , 
the State. 

' There is a Supreme Court of Errors, composed of one Chief Judge 
and three Associate Judges. Appeals from the lower courts are heard 
and decided in this body. Its judgment is final and conclusive. 

The Superior Court consists of six judges, exclusive of those who 
are judges of the Supreme Court, and has cognizance of all cases, civil 
or criminal. In criminal cases, where death is the penalty of the 
crime for \vhich the prisoner is on trial, the court is required by law 
to be composed of two judges, one of whom must be a judge of the 
Supreme Court. 

The judges of these courts are elected on joint ballot by the Legis- 
lature, and hold office for a period of eight years. Upon reaching the 
age of 70 years, they are disqualified by the Constitution from holding 
office. 

Hartfortl is the capital of Connecticut. For purposes of govern- 
ment, the State is divided into 8 counties 

HISTORY. 

In 1633, the Dutch built a trading house at Hartford, and defended 
it by a fort. As early as 1631, however, Seguin, the chief of the In- 
dians who owned the lands along the Connecticut River, had sent 
messengers to Governor Winthrop, at Boston, and Governor Winslow, 
at Plymouth, inviting them to come and settle his country. His in- 
vitation was accepted, and the present town of Windsor, above Hart- 
ford, was founded in 1633, by a company from Plymouth, who built 
a trading house there. This is regarded as the first permanent settle- 
ment of the State, although the Dutch trading post was in existence 
at the time. The first town which was built, however, was Wethers- 
field, which was established by a company of emigrants from Massa- 
chusetts, in 1634. By 1633, three towns, Wethersfield, Windsor, and 
Hartford, were established, with an aggregate population of 750 in- 
habitants. 

In 1638, New Haven was settled by emigrants from England, and 
continued to form an establishment distinct from that of Hartford 
until 1662, when Charles II. united the two colonies under one gov-' 
ernraent. 



332 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1637, the settlers of the Hartford or Connecticut colony were 
greatly harassed by the Pequot Indians. The authorities resolved 
to put an effectual stop to their depredations, and a levy of 90 men, 
half the number of able-bodied males in the colony, was ordered. 
This force was well armed, and placed under the orders of Captain 
John Mason, who at once made a descent upon the main stronghold 
of the Pequots, and inflicted upon them a blow that completely de- 
stroyed them as a tribe. The locality where this encounter took place 
is known as Mystic. The effect of this decisive action was most happy 
as regarded the other tribes. 

In 1639, the colony of Connecticut adopted its first Constitution ; and 
in 1662, Governor John Winthrop obtained from Charles II. a charter 
uniting the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven under one govern- 
ment, the name of the former being given to the whole province. New 
Haven at first opposed the measure, but at length consented to it in 
1 665, when the union was finally accomplished. " The charter granted 
the colony jurisdiction over the lands within its limits; provided for 
the election of a governor, deputy-governor, and 12 assistants, and 
2 deputies from each town — substantially the same as provided for 
under the previous Constitution; allowed the free transportation of 
colonists and merchandize from England to the colony ; guaranteed 
to the colonists the rights of English citizens; provided for the mak- 
ing of laws and organization of courts by the general assembly, and 
the appointment of all necessary officers for the public good ; the or- 
scanization of a soldiery, providing for the public defence, etc. This 
ciiarter was of so general a character, and conferred so large powers, 
that no change was necessary when Connecticut took her stand as one 
of the independent States of the Union, on the declaration of inde- 
pendence in 1776 ; but it was continued, without alteration, as the 
Constitution of the State until 1818, when the present Constitution 
was formed. Until 1670, at the general election, all the freemen 
assembled at Hartford, and personally voted for the State officers and 
assistants. Thereafter they voted by proxy, or sent up their votes. 
In July, 1685, a writ of quo warranto was issued by the King's Bench, 
and served on the governor and company, with the design of taking 
away the charter and uniting the New England colonies in one gov- 
ernment under a royal governor. Sir Edmund Andros arrived in 
Boston, December 19th, 1686, with his commission as governor. In 
October, 1687, he came to Hartford, while the assembly was sitting, 
and demanded the charter. It was produced and laid upon the table. 



CONNECTICUT. 333 

The discussion was protracted into the evening. Suddenly the lights 
were extinguished, and Captain Josej)h Wadsworth seized and carried 
away the charter and hid it in the famous charter-oak. Andros seized 
the government, which he administered, or rather it was administered 
under him, in a very oppressive manner. On the dethronement of 
James II., and the consequent deposition of Andros, the government, 
on May 9th, 1689, resumed its functions, as if the period since the 
usurpation of Andros to that time, were annihilated ; and as the char- 
ter had not in the King's Court been declared forfeit, it was, after a 
struggle, allowed to continue in force, the freest Constitution eve- 
granted by royal favor." 

During the wars with the French and Indians, the colony bore a 
liberal share of the burdens, and warmly supported the cause of 
American independence during the Revolution, in which struggle tht- 
shores of Long Island Sound suffered severely from the depredations 
of the British. New Haven M-as captured, and its inhabitants bar- 
barously treated, and New London and Groton were taken and burne;! 
by a force under Benedict Arnold. 

In 1814^ the famous New England Convention met at Hartford, 
atid during this and the preceding year New London M^as closely 
blockaded by the British fleet. 

During the recent Rebellion, Connecticut contributed 54,468 men 
to the military service of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The important cities and towns are. New London, Norwich, Mid- 
dletown, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Stonington, Guilford, Danbury, 
Greenwich, Sharon, Meriden, Windsor Locks, Bristol, Falls Village, 
New Hartford, Norfolk, Greenville, Deep River, and New Milford. 

NEW HAVEN, 

The larojcst and much the most important city in the State, 
is situated on a harbor of considerable size, 4 miles distant from Long 
Island Sound. It is in New Haven county, and is 76 miles northeast 
of New York, and 160 miles southwest of Boston. It is on the line 
of direct communication between those two cities, and from it railways 
diverge to all parts of New England. 

"The country round New Haven is very picturesque. Behind the 
town, at a distance of about two miles, is an amphitheatre of rugged 
hills, not unlike some of our Scottish scenery; in front is an inlet from 



334 



OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




KEW HAVEN. 



Long Island Sound, affording a safe and commodious harbor; to the 
right and left, a richly cultivated country, relieved by patches of 
forest; and, in wide expanse before it, the blue waves of the sea 
rolling in magnificence. Two large precipices, called East and West 
Rock, 400 feet high, and about two miles apart, form part of the 
semicircular range. They are prominent features in the landscape ; 
and events in the annals of our native country, with which they are 
associated, impart to them that traditional charm which is so often 
wanting in American scenery. In the fastnesses of these rocks, some 
of the regicides of Charles I. found shelter from their pursuers, whea 
the agents of his profligate son hunted them for their lives." * Seve- 
ral small streams flow into New Haven Bay, as the harbor is called. 
Several bridges span them, and connect the city with the opposite 
shores. 

New Haven extends back about 2 miles from the harbor, and is 
about 3 miles broad from east to west. It is regularly laid out, and 
is one of the handsomest cities in America. 

The streets are unusually broad, and are shaded with the most 
magnificent elms in the New World. Temple street, and some other 
thoroughfares, are so thickly shaded that the rays of the sun rarely 
])enetrate the thick foliage overhead. The abundance of these trees 

* Duncan's Travels. 



CONNECTICUT. 335 

has gained for New Haven the sobriquet of " The City of Ehns." 
There are several fine public squares within the corporate limits, and 
also one or two very beautiful cemeteries. The residences are sur- 
rounded by large grounds handsomely ornamented and planted with 
a luxuriant shrubbery. 

The principal public buildings are the State House, a stuccoed edi- 
fice, modelled after the Parthenon ; and the City Hall, facing the 
green, a handsome Gothic edifice of Portland and Nova Scotia stone. 
The tower, 84 feet high, is surmounted by a spire QQ feet high, which 
contains an observatory and an alarm bell. The churches, 32 in 
number, are very handsome, and form conspicuous and attractive 
features in the general appearance of the city. 

New Haven contains several excellent institutions of learning, be- 
sides Yale College, and has oile of the best free school systems in the 
world. It has a good public library, 5 or 6 banks, and is lighted 
with gas, supplied with water, and traversed by street railways. Nine 
newspapers and three magazines are published here. The population 
is 50,840. 

The city carries on an active trade with all parts of the country by 
means of its railroads. It has steamboat communication with New 
York and the towns on the Connecticut River. The harbor, though 
extensive and admirably sheltered, is too shallow to admit vessels of 
a large size. It is rapidly filling up. The General Government has 
made several attempts to deepen it, but it is feared that nothing can 
resist the course of nature, which seems to be rendering the harbor 
too shallow to be fit for use. A wharf, 3493 feet — the longest in the 
United States — has been built out into the bay to accommodate ves- 
sels, but the water surrounding it is becoming very shallow. In 
spite of these disadv^mtages, however, the city possesses some foreign 
commerce, and an active coasting trade. 

New Haven is extensively engaged in manufactures, and it is esti- 
mated that fully one-fourth of the entire population is so employed. 
The principal wares produced are carriages, india-rubber goods, iron 
ware of various kinds, boots and shoes, and clocks. 

" The chief ornament and attraction of New Haven remains to be 
noticed, — its college, the rival of Harvard University in literary 
respectability, and honorably distinguished from it by the orthodoxy 
of its religious character. The buildings of Yale College make a con- 
spicuous appearance, when entering the town eastward ; and the effect 
is considerably heightened by three churches, which stand at a little 



336 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

distance in front, in a parallel line. The ground between the college 
and the churches is neatly divided and enclosed, and ornamented 
with trees. Including passage-ways, the principal edifices present a 
front of upwards of 800 feet. The buildings are chiefly constructed 
of brick, and consist of five spacious edifices, each four stories high, 
104 feet by 40, containing 32 studies ; a chapel for religious worship 
and ordinary public exhibitions; a Lyceum, containing the library 
and recitation rooms ; an Athenaeum ; a Chemical Laboratory ; an 
extensive stone Dining Hall, containing also in the upper story, apart- 
ments for the mineralogical cabinet; a separate Dining Hall for The- 
ological Students; a dwelling house for the President; a large stone 
building occupied by the medical department; and the Trumbull Gal- 
lery, a neat and appropriate building erected as a repository for the 
valuable historical and other paintings of Col. Trumbull. 

"■ Yale College was originally established at Saybrook, in the year 
1700, and was incorporated by the colonial legislature in the follow- 
ing year. The project of establishing a college in Connecticut ap- 
pears to have been seriously entertained fifty years before ; but it was 
checked, Dr. Dwight informs us, by well founded circumstances, by 
the peojjle of Massach usetts, who justly urged that the whole popula- 
tion of New England was scarcely sufficient to support one institution 
of this nature, and that the establishment of a second would endanger 
the prosperity of both ; these objections put a stop to the design for the 
time; it was not, however, lost sight of. In 1718, the infant Institu- 
tion was removed by the Trustees to New Haven. It was originally 
intended simply for the education of young men for the ministry : but, 
as it gathered strength from individual liberality and public patron- 
age, the range of its plan of study was gradually extended, until it 
now embraces the more essential parts of a complete literary, scientific, 
and medical education. 

"Tiie college received its name, in commemoration of the benefi- 
cence of the Honorable Elihu Yule, a son of one of the first settlers, 
who went to England in early life, and thence to India, where he be- 
came governor to Madras; and on his return to England, he was 
elected governor of the East India Company. From this gentleman 
the college received donations at various times, between 1714 and 
1718, to the amount of <£500 sterling ; and a short time before his 
death, he directed another benefiiction to the same amount to be trans- 
uiitted, but it was never received. Another of its early benefactors 
was the celebrated Dean Berkeley, afterwards Bishop of Cloyne, who 



CONNECTICUT . 337 

came to America in 3 732, for the purpose of establishing a college in 
the island of Bermuda ; a project to which he nobly sacrificed con- 
siderable property, as well as time and labor. His efforts being frus 
trated by the failure of the promised support from Government, he 
jjresented to this Institution a farm which he had purchased in Rhode 
Island, and afterwards transmitted to it from England a very valua- 
ble collection of books — ' the finest that ever came together at oiie 
time into America/ Sir Isaac Newton, and many other distinguished 
men, presented their works to the library. 

" Although founded under the sanction of the colonial legislature, 
and partly endowed by it, the college was for a long time indebted 
for its support chiefly to individual patronage : the whole amount be- 
stowed by the colonial legislature, during the first 90 years of its ex- 
istence, did not much exceed X4500 sterling. But when the Federal 
Government was consolidated, a grant was made, in 1792, to Yale 
College, out of a fund created by uncollected arrears of war taxes, by 
which ultimately $60,000 were realized. 

"The library of the college has recently been riiuch enlarged by the 
addition of many valuable volumes, selected by Professor Kingsley, 
who visited Europe with reference to that selection. The libraries 
of the different societies receive frequent additions. At present the 
libraries belonging to the institution form an aggregate of from 30,000 
to 40,000 volumes. The college possesses the richest mineralogical 
cabinet on the continent." * 

The city was founded as a separate colony, in 1638, by a company 
of emigrants from London. It was incorporated as a city in 1784. 

During the Revolution, it was captured by the British. This 
occurrence took place on the 5th of July, 1779, and is thus described 
in the Connecticut Journal, of July 7th — two days later : 

About two o'clock on the morning of the 5th instant, a fleet consisting of the 
Camilla and Scorpion men-of-war, with tenders, transports, etc., to tlie number 
of 48, commanded by Commodore Sir George Collier, anchored off West Haven. 
They had on board about 3000 land forces, commanded by Major-General Tryon; 
about 1500 of whom, under Brigadier-General Garth, landed about sunrise on 
West Haven point. The town being alarmed, all the preparation which tlie con- 
fusion and distress of the inhabitants, and a necessary care of their families would 
permit, was made for resistance. Tlie West Bridge on Milford road was taken 
up, and several fieldpieces were carried thither, and some slight works thrown up 
for the defence of that pass. The division under General Garth being landed, 
immediately began their march toward the town. The first opposition was made 



* The Land We Live In, pp. 153-154. 



338 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

by about 25 of the inhabitants, to an advanced party of the enemy of two com- 
panies of light infantry. These, though advancing on the height of Milford hill, 
were attacked with great spirit by the handful of our people, and driven back 
almost to West Haven, and one of them was taken prisoner. The enemy then 
advanced in their main body, with strong flanking parties, and two fieldpieces ; 
and finding a smart fire kept up from our fieldpieces at the bridge aforesaid, chose 
not to force an entrance to the town by that, the usual road, but to make a cir- 
cuitous march of nine miles, in order to enter by the Derby road. In this march 
our small party on Milford hill, now increased to perhaps 150, promiscuously col- 
lected from several companies of the militia, had a small encounterwith the enemy's 
flank near the Milford road, in which was killed their adjutant, Campbell, the loss 
of whom they lamented witli much apparent sensibility. Our people on the hill, 
being obliged by superior numbers, to give way, kept up a continual fire on the 
enemy, and galled them much, through all their march to Thomson's bridge on 
the Derby road. In the mean time, those who were posted at the West bridge, 
perceiving the movements of the enemy, and also that another large body of them 
had landed at the South End, on the east side of the harbor, quitted the bridge 
and marched thence to oppose the enemy at Thomson's bridge. But by the 
time they had reached the bank of the river, the enemy were in possession of the 
bridge, and the places at which the river is here fordable : yet having received a 
small accession of strength by the coming in of the militia, they gave the enemy a 
smart fire from two fieldpieces and small arms, which continued with little abate- 
ment, till the enemy were in possession of the town, or through the town across 
the Neck bridge. The enemy entered the town between 12 and 1 o'clock. In 
the mean time, the division of the enemy, before-mentioned to have landed at the 
South End, which was under the immediate command of General Tryon, Vas 
bravely resisted by a small party of men, with one fieldpiece, who, besides other 
execution, killed an officer of the enemy, in one of the boats at their landing. 
This division marched up by land, and attacked the fort at Black Rock ; at the 
same time, their shipping drew up, and attacked it from the harbor. The fort 
had only 19 men, and three pieces of artilery, yet was defended as long as reason 
or valor dictated, and then tlie men made good their retreat. 

The town being now in full possession of the enemy, it was delivered up, ex- 
cept a few instances of protection, to promiscuous plunder ; in which, besides 
robbing the inhabitants of their watches, money, plate, buckles, clothing, bed- 
ding, and provisions, they broke and destroyed their household furniture to a 
very great amount. Some families lost every thing their houses contained : 
many have now neither food, nor clothes to shift. 

A body of militia sufl^cient to penetrate the town, could not be collected that 
evening : we were obliged therefore to content ourselves with giving the enemy 
every annoyance in our power, which was done with great spirit for most of the 
afternoon at and about the Ditch corner. 

Early on Tuesday morning, the enemy unexpectedly and with the utmost still- 
ness and clespatch, called in their guards, and retreated to their boats, carrying 
with them a number of the inhabitants captive, most, if not all of whom, were taken 
without arms, and a few who chose to accompany them. Part of them went on 
board their fleet, and part crossed over to General Tryon at East Haven. On 
Tuesday afternoon, the militia collected in such numbers, and crowded so close 
upon General Tryon, that he thought best to retreat on board his fleet, and set 
sail to the westward. 



CONNECTICUT. 339 

The loss of the euemj^ is unknown ; but for many reasons it is supposed to be 
considerable, and includes some officers whom they lament, besides Adjutant 
Campbell. Ours, by the best information we can obtain, is 27 killed, and 19 
■wounded. As many of our dead upon examination appeared to have been woun- 
ded with shot, but not mortally, and afterwards to have been killed with bayo- 
nets, this demonstrated the true reason why the number of the dead exceeded 
that of the wounded to be, that being wounded and falling into the enemy's 
hands, they were afterwards killed. A further confirmation of this charge is, 
that we have full and direct testimony, which affirms that General Garth declared 
to one of our militia, who was wounded and taken, that "he was sorry his men 
had not killed him, instead of taking him ; and that he would not have his men , 
give quarter to one militia man, taken in arms." 

Although in this expedition, it must be confessed to the credit of the Britons 
that they have not done all the mischief in their power, yet, the brutal ravishment 
of women, the wanton and malicious destruction of property, the burning of the 
stores upon the wharf, and eight houses in East Haven ; the beating, stabbing, 
and insulting of the Rev. Dr. Daggett, after he was made a prisoner, the mortally 
wounding of Mr. Beers, senior, in his own door, and otherways abusing him ; 
the murdering of the very aged and helpless Mr. English in his own house, and 
the beating and finally cutting out the tongue of and then killing a distracted 
man, are sufficient proofs that they were really Britons. 

HARTFORD, 

Now the capital, and the second city in the State, is situated on the 
right bank of the Connecticut Kiver, 36 miles northeast of New 
Haven, 124 miles southwest of Boston, and 112 miles northeast of 
New York. On the opposite side of the river lies East Hartford, 
with which it is connected by a long covered bridge 1000 feet long. 
The city is about 2 miles long by 1|^ miles broad, and extends length- 
wise along the banks of the river. It is laid off regularly in some 
places, and irregularly in others. Main street, the principal thorough- 
fare, is broad and well built up, and contains the majority of the 
prominent buildings. The houses are mostly of brick or freestone, 
and render the general appearance of the place very handsome. The 
city contains about 25 churches, several fine libraries, 12 or 13 banks, 
and is supplied with water from the Connecticut River, and is lighted 
with gas. A street railway connects its various points. The public 
schools are numerous and are of a high character. There are also 
several fine institutions of learning in the city, the principal of which 
is Trinity College, founded in 1823. It has tii.ree handsome edifices 
of freestone, a fine library, apparatus, and cabinet, and ranks high 
amongst the educational institutions of the land. The Asylum for 
the Deaf and Dumb, the Retreat for the Insane, and the Hartford 
Hospital are noble institution.s, and are amongst the most prominent 



340 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ornaments of the city. The old Charter Oak was until 1856, when 
it was blown down by a storm, one .of the attractions of the city. 
There are 12 banks in Hartford, which is also the central point of a 
number of insurance companies, possessing a capital of between fifteen 
and twenty millions of dollars. A number of large book publishing 
houses are located here. In 1868 the gross amount employed in this 
business amounted to several millions of dollars. 

The principal public buildings are the City Hall and the State 
House. The former is a handsome building, the lower part of which 
is used as a market-house. The State House is the finest building in 
the State. It is surmounted with a cupola, and is 50 feet in width, 
50 in height, and 130 in length. 

Hartford has railroad communication with all parts of the Union, 
and, except in the severe season of winter, when it .*;s closed by ice, 
the Connecticut is navigable for steamers. The city is extensively 
engaged in manufactures. The capital employed in them is over 
$10,000,000. Fire-arms and hardware of various kinds constitute 
tUe principal articles produced. The celebrated manufactory of the 
late Colonel Colt, the inventor of the " Colt Revolver," is located 
here. There are 12 newspapers published in the city. The popula- 
tion is 37,180, and is increasing. 

Hartford was permanently settled by the English in 1635. The 
following is an abstract from some of the first laws of the town : 

163o. — It is ordered, that there shall be a guard of . . . men, to attend 
with their arms fixed, and two shot of powder and shot, at least, . . . every 
public meeting for religious use, with two sergeants to oversee the same, and to 
keep out one of them sentinel .... and the said guard to be freed from 
boarding, and to have seats provided near the meeting house door, and the ser- 
geants repair to the magistrates for a warrant for the due execution thereof. 

It is ordered, that every inhabitant which hath not freedom from the whole to 
be absent, shall make his personal appearance at every general meeting of the 
whole town, having sufficient warning ; and whosoever fails to appear at the time 
and place appointed, shall pay sixpence for every such default ; but if he shall 
have lawful excuse, it shall be repaid him again ; or whosoever departs away 
from the meeting before it be ended, without liberty from the whole, shall pay 
the lilcewise. 

It is ordered, that whosoever borrows the town chain, shall pay two pence a 
day, for every day they keep the same, and pay for mending, if it be broken in 
their use. 

It is ordered, that there shall be a set meeting of all the townsmen together the 
first Thursday of every month, by nine o'clock in the forenoon, so that if any in- 
iiabitant have any business with them, he may repair unto them ; and whosoever 
of them do not meet at the time and place set, to forfeit two shillings and sixpence 
for every default. 



CONNECTICUT. 341 

The 17th September, 1G40. — It is ordered, that .... Woodward shall 
spend his time about killing of wolves, and for his encouragement he shall have 
four shillings and sixpence for his board, in case he kill not a wolf, or a deer in 
the week ; but if he kill a wolf or a deer, he is to pay for his board himself; and 
if he kill .... to have it for two pence a pound. This order is made for 
a month before he begins. It is further ordered, that if any person hath lost any 
thing that he desireth should be cried in a public meeting, he shall pay for crying 
of it two pence to Thomas Woodford, to be paid before it be cried ; and the crier 
shall have a book of the things that he cricth. 

At a general Town Meeting in April, 1643 — It was ordered, that Mr. Andrews 
should teach the children in the school one year next ensuing, from the 25tli of 
March, 1643, and that he shall have for his pains £16 ; and therefore the towns- 
men shall go and inciuire who will engage themselves to send their children ; and 
all that do so shall pay for one quarter at the least, and for more if they do send 
them, after the proportion of twenty shillings the year ; and if they go anj^ weeks 
more than an even quarter, they shall pay sixpence a week ; and if anj- would 
send their children, and are not able to pay for their teaching, they shall give 
notice of it to the townsmen, and they shall pay it at the town's charge ; and Mr. 
Andrews shall keep the account between the children's schooling and himself, 
and send notice of the times of payment and demand it ; and if his wages doth 
not come in so, then the townsmen must collect and pay it ; or if the engage- 
ments come not to sixteen pounds, then they shall pay what is wanting, at the 
town's chai'ges. 

At a general Town Meeting, October 30tli, 1643 — It was ordered, that if any 
boy shall be taken playing, or misbehaving himself, in the time of public services, 
whether in the meeting house or about the walls .... by two witnesses, 
for the first time shall be examined and punished at the present, publicly, before 
the assembly depart ; and if any shall be the second time taken faulty, on witness, 
shall be accounted .... Further, it is ordered, if the parents or master 
shall desire to correct his boy, he shall have liberty the first time to do the same. 

It was further ordered, in the same general meeting, that there should be a bell 
rung by the watch every morning, an liour before daybreak, and that they are 
appointed by the constables for- that purpose ; shall begin at the bridge, and so 
ring the bell all the way forth and back from Master Mo()d3''s (Wyllj's \\\\\) to 
John Pratt's .... and that they shall be in every house, one up, and 
. . . . some liglits within one quarter of an hour after the end of the bell 
ringing .... if they can .... the bell is rung before the time ap- 
Itointed, then to be up with lights as before mentioned, half an hour before day- 
break, and for default herein is to forfeit one shilling and sixpence, to be to him 
that finds him faulty, and sixpence to the town. 

The other cities of the State are as follows : Norwich, at the head 
of navigation, on the Thames River. It has a population of 16,653, 
is connected with all parts of the country by railroad, and is the ter- 
minus of a line of steamers from New York. It is actively engaged 
in commerce and manufactures. Bridgeport, on Long Island Sound, 
lias 19,876 inhabitants, and is connected with New York by steam- 
boat, and is on the line of the New York and New Haven Railway. 



342 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

It is largely engaged in manufactures. Waterbury, on the Naugatuck 
Railway^ 20 miles from New Haven, is an important place for the 
manufacture of brass, German silver, buttons, and other small articles. 
It contains a population of 10,876. New London, on the Thames 
River, has 9756- inhabitants. It is a thriving manufacturing place, 
and is actively engaged in commerce, both foreign and domestic, 
having the best harbor in the State. Norwalh, on Long Island Sound, 
on the line of the New York and New Haven Railway, has a popu- 
lation of about 15,000, and is extensively engaged in maufactures. 
Middletown, on the Connecticut River (35 miles from its mouth), and 
West Meriden, on the Hartford and New Haven Railway (16 miles 
from New Haven), each has a population of 10,000 ; they are grow- 
ing manufacturing cities. 

MISCELLANIES. 

THE BLUE LAWS OF CONNECTICUT. 

The following is a transcript of the principal part of the celebrated judicial 
code, known as the Blue Laws, by which it is said the first colonists of Connecti- 
cut were governed for a considerable time. Some writers have questioned the 
genuineness of the laws, and it seems certain that, if genuine, the code was never 
written, but was declared and interpreted by the select men, the judges, and the 
pastors of the different congregations : 

The Governor and magistrates, convened in general assembly, are the supreme 
power, under God, of this independent dominion. 

From the determination of the assembly no appeal shall be made. 

The Governor is amenable to the voice of the people. 

The Governor shall have only a single vote in determining any question, ex- 
cept a casting vote when the assembly may be equally divided. 

The assembly of the people shall not be dismissed by the Governor, but shall 
disn^iss itself. 

Conspiracy against this dominion shall be punished with death. 

Whoever attempts to change or overturn this dominion, shall suffer death. 

The judges shall determine controversies without a jury. 

No one shall be a freeman, or give a vote, unless he be converted, or a member 
in free communion in one of the churches in this dominion. 

No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite, or other heretic. 

No one shall cross a river without an authorized ferryman. 

No one shall run of a Sabbatli day, or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, except 
reverently to and from the church. 

No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep houses, cut hair, or shave. 
on the Sabbath day. 

No woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fasting day. 

A person accused of trespass in the night, shall be judged guilty, unless he 
clear himself by his oath. 

No one shall buy or sell lands without permission of the select men. 



CONNECTICUT. 348 

Whoever publishes a lie to the prejudice of his neighbor, shall sit in the stocks, 
or be wliiiiped fifteen stripes. 

Whoever wears clothes trimmed with silver, or bone lace, above two shillings 
a yard, shall be presented by the grand jurors, and the select men shall tax the 
offender at the rate of 300Z. estate. 

Whoever brings cards or dice into this dominion shall pay a fine of 51. 

No one shall read Common Prayer, keep Christmas or Saint's day, make 
minced pies, dance, play cards, or play on any instrument of music, except the 
drum, the trumpet, and jews-harp. 

When parents refuse their children suitable marriages, the magistrates shall 
determine the point. 

The select men, on finding children ignorant, may take them away from their 
parents and put them into better hands, at the expense of the parents. 

A man that strikes his wife shall pay a fine of 101. ; a woman that strikes her 
husband shall be punished as the court directs. 

Jlarried persons must live together, or be imprisoned. 

Every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap. 

THE REGICIDES. 

Soon after the restoration of monarchy in England, manj' of the judges who 
had condemned King Charles I. to death, were apprehended. Thirty were con- 
dcniiicd, and ten were executed as traitors; two of them, Colonels GofTe and 
Wliallcy, made their escape to New England, and arrived at Boston, July, 1660. 
The}' wOre gentlemen of worth, and av ere 'much esteemed by the colonists for 
llieir unfeigned piety. Their manners and appearance were dignified, command- 
ing universal respect. Whalley had been a Lieutcnant-General, and Goffe a 
>I.ajor-General in Cromwell's army. An order for their apprehension, from 
Charles II., reached New England soon after their arrival. The king's commis- 
sioners, eager to execute this order, compelled the judges to resort to the woods 
and caves, and other hiding places ; and they M'ould undoubtedly have Leen taken, 
had not the colonists secretly aided and assisted them in their concealments. 
Sometimes they found a refuge in a cave on a mountain near New Haven, and at 
others, in cellars of the houses of their I'riends, and once they were secreted un- 
der the Neck bridge, in New Haven, while their pursuers crossed the bridge on 
horseback. 

While in New Haven, they owed their lives to the intrepidity of Mr. Daven- 
port, the minister of the place, who, when tlie pursuers arrived, preached to the 
people from this text: '•^Take council, execute judgment., make thy shadow as the 
night in the midst of the noonday, hide the outcasts., bewray not him that wandereth. 
Let my outcasts dwell loith thee. Moab, be thou a covert to them from the face of 
the spoilej'.'''' Large rewards were oflFered for their apprehension, or for any in- 
formation which might lead to it. Mr. Davenport was threatened, for it was 
known that he had harbored them. Upon hearing that he was in danger, they 
offered to deliver themselves up, and actually gave notice to the deputy governor 
of the place of their concealment ; but Davenport had not preached in vain, and 
the magistrate took no other notice than to advise them not to betray themselves. 
After lurking about for two or three years in and near New Haven, they found 
it necessary to remove to Hadley, where they were received by Mr. Russell, witli 
whom they were concealed fifteen or sixteen years. After many hairbreadth es- 
22 



344 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

capes, the pursuit was given over, and tlioy were finally suffered to die a natural 
death in their exile. 

The following interesting incident is related in connection with the sojourn of 
the Kegicides in Connecticut : 

In the course of Philip's war, which involved almost all the Indian tribes in 
New England, and, among others, those in the neighborhood of this town, the 
inhabitants thought it proper to observe the 1st of September, 1675, as a day of 
fasting and prayer. While they were in the church, and employed in their wor- 
ship, they were surprised by a band of .savages. The people instantly betook 
themselves to their arms, which, according to the custom of the times, they had car- 
ried with them to the church ; and, rushing out, attacked the invaders. The panic 
under Avhich they began the conflict was, however, so great, and their number 
was so disproportioned to that of their enemies, that they fought doubtfully at 
first, and in a short time began evidently to give way. At this moment, an 
ancient man, with hoary locks, of a most venerable and dignified aspect, and in 
address widely differing from that of the inhabitants, appeared suddenly at their 
head, and with a firm voice and an example of undaunted resolution, reanimated 
their courage, led them again to the conflict, and totally routed the savages. 
When the battle was ended, the stranger disappeared, and no one knew whence 
he had come, or whither he had gone. The relief was so timely, so sudden, so 
unexpected, so providential ; the appearance and retreat of liim, who had fur- 
nished it, were so unaccountable ; his person was so dignified and commanding, 
his resolution so superior, and his interference so decisive, that the inhabitants, 
without any uncommon exercise of credulity, readily believed him to be an angel 
sent from heaven for their preservation. Nor was this opinion seriously contro- 
verted, until it was discovered, years afterwards, that Goffe and Whalley had 
been lodged in the house of Mr Eussell. Then it was known that their deliverer 
was Goffe ; Whallej^ having become superannuated some time before tlie event 
took place. There is an obscure and very doubtful tradition, that Goffe also was 
buried here. 

PENALTY FOR KISSING. 

In 1654, a trial took place in Connecticut, under the section of the "Blue 
Laws" prohibiting kissing. The culprits were Sarah Tuttle and Jacob Newton. 
It seems that Sarah dropped her gloves, and Jacob found them. When Sarah 
asked for them, Jacob demanded a kiss for liis pay, and Sarah, not thinking the 
charge extortionate, paid it in full. Complaint was made by some sour-tempered 
individual, and the guilty parties were arraigned before the magistrate. The 
facts were clearly proved, and the parties were each fined twenty shillings. 

THE DARK DAY. 

The 19th of May, 1680, was remarkable for the intense darkness which pre- 
vailed throughout the New England colonies. At this time the Legislature of 
Connecticut was in session in Hartford. A very general opinion prevailed, that 
the day of judgment was at hand. The House of Representatives, being unable 
to transact their business, adjourned. A proposal to adjourn the council was 
under consideration. When the opinion of Colonel Davenport was asked, he 
answered, "I am against an adjournment. The day of judgment is either ap' 



CONNECTICUT. 345 

proaching, or it is not. It' it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment ; if it 
is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wisli tlierefore that candles may be 
brouglit." 

AMERICAN INDEPENDEXCE. 

The people of Connecticut resolved to maintain their independence of the Duke 
of York, as their charter was of piior date to tliat of the Duke. Detachments of 
militia were therefore ordered to New London and Saybrook, the troops at Say- 
brook being placed under the command of Captain Thomas Bull, of Hartford. 

Early in July, 1675, the people of Saybrook were surprised by the appearance 
of Major Andros, with an armed force, in the Sound, making directly for the fort. 
They had received no intelligence of the hostile expedition of Andros, and having 
no instructions from the Governor, were undecided what course to take, when, 
at a critical juncture, Captain Bull with his companj^ arrived, and preparations 
were at once made for the defence of the fort and town. The assembly met at 
Hartford on the 9th of July, and immediately drew up a protest against the pro- 
ceedings of Andros, which they sent by express to Saybrook, with instructions 
to Captain Bull to propose to Andros a reference of tli<5 dispute to commissioners. 

On the 11th, Major Andros, witli several armed sloops, drew up before the 
fort, hoisted the king's flag on board, and demanded a surrender of the fortress 
and town. Captain Bull immediately raised His Majesty's colors in the fort, and 
arranged his men in the best manner possible. The major did not like to fire on 
the king's colors, and perceiving that, should lie attempt to reduce the town by 
force, it would in all likelihood be a bloody affair, he judged it expedient not to 
fire upon the troops. 

Early in the morning of the 12th of July, Andros desired that he miglit have 
permission to land on the shore, for the purpose of an interview with the minis- 
ters and chief officers of the town. He probably flattered himself that if he could 
obtain a foothold upon the soil, and then read the Duke's patent, and his own 
commission, to tlie people, it would make a serious impression upon them, and 
that he would be able to gain by artifice that which he could never accomplisli 
by force of arms. He was alloM'ed to come on shore with his suite. Captain 
Bull and his officers, with the officers and gentlemen of the town, met him at his 
landing, and informed him that they had, at that instant, received instructions 
to tender him a treaty, and to refer the whole matter in controversy to commis- 
sioners, capable of determining it according to law and justice. Major Andros 
rejected the proposal at once, and forthwith commanded, in His Majesty's name, 
that the Duke's patent, and the commission which he had received from His 
Roj^al Highness, should be read. Captain Bull, comprehending at once the arti- 
fice of Andros, commanded him, in His Majestj^'s name, to forbear the reading. 
And when his clerk attempted to persist in reading. Captain Bull repeated his 
command, with such energy of voice and manner as convinced the major that it 
might not be altogether safe for him to proceed. 

The Yankee captain, having succeeded in silencing the valiant representative 
of the Duke, next informed him that he had a communication to deliver from the 
assembly, and he then read the protest. Governor Andros, affecting to be well 
pleased with the bold and soldier-like appearance of his opponent, asked, " What 
is your name ? " He rephed, " My name is Bull, sir." — " Bull ! " exclaimed the 
governor. "It is a pity that your horns are not tipped with silver." Finding 
that he could make no impression upon the officers or people, and that the Legis- 



346 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

lature of the colony were determined to defend themselves in the possession of 
their chartered rights, Andros prudently gave up his design of seizing the fort. 
The militia of the town courteously guarded him to his boat, and, going on board, 
he soon sailed for New York, and Connecticut was no more troubled by his pres- 
ence or interference until after the accession of James the Second. 



ELECTION DAY IN TFIE OLDEN TIME. 

Previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1819, the freemen of the State 
met annually at Hartford on the first Wednesday in May, to choose State officers. 
The following description of the counting of the votes, and the inauguration of 
the Governor, is taken form "Kendall's Travels," published in 1808 : 

I reached Hartford at noon, on Wednesday, the 19th of May, 1807. The city 
is on the west bank of the Connecticut, 50 miles above its mouth. The governor, 
whose iamily residence is on the east side of the river, at some distance from 
Hartford, was expected to arrive in the evening. This gentleman, whose name 
is Jonathan Trumbull, is the son of the late Governor Jonathan Trumbull ; and 
though the election is annual, he has himself been three or four years in office, 
and will almost certainly so continue during the remainder of his life. It was 
known that the votes at this time were in his favor. 

The governor has volunteer companies of guards, both horse and foot. In the 
afternoon the horse were drawn up on the bank of the river to receive him, and 
escort him to his lodgings. He came before sunset, and the fineness of the even- 
ing, the beauty of the river, the respectable appearance of the governor, and of 
the troop, the dignity of the occasion, and the decorum observed, united to 
gratify the spectators. The color of the clothes of the troops was blue. TJie 
governor, though on horseback, was dressed in black, but he wore a cockade in 
a hat, which I did not like the less^ because it was in the form rather of the old 
school than of the new. 

In the morning the foot guards were paraded in front of the State House, where 
they afterwards remained under arms, while the troop of horse occupied the 
street which is on the south side of the building. The clothing of the foot was 
scarlet, with white waistcoats and pantaloons ; and their appearance and demeanor 
were military. 

The day was fine, and the apartments and galleries of the State House afforded 
an agreeable place of meeting, in which the members of the Assembly and others 
awaited the coming of the governor. At about 11 o'clock his excellency entered 
the State House, and shortly after took his place at the head of a procession, 
which was made to a meeting-house or church, at something less than half a mile 
distant. The procession was on foot, and was composed of the person of the 
governor, together with the lieutenant-governor, assistants, high sheriffs, mem- 
bers of the lower house of the assembly, and, unless with accidental exceptions, 
all the clergy of the State. It was preceded by the foot guards, and followed by 
the horse ; and attended by gazers, that, considering the size and population of 
the city, may be said to have been numerous. The church, which from its situ- 
ation is called the South Meeting House, is a small one, and was resorted to on 
this occasion only because that more ordinarily used was at this time rebuilding. 
The edifice is of wood, alike unornamented within and without ; and when filled, 
Mierc was still presented to the eye nothing but what had the plainest appearance. 



CONNECTICUT. 347 

The military remained iu the street, witli tlie exception of a few officers, to 
whom 110 place of honor or distinction was assigned ; neither the governor nor 
other magistrates were accompanied witli any insignia of office ; the clergy had 
no canonical costume, and there were no females in the church, except a few 
(rather more than twenty in number), who were stationed by themselves in a 
gallery opposite the pulpit, iii quality of singers. A decent order was the highest 
characteristic that presented itself. 

The pulpit, or, as it is here called, the desk, was filled by three, if not four, 
clergymen ; a number by its form and dimensions it was able to accommodate. 
Of these, one opened the service with a prayer, another delivered a sermon, a 
third made a concluding prayer, and a fourth pronounced a benediction. Seve- 
ral hymns were sung ; and among others an occasional one. The total number 
of singers was between forty and fifty. 

The sermon, as will be supposed, touched upon matters of government. When 
all was finished, the procession returned to the State House. The clergy who 
walked Avere about a hundred in number. 

It was in the two bodies of guards alone that any suitable approach to magni- 
ficence discovered itself. The governor was full dressed, in a suit of bhicL ; but 
the lieutenant-governor wore riding boots. All, however, was consistently plain, 
and in unison with itself, except the dress swords, which were worn by high 
sheriffs, along with their village habilaments, and of which the fashion And the 
materials were marvellously diversified. Arrived in front of the State House, the 
military formed on each side of the street ; and, as the governor passed them, 
presented arms. The several parts of the procession now separated, each to a 
dinner prepared for itself at an adjoining inn ; the governor, lieutenant-governor, 
and assistants to their table, the clergy to a second, and the representatives to a 
third. The time of day was about two in the afternoon. 

Only a short time elapsed before business was resumed, or rather at length 
commenced. The General Assembly met in the council room, and the written 
votes being examined and counted, the names of the public officers elected were 
formally declared. They were in every instance the same as those which had 
been successful the preceding year. 

This done, the lieutenant-governor administered the oath to the governor elect, 
who, being sworn, proceeded to administer their respective oaths to the lieuten- 
ant-governor and the rest ; and here terminated the affairs of the election day. 
Soon after 6 o'clock, the military fired three feu dejoies, and were then dismissed. 

On the evening following that of election day, there is an annual ball at Hart- 
ford, called the election ball ; and on the succeding Monday, a second, which is 
more select. The election day is a holiday throughout the State ; and even the 
whole remainder of the week is regarded in a similar light. Servants and others 
are now indemnified for the loss of the festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whit- 
suntide, which the principles of their church' deny them. Families exchange 
visits, and treat their guests with slices of election cake ; and thus preserve some 
portion of the luxuries of the forgotten feast of the Epiphany. 



THE MIDDLE STATES. 



' « » f 



NEW YORK. 

Area, 47,000 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 3,880,735 

Population in 1870, 4,382,759 

In population, wealth, and variety of resources, New York is the 
first State in the Union. It is situated between 40° 29' 40" and 
45° 0' 42" N. latitude, and between 71° 51' and 79° 47' 25" W. 
longitude. It is bounded on the north by Canada and Lake Onta- 
rio; on the east by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; on 
the south by the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania ; and 
on the west by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Canada. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The following" admirable sketch of the topographical features of the 
State is taken from French's " Gazetteer of the State of New York :" 

" Surface. — This State lies upon that portion of the Appalachian 
Mountaiu system where the mountains generally assume the character 
of hills, and finally sink to a level of the low-lands that surround the 
great depression filled by Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. 
Three distinct mountain masses or ranges enter the State from the 
south and extend across it in a generally northeast direction. The 
first or most easterly of these ranges — a continuation of the Blue 
Ridge of Virginia — enters the State from New Jersey, and extends 
northeast through Rockland and Orange counties to the Hudson, ap- 
pears on the east side of that river, and forms the highlands of Put- 
nam and Dutchess counties. A northerly extension of the same moun- 
tains passes into the Green Mountains of Avestern Massachusetts and 
Vermont. This range culminates in the highlands upon ti)e Hud- 

349 



550 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SCENE ON CATSKILL MOUNTAINS. 



son. The highest peaks are 1000 to 1700 feet above tide. . . . The 
deep gorge formed by tlie Hudson in passing through this range j)re- 
sents some of the finest scenery in America, and has often been com- 
pared to the celebrated valley of the Rhine. 

" The second series of mountains enters the State from Pennsylva- 
nia, and extends northeast through Sullivan, Ulster, and Greene 
counties, terminating and culminating in the Catskill Mountains 
upon the Hudson. The highest peaks are 3000 to 3800 feet above 
tide; the Shawangunk Mountains, a high and continuous ridge ex- 
tendino; between Sullivan and Orange counties and into the south 
part of Ulst(ir, is the extreme east range of this series. The Helder- 
berg and Hellibark Mountains are spurs extending north from the 
main range into Albany and Schoharie counties. . . . The declivities 
are steep and rocky ; and a large share of the surface is too rough for 
cultivation. The highest peaks overlook the Hudson, and from their 
summits are obtained some of the finest views in eastern New York. 

" The third series of mountains enters the State from Pennsylvania 
and extends northeast through Broome, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, 



NEW YORK. 351 

Montgomery, and Herkimer counties to the Mohawk, and appears 
upon the north side of" that river, and extends northeast, forming the 
whole series of highlands that occupy the northeast part of the State 
and generally known as the Adirondack Mountain region. South of 
the Mohawk, this mountain system assumes the form of broad, irregu- 
lar hills, occuj>ying a wide space of country. It is broken by the 
deep ravines of the streams, and in many places the hills are steep 
and nearly precipitous. The valley of the Mohawk breaks the con- 
tinuity of the range, though the connection is easily traced at Little 
Falls, the Noses, and other places. North of the Mohawk, the high- 
lands extend northeast in several distinct ranges, all terminating upon 
Lake Champlain. The culminating point of the whole system, and 
the highest mountain in the State, is Mount Marcy, 5467 feet above 
the tide. The mountains are usually wild, rugged, and rocky. A 
large share of the surface is entirely unfit for cultivation ; but the 
regioai is rich in minerals, and especially in an excellent variety of 
iron ore. West of these ranges, series of hills forming spurs of the 
Alleghanies enter the State from Pennsylvania, and occupy the entire 
south half of the western part of the State. An irregular line extend- 
ing through the southerly counties, forms the watershed that sepa- 
rates the northern and southern drainage; and from it the surface 
gradually declines northward until it finally terminates in the level 
of Lake Ontario. The portion of the State lying south of this water- 
shed, and occup}-ing the greater part of the two southerly tiers of 
counties, is entirely occupied by these hills. Along the Pennsylvania 
line they are usually abrupt and are separated by narrow ravines, 
but toward the nortii their summits become broader and less broken. 
A considerable portion of the highland region is too steep for profita- 
ble cultivation, and is best adapted to grazing. The highest summits 
in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties are 2000 to 3000 feet above tide. 

" From the summits of the watershed the highlands usually descend 
toward Lake Ontario in series of terraces, the edg-es of which are the 
outcrops of the different rocks which underlie the surface. These ter- 
races are usually smooth, ttnd, ultliough inclined toward the north, 
the inclination is generally so slight that they appear to be level. 
Between the hills of the south and the level land of the north is a 
beautiful rolling region, the ridges gradually declining toward the 
north. In that part of the State south of the most eastern mountain 
range the surface is generally level or broken by low hills. In New 
York and Westchester counties, these hills are principally composed 



352 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of primitive rocks. The surface of Long Island is generally level or 
gently undulating. A ridge 150 to 200 feet high, composed of sand, 
gravel, and clay, extends east and west across the island north of the 
centre. 

" Rivers and Lakes. — The river system of the State has two general 
divisions, — the first comprising the streams tributary to the great 
lakes and the St. Lawrence, and the second those whicli flow in a 
generally southerly direction. The watershed which separates these 
two systems extends in an irregular line eastward from Lake Erie 
through the southern tier of counties to near the northeast corner of 
Chemung ; thence it turns northeast to the Adirondack Mountains in 
Essex county, thence southeast to the eastern extremity of Lake 
George, and thence nearly due east to the eastern line of the State. 

" The northerly division has five general subdivisions. The most 
westerly of these comprises all the streams flowing into Lake Erie and 
Niagara Kiver and those flowing into Lake Ontario west of Genesee 
River. In Chautauqua county the streams are short and rapid, as 
the watershed approaches within a few miles of L;xke Erie. Catta- 
raugus, Buffalo, Tonawanda, and Oak Orchard creeks are the most 
important streams in this division. Buffalo Creek is chiefly noted 
for forming Buffalo Harbor at its mouth ; and the Tonawanda for 12 
miles from its mouth is used for canal navigation. Oak Orchard and 
other creeks flowing into Lake Ontario descend from tlie interior in a 
series of rapids, aflbrding a large amount of water-j)ower. 

" The second subdivision comprises the Genesee River and its tribu- 
taries. The Genesee rises in the north pai*t of Pennsylvania anil flows 
in a generally northerly direction to Lake Ontario. Its upper course 
is through a narrow valley bordered by steep, rocky hills. Upon the 
line of Wyoming and Livingston counties it breaks thnjugh a moun- 
tain barrier in a deep gorge and forms the Portage Falls, — one of the 
finest waterfalls in the State. . Below this point the course of the river 
is through a beautiful valley, one to two miles wide and bordered by 
banks 50 to 150 feet high. At Rochester it flows over the precipitous 
edges of the Niagara limestone, forming the Upper Genesee Falls; 
and three miles below, it flo\vs over the edge of the Medina sandstone, 
forming the Lower Genesee Falls. The principal tributaries of this 
stream are Canaseraga, Honeoye, and Conesus creeks from the east, 
and Oatka and Black creeks from the west, Honeoye, Canadice, 
Hemlock, and Conesus lakes lie within the Genesee Basin. 

" The third subdivision includes the Oswego River and its tribu- 



NEW YORK. 353 

taries, and the small streams flowing into Lake Ontario between Gene- 
see and Oswego rivers. The basin of the Oswego includes most of 
the inland lakes which form a peculiar feature of the landscape in the 
interior of the State. The principal of these lakes are Cayuga, Seneca, 
Canandaigua, Skaneateles, Crooked, and Owasco, — all occupying long, 
narrow valleys, and extending from the level land in the centre far 
into the highland region of the south. The valleys which they occupy 
appear like immense ravines formed by some tremendous force, which 
has torn the solid rocks from their original beds, from the general 
level of the surrounding summits, down to the present bottoms of the 
lakes. Oneida and Onondaga lakes occupy basins upon the level 
land in the northeast part of the Oswego Basin. Mud Creek, the 
most westerly brancli of Oswego River, takes its rise in Ontario county, 
flows northeast into Wayne, where it unites. with Canandaigua Outlet 
and takes the name of Clyde River ; thence it flows east to the west 
line of Cayuga county, where it empties into Seneca River. This 
latter stream, made up of the outlets of Seneca and Cayuga lakes, 
from this point flows in a northeast course, and receives successively 
the outlets of Owasco, Skaneateles, Onondaga, ai*id Oneida lakes. 
From the mouth of the last-named stream it takes the name Oswego 
River, and its course is nearly due north to Lake Ontario. 

" The fourth subdivision includes the streams flowing into Lake On- 
tario and the St. Lawrence, east of the mouth of the Oswego. The 
principal of these are Salmon, Black, Oswegatchie, Grasse, and Racket 
rivers. These streams mostly take their rise n])on the plateau of the 
great northern wilderness, and in their course to the lowlands are fre- 
quently interrupted by falls, furnishing an abundance of water-power. 
The water is usually very dark, being colored with iron and the vege- 
tation of swamps. 

" The fifth subdivision includes all the streams flowing into lakes 
George and Champlain. They are mostly mountain torrents, fre- 
quently interrupted by cascades. The principal streams are the 
Chazy, Saranac, and Au Sable rivers, and Wood Creek. Deep strata 
of tertiary clay extend along the shores of Lake Champlain and Wood 
Creek. The water of most of the streams in this region is colored by 
the iron over which it flows. 

"The second general division of the river-system of the State in- 
cludes the basins of the Allegany, Susquehanna, Delaware, and Hud- 
son. The Allegany Basin embraces the southerly half of Chautauqua 
and Cattaraugus counties and the southwest corner of Allegany. The 



354 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Allegany River enters the State from the south in the southeast corner 
of Cattaraugus county, flows in nearly a semicircle, with its outward 
curve toward the north, and flows out of tlie State in the southwest 
part of the same county. It receives several tributaries from the north 
and east. These streams mostly flow in deep ravines, bordered by 
steep, rocl^y hillsides. The watershed between this basin and Lake 
Erie approaches within a few miles of the lake, and is elevated 800 
or 1000 feet above it. 

"The Susquehanna Basin occupies about one-third of the south 
border of th6 State. The river takes its rise in Otsego Lake, and, 
flowing southwest to the Pennsylvania line, receives Charlotte River 
from the south and the Unadilla from the north. After a course of a 
few miles in Pennsylvania, it again enters the State, and flows in a 
general westerly direction to near the west border of Tioga county, 
whence it turns south and again enters Pennsylvania. Its principal 
tributary from the north is Chenango River. Tioga River enters the 
State from Pennsylvania near the east border of Steuben county, flows 
north, receives the Canisteo from the west and the Conhocton from 
the north. From the mouth of the latter the stream takes the name 
Chemung River, and flows in a southeast direction, into the Susque- 
hanna in Pennsylvania, a few miles south of the State line. The 
upper course of these streams is generally through deep ravines bor- 
dered by steep hillsides ; but below they are bordered by wide and 
beautiful intervales. 

" The Delaware Basin occupies Delaware and Sullivan and portions 
of several of the adjacent counties. The north or principal branch of 
the river rises in the northeast part of Delaware county and flows 
southwest to near the Pennsylvania line; thence it turns southeast 
and forms the boundary of the State to the line of New Jersey. Its 
principal branches are the Pepacton and Neversink rivers. These 
streams all flow in deep, narrow ravines, bordered by steep, rocky hills. 

"The Basin of the Hudson occupies about two-thirds of the east bor- 
der of the State, and a large territory extending into the interior. 
The remote sources of the Hudson are among the highest peaks of the 
Adirondacks, more than 400'^ feet above tide. Several of the little 
lakes which form reservoirs of the upper Hudson are 2500 to 3000 
feet above tide. The stream rapidly descends through the narrow 
defiles into Warren county, where it receives from the east the outlet 
of Schroon Lake, and Saeondaga River from the west. Below the 
mouth of the latter the river turns eastward, and breaks through the 



NEW YORK. 



355 




VIEW ON THE HUDSON KIVER. 



barrier of the Luzerne Mountains in a series of rapids and falls. At 
Fort Edward it again turns south and flows with a rapid current, fre- 
quently interrupted by falls, to Troy, 160 miles from the ocean. At 
this place the river falls into an estuary, where its current is aiFected 
by the tide ; and from this place to its mouth it is a broad, deep, 
sluggish stream. About 60 miles from its mouth, the Hudson breaks 
through the rocky barrier of the Highlands, forming the most easterly 
of the Appalachian Mountain Ranges; and along its lower course it 
is bordered on the west by a nearly perpendicular wall of basaltic 
rock 300 to 500 feet high, known as ' The Palisades.' Above Troy 
the Hudson receives the Hoosick River from the east and the Mo- 
hawk from the west. The former stream rises in western Massachu- 
setts and Vermont, and the latter near the centre of the State. At 
Little Falls and the ' Noses,' the Mohawk breaks through the moun- 
tain barriers in a deep, rocky ravine ; and at Cohoes, about one mile 
from its mouth, it flows down a perpendicular precipice of 70 feet, 
forming an excellent water-power. Below Troy the tributaries of the 
Hudson are all comparatively small streams. South of the Highlands 



356 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




Vv^/^-^ ^^^/|^^ ^=^ 



LAKE GEORGE. 



the river spreads out into a wide expanse known as ' Tappan Bay.' 
A few small streams upon the extreme east border of the State flow 
eastward into the Housatonic; and several small branches cf ^he 
Pasaic River rise in the south part of Rockland county. 

"Lake Erie forms a portion of the west boundary of the State. . . . 
The harbors upon tlie lake are Butfalo, Silver Creek, Dunkirk, and 

Barcelona Niagara River, forming the outlet of Lake Erie, is 

34 miles long, and, on an avei'age, more than a mile wide. . . . Lake 
Ontario forms a part of the nortli boundary to the west half of the 
State." 

Between Warren and Washiligton counties, lies Lake George, 
sometimes called by its Indian name, Horicon, the most beautiful 
body of water in the State. It is 36 miles long, with a breadth vary- 
ing from three-quarters of a mile to 4 miles. " The water is remark- 
ably transparent, and in some parts is more than 400 feet deep. To 
a passenger traversing this lake, scarcely anything can be imagined 



NEW YORK. 357 

more beautiful or picturesque than the scenery along its banks. The 
romantic effect of the prospect is greatly enhanced by a multitude of 
delightful islands of various forms and sizes, which meet the gaze of 
the beholder on every side. Of these, if we include many little islets 
and rocks, there are more than 300: a popular notion prevails that 
their number corresponds to that of the days of the year. Twelve 
miles from the southwestern extremity of the lake, there is an island 
of about 20 acres, called, from its position, Twelve Mile Island. A 
mile farther north there is a high point, or tongue of land, called 
Tongue Mountain, west of which projects a small arm of the lake, 
named Nortiiwcst Bay. Here the Narrows, that is, the narrowest 
part of the lake, commence and continue 7 or 8 miles. Near the west 
end of the Narrows, on the eastern side of the lake, is Black Mountain, 
the summit of which is regarded as the highest point in the immediate 
vicinity of the lake, having an elevation of 2200 feet above its surface. 
About 12 miles beyond Black Mountain there is a rock about 200 
feet high, rising almost perpendicularly from the surface of the water. 
During the French War, Major Rogers, being closely pursued by the 
Indians, slid down this steep declivity, and landed safely on the ice, 
leaving his pursuers petrified with astonishment at the dangerous 
exploit which they had witnessed. From this circumstance, the rock 
lias been named Rogers' Slide. Two or three miles beyond the place 
just mentioned, is Lord Howe's Point, where the division of the 
English army under Lord Howe landed previous to their attack on 
Ticonderoga." 

The greatest of all the natural wonders of the State, however, are the 
famous Falls of the Niagara, which lie partly within the limits of New 
York, and partly in Canada. The Niagara River, as has been stated, 
forms the outlet of the 4 great upper lakes, and discharges their waters 
which it receives through Lake Erie, into Lake Ontario. At the point 
where it leaves Lake Erie, the Niagara is very wide, but it narrows 
as it recedes from the lake, and about 16 miles from Lake Erie, it 
begins to contract suddenly, and the current increases in velocity. 
This is the beginning of the rapids, which are a mile in length. The 
fall of the river in this distance is 52 feet, and down this descent the 
immense volume of water rushes m great swells, until the Falls are 
reached. As it ap})roaches the precipice, the river makes a curve from 
west to north, and spreads out to an extreme width of about 4750 feet. 
Goat Island, which extends down to the brink of the cataract, occupies 
about one-fourth of this space, leaving the river on the American side 
about 1100 feet wide, and on the Canadian side about double this 



358 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

width. The line along the verge of the Canadian fall, is much longer 
than the breadth of this portion of the river, by reason of its horseshoe 
form, the curve extending up the central part of the current. In passing 
down the rapids the waters acquire a force which dashes them over 
the precipice in a grand, resistless torrent, and they fall in a magnificent 
curve, as they leap clear of the rocky wall into the boiling pool at its 
base. The fall is 164 feet on the American side, and 150 on the 
Canadian. The greater volume of water passes over the Canadian, or 
" Horseshoe Fall." The space between the cataract and the wall of 
rock over which it dashes, widens near the bottom, the strata being 
there of a loose, shaly character, and consequently hollowed out by the 
continual action of the spray. A cave is thus formed behind the fall, 
into which, on the Canadian side, persons can enter, and pass by a 
rough and slippery path toward Goat Island. Below the falls, the 
current, contracted to less than 1000 feet in width, is tossed tumultu- 
ously about, and forms great eddies and whirlpools as it sweeps down 
its rapidly descending bed. Small boats can pass the river in safety 
here, and a little steamer used to convey passengers almost to the foot 
of the falls. The river is crossed by two suspension bridges. One 
immediately below the falls, is used by vehicles and pedestrians, the 
other, a mile below, is used partly by these, and partly by the railway 
line entering Canada. Fourteen miles below, the river enters Lake 
Ontario. 

The Falls of Niagara are unsurpassed in grandeur and magnificence 
by any in the world. When the state of the atmosphere is favorable, 
the roar of the cataract may be heard for miles. It sometimes rolls 
over the land to Lake Ontario, and across its waters to Toronto in 
Canada, 46 miles distant. Anthony Trollope has written of them as 
follows : 

"The falls, as I have said, are. made by a sudden breach in the 
level of the river. All cataracts are, I presume, made by such breaches ; 
but generally the waters do not fall precipitously as they do at Niagara, 
and never elsewhere, as far as the world yet knows, has a breach so 
sudden been made in a river carrying in its channel such or any 
approach to such a body of water. Up above the falls for more than 
a mile the waters leap and burst over rapids, as though conscious of 
the destiny that awaits them. Here the river is very broad and com- 
paratively shallow ; but from shore to shore it frets itself into little 
torrents, and begins to assume the majesty of its power. Looking at it 
even here, in the expanse which forms itself over the greater fall, one 



XEW YORK. 



359 




FALLS OF THE NIAGARA. 

feels «nre that no strongest swimmer could have a chance of 
inmself if fate had cast him in even among those pottv whir 
i .c waters, though so broken in their descent, are deliciously 
llus color, as seen early in the morning or just as the sun has 
so bright, as to give to the place one of its chicfest charms 

Ihis wdl be best seen from the farther end of the island- 
island as It is called-which, as the reader will understand, d 



savuig 
Ipools. 
green, 
set, is 

-Goat 
ivides 



360 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the river immediately above the falls. Indeed, the island is a part of 
that precipitously-broken ledge over which the river tumbles, and no 
doubt in process of time will be worn away and covered witli water. 
The time, hosvever, will be very long. In the meanwhile, it is perhaps 
a mile round, and is covered thickly with timber. At the upper eu/* 
of the island the waters are divided, and, coming down in two courses 
each over its own rapids, form two separate falls. The bridge by 
which the island is entered, is a hundred yards or more above the; 
smaller fall. The waters here have been turned by the island, and 
make their leap into the body of the river below at a right angle with 
it — about 200 yards below the greater fall. Taken alone, this smaller 
cataract would, I imagine, be the heaviest fall of water known ; but 
taken in conjunction with the other, it is terribly shorn of its majesty. 
The waters here are not green as they are at the larger cataract; and, 
though the ledge has been hollowed and bowed by them so as to form 
a curve, that curve does not deepen itself into a vast abyss as it does 
at the horseshoe up above. This smaller fall is again divided ; and 
the visitor, passing down a flight of steps and over a frail wooden 
bridge, finds himself on a smaller island in the midst of it. 

" But we will go at once on to the glory, and the thunder, and the 
majesty, and the wrath of that upper hell of waters. We are still, lot 
the reader remember, on Goat Island — still in the States — and on what 
is called the American side of the main body of the river. Advancing 
beyond the path leading down to the lesser fall, Ave come to that point 
of the island at which the waters of the main river begin to descend. 
From hence across to the Canadian side the cataract continues itself in 
one unabated line. But the line is very far from being direct or 
straight. After stretching for some little way from the shore to a 
point in the river which is reached by a wooden bridge at the end of 
which stands a tower upon the rock, — ^after stretching to this, the line 
of the ledge bends inward against the flood — ^in, and in, and in — till 
one is led to think that the depth of that horseshoe is immeasurable. 
It has been cut Avith no stinting hand. A monstrous cantle has been 
worn back out of the centre of the rock, so that the fury of the Avaters 
converges ; and the spectator, as he gazes into the hollow with Avishful 
eyes, fancies that he can hardly trace out the centre of the abyss. 

" Go down to the end of that wooden bridge, seat yourself on the 
rail, and there sit till all the outer world is lost to you. There is no 
grander spot about Niagara than this. The Avaters are absolutely 
around you. If you have that power of eye-contrio which is so neces- 



NEW YORK. 361 

sary to the full enjoyment of scenery, you will see nothing but the 
water. You will certainly hear nothing else ; and the sound, I beg 
you to reoieraber, is not an ear-cracking, agonizing crash and clang 
of noises, but is melodious and soft withal, though loud as thunder. 
It fills your ears, and, as it were, envelops them, but at the same time 
you can speak to your neighbor without an effort. But at this place, 
and in these moments, the less of speaking, I should say, the better. 
There is no grander spot than this. Here, seated on the rail of the 
bridge, you will not see the whole depth of the fall. In looking at 
the grandest works of nature, and of art too, I foncy it is never well 
to see all. There should be something left to the imagination, and 
much should be half concealed in mystery. The greatest charm of a 
mountain range is the wild feeling that there must be strange, unknown, 
desolate worlds in those far-off valleys beyond. And so here, at 
Niagara, that converging rush of waters may fall down, down at once 
into a hell of rivers, for what the eye can see. It is glorious to watch 
them in their first curve over the rocks. They come green as a bank 
of emeralds, but with a fitful flying color, as though conscious that in 
one moment more they would be dashed into spray and rise into air, 
pale as driven snow. The vapor rises high into the air, and is gath- 
ered there, visible always as a permanent white cloud over the cataract ; 
but the bulk of the spray which fills the lower hollow of that horseshoe 
is like a tumult of snow. This you will not fully see from your seat 
on the rail. The head of it rises ever and anon ouj: of that caldron 
below, *but the caldron itself will be invisible. It is ever so far down 
— far as your own imagination can sink it. But your eyes will rest 
full upon the curve of the waters. The shape you will be looking at 
is that of a horseshoe, but of a horseshoe miraculously deep from toe 
to heel ; and this depth becomes greater as you sit there. That which 
at first wan only great and beautiful becomes gigantic and sublime, till 
the mind is at a loss to find an epithet for its own use. To realize 
Niagara, you must sit there till you see nothing else than that which 
you have come to see. You will hear nothing else, and think of 
nothing else. At length you will be at one with the tumbling river 
before you. You will find yourself among the waters as though you 
belonged to them. The cool, liquid green will run through your 
veins, and the voice of the cataract will be the expression of your own 
heart. You will fall as the bright waters fall, rushing down into 
your new world with no hesitation and with no dismay ; and you will 
rise again as the spray rises, bright, beautiful and pure. Then you will 
flow away in your course to the uncompassed, distant, and eternal ocean. 



362 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" When this state has been reached and has passed away, you may 
got off your rail and mount the tower. It is not very high, and there 
is a balcony at the. top on which some half-dozen persons may stand 
at ease. Here the mystery is lost, but the whole fall is seen. It is 
not even at this spot brought so fully before your eye, made to show 
itself in so complete and entire a shape, as it will do when you come 
to stand near it on the Canadian shore. But I think that it shows 
itself more beautifully. And tlie form of the cataract is such, that here 
on Goat Island, on the American shore, no spray will reach you, though 
you are absolutely over the waters. But on the Canadian side, the 
road as it approaches the fall is wet and rotten with spray, and you, 
as you stand close upon the edge, will be wet also. The rainbows as 
they are seen through the rising cloud — for the sun's rays, as seen 
through these waters, show themselves in a bow, as they do when seen 
through rain — are pretty enough, and are greatly loved. 

"And now we will cross the water, and with this object will return 
by the bridge out of Goat Island, on the mainland of the American 
side. But as we do so, let me say that one of the great charms of 
Niagara consists in this : that over and above that one great object of 
wonder and beauty, there is so much little loveliness — loveliness espe- 
cially of water I mean. There are little rivulets running here and 
there over little falls, with pendent boughs above them, and stones 
shining under their shallow depths. As the visitor stands and looks 
tlirough the trees, the rapids glitter before him, and then hide them- 
selves behind islands. They glitter and sparkle in far distances*under 
the bright foliage, till the remembrance is lost, and one knows not 
which way they run 

" Having mounted the hill on the Canada side, you will walk on 
toward the falls. As I have said before, you will from this side look 
directly into the full circle of the upper cataract, while you will have 
before you, at your left hand, the whole expanse of the lesser fall. For 
those who desire to see all at a glance, who wish to comprise the whole 
with their eyes, and to leave nothing tobe guessed, nothing to be sur- 
mised, this no doubt is the best point of view 

"Here, on this side, you walk on to the very edge of the cataract,, 
and, if your tread be steady and your legs firm, you dip your foot into, 
the water exactly at the spot where the thin outside margin of the 
current reaches the rocky edge and jumps to join the mass of the fall. 
The bed of white foam beneath is certainly seen better here than elsev 
where, and the green curve of the water is as bright here as when seen 



NEW YORK. 363 

from the wooden rail, across. But nevertheless I say again that that 
wooden rail is the one point from whence Niagara may be best seen 
aright. 

"Close to the cataract, exactly at the spot from whence in former days 
tlie Table Rock used to project from the land over the boiling caldron 
below, there is now a shaft, down which you will descend to the level 
of the river, and pass between the rock and "the torrent. This Table 
Rock broke away from the cliif and fell, as up the whole course of the 
river the seceding rocks have split and fallen from time to time through 
countless years, and will continue to do till the bed of the upper lake 
is reached 

" In the spot to which I allude the visitor stands on a broad safe 
path, made of shingles, between the rock over which the water rushes 
and the rushing water. He will go in so far that the spray, rising 
back from the bed of the torrent, does not incommode him. With 
this exception, the farther he can go in the better ; but circumstances 
will clearly show him the spot to which he should advance. Unless 
the water be driven in by a very strong yvind, five yards make the 
difference between a comparatively dry coat and an absolutely wet 
one. And then let him stand with his back to the entrance, thus 
lading the last glimmer of the expiring day. So standing, he will 
look up among the falling waters, or down into the deep, misty pit, 
from which they reascend in almost as palpable a bulk. The rock 
will be at his right hand, high and hard, and dark and stmight, like 
the wall of Some huge cavern, such as children enter in their dreams. 
For the first five minutes he will be looking but at the waters of a 
cataract — at the waters, indeed, of such a cataract as we know no 
other, and at their interior curves which elsewhere we cannot see. 
But by and by all this' will change. He will no longer be on a shingly 
path beneath a waterfall ; but that feeling of a cavern wall will grow 
upon him, of a cavern deep, below roaring seas, in which the waves 
are there, though they do not enter in upon him; or rather, not the 
waves, but the very bowels of the ocean. He will feel as though the 
floods surrounded him, coming and going with their wild sounds, and 
he will hardly recognize that though among them he is not in them. 
And they, as they fall with a continual roar, not hurting the ear, but 
musical withal, will seem to move as the vast ocean waters may per- 
haps move in their internal currents. He will lose the sense of one 
continued descent, and think that they are passing round him in their 
appointed courses. The broken spray that rises from the depths below,, 



364 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

rises so strongly, so palpably, so rapidly, that the motion in every 
direction will seem equal. And, as he looks on, strange colors will 
show themselves through the mist ; the shades of gray will become 
green or blue, with ever and anon a flash of white ; and then, when 
some gust of wind blows in with greater violence, the sea-girt cavern 
will become all dark and black. Oh, my friend, let there be no one 
there to speak to thee then ; no, not even a brother. As you stand 
there speak only to the waters." 

The principal rivers are navigable for a greater or less distance, 
and canals connect the various parts of the State, and afford water 
transportation along the unnavigable parts of the rivers. 

The principal islands are Long Island and Staten Island. 

Long Island extends eastward from the mainland, and lies south 
of Connecticut. Its northern shore is washed by Long Island Sound, 
and its eastern and southern shores by the Atlantic Ocean, while the 
East River, a narrow strait, separates it from Manhattan Island. It 
is about 115 miles long, and about 20 miles broad. Its surface is 
generally level, rising only in slight elevations. The coast is broken 
into numerous bays and harbors, some of which are excellent. Gar- 
diner's and Great Peconic bays, at the eastern extremity of the island, 
extend into the land for about 30 miles. The majority of these bays 
form the harbors of flourishing towns. The coast is well lighted, and 
several fine summer resorts are situated along it. The soil is fertile 
and highly cultivated. Several important towns are located on the 
island, and railroads furnish sure and rapid communication between 
them. Brooklyn, the second city in the State, is located on the ex- 
treme western end of Long Island. 

Staten Island lies in the lower part of New York Bay. It is about 
14 miles long, 4 miles wide, and is built up with a number of busy 
little villao;es. Its shores and heights are lined with handsome 
country seats, and a railroad extends throughout its entire length. 

MINERALS. 
The State is very rich in mineral deposits. Iron abounds. Ex- 
tensive beds of hematite ores are found in Columbia and Dutchess 
counties, magnetic ores in Putnam, Orange, and Westchester counties, 
and the region lying between Lakes Champlain and Ontario is espe- 
cially rich in specular and magnetic ores. The western counties also 
contain large deposits of this mineral. Coal is found in Steuben 
county, and lead in St. Lawrence, Ulster, Sullivan, Columbia, Wash- 



NEW YORK. S65 

ington, Dutchess, Rensselaer, and Westchester counties. Zinc, copper, 
titanium, manganese, arsenic, silver, cobalt, and bismuth are found to 
a limited extent. Marble, gneiss, and sandstone abound. Sulphuret 
of iron is found in St. Lawrence county, and carburet in Essex, 
Clinton, and Dutchess counties. Mineral springs are numerous. 
There are fine salt springs in Onondaga (which yield in this county 
largo quantities of table salt), Erie, Genesee, and Orleans counties. 
Natural issues of carbureted hydrogen exist in sev*eral counties in the 
State. In Chautauqua county, the village of Fredonia is lighted by 
means of this gas, as is also Barcelona lighthouse in the .same county. 

CLIMATE. 
In the northern and western parts of the State, the summer is short 
and hot, the winter long and severe, and the spring cold and damp, 
and rendered unpleasant by chilly winds. In the eastern section the 
sea breezes temper the severity of the cold, and lessen the heat of the 
summer. The climate of New York City is the most delightful in the 
country, taking it " the year round.'' 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

In the valleys of the principal rivers of the State the soil is gene- 
rally of an excellent quality, and very fertile. In the mountainous 
regions it is poor. The average soil, however, is good, and the State 
as a whole is fertile. Agriculture is carried on to a very great extent, 
much care being given to scientific farming. The State is noted for 
its market gardens, as well as for its dairy and grazing farms. 

In 1869, there were 14,355,403 acres of improved land, and 
6,616,553 acres of unimproved land in the State, whose agricultural 
wealth for the same year may be stated as follows: 

Cash value of fanns (estimated) $1,000,000,000 

Value of fanning implements and mac'iinery 
(estimated), $38,000,000 

]Sr umber of horses, 703,120 

" asses and mules, 1,960 

" milch cows, 1,980,300 

" young cattle 2,450,600 

" sheep, 3,750,960 

" swine, 4,960,300 

Value of domestic animals, $108,856,290 

Bushels of wheat, 9,750,000 

" i-ye 4,748,000 

" Indian corn 19,100,000 

" oats 31,250,000 



366 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of peas aud beans, 1,909,339 

Irish potatoes, 28,500,000 

"■ barley, 4,600,000 

'' buckwheat, 278,109 

Poiinds of wool, ' . . . 9,500,000 

" butter, 103,097,280 

cheese, 48,548,289 

hops, ..',... 9,600,000 

Tons of hay, 4,600,000 

Maple sugar, 10,816,458 

Gallons of wme, 62,000 

Value of orchard products (estimated), . . . $4,000,000 

" market garden products (estunated), $3,800,000 

" home-made manufactures, " . $825,000 

" slaughtered animals, . . " . $16,000,000 

COMMERCE. 

The commerce of New York is the most important of any of the 
States. In 1863 the total tonnage owned in the State was 1,889,190 
tons, of which 848,328 was registered, and 321,714 was steam tonnage. 
In addition to this, however, a very large proportion of the vessels 
owned in other States are engaged in trading with the ports of New 
York. This State possesses the principal harbor of the Republic, and 
is more extensively engaged in the foreign and coast trade than any 
other. A very large share of the exports, and nearly all the imports, 
of the country pass through the port of New York. The share of the 
State in the lake trade is immense. Buffalo is the great centre of 
this trade. The enrolled and licensed tonnage of the port in 1863 
was 112,893 ton;?, of which 50,964 was steam tonnage. In the same 
year, 7647 American and foreign vessels were entered, and 7729 
were cleared at Buft:ih). The value of imports from the west by lake 
and railroad, i n the same year, was estimated at $125,000,000. Of this 
sum, $2,957,021 were on account of imports from Canada. The 
total value of imports from all sections was $256,214,614. Immense 
quantities of grain are received annually from all parts of the -west, 
and shippcKl eastward by the Erie Canal. In 1863, the value of canal 
exports was $56,644,792. In 1869, the tonnage of merchandise car- 
ried through them an:jounted to 1,000,000 tons, the capacity of all 
the vessels entered at the ports of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, 
Baltimore, New Orleans, and S;in Francisco. In the same year the 
tolls amounted to $1,278,507.52. These tolls are pledged by the 
Constitution for the support and repair of the canals, the repayment 
of the State indebted nc-s on their account, the reimbursement of the 



NEW YORK. 367 

treasury for taxation upon the people, and for the support of the State 
Government. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The State is largely engaged in manufactures, almost every species 
of industry being represented in this branch of its wealth. 

In 1870, there were in the State 36,206 establishments devoted to 
manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts, employing 351,800 
hands and a capital of |366,994,320, consuming raw material worth 
^452,065,452, and yielding an annual product of |785,194,651. 
There were 81 cotton mills, with a capital of $8,511,336, employing 
2608 male and 4546 female hands, consuming raw material worth 
$6,990,626, paying $2,626,131 for labor, and yielding an annual 
product of $11,078,211. There were 188 woollen mills, with a capital 
of $9,972,857, employing 4381 male and 2992 female hands, con- 
suming raw material worth $8,348,693, paying $2,824,344 for labor, 
and yielding an annual product of $14,152,645. 

The other manufactures were as follows : 

Value of leather produced, $36,509,800 

'' pig iron produced, 7,922,463 

" rolled iron produced, 16,834,480 

" steam engines and machinerj'^ produced, 20,962,058 

" agricultural implements produced, . 11,847,037 

" sawed and planed lumber produced, 27,570,509 

flour produced, 60,237,220 

" salt produced, ■ 1,017,509 

" malt and spirituous liquors produced, 10,297,274 

" boots and shoes produced, .... 23,679,874 

" furniture produced, 16,075,268 

" musical instruments produced, . . 5,453,015 

" jewelry, silverware, etc., produced, . 10,853,950 

" soap and candles produced, . . . 6,125,018 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The State of New York was the first member of the Union to en- 
gage in internal improvements upon a large scale. In 1817, the 
great Erie, and Hudson Canal was commenced. It was completed in 
1825 at a cost of $7,000,000. This magnificent work, connecting 
the waters of the Atlantic with those of the Great Lakes, is due to the 
genius and determination of De Witt Clinton, who more than any 
other man contributed to its successful accomplishment. The Erie 
Canal has several branches diverging from it, viz : one from Utica to 
Binghampton, one from Syracuse to Oswego^ one from Geneva to 



368 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Montezuma, and one from Rochester to Danville. The next import- 
ant main line is the Champlain Canal, from Albany to Lake Cham- 
plain, which is not far behind the " Erie " in the extent and value of 
its trade. The other canals are the Delaware and Hudson, connecting 
the Hudson River with the coal mines in northeastern Pennsylvania ; 
the Chemung, connecting Senaca Lake and Elmira; the Crooked 
Lake, between Penn Yan and Dresden ; and the Black River and 
Genesee Valley Canal, which is not yet completed. There are about 
873 miles of canal navigation completed in the State. The various 
routes are all in successful operation, each commanding a large and 
profitable trade. They have all been constructed by the State. 

The railroads of New. York are among the most important in the 
country. In 1870 there were 4773 miles of completed roads in the 
State. The total cost of these was about $225,000,000. The State is 
traversed in every direction l)y roads of this class, which connect its 
principal towns and cities, and extend into the States lying around it. 
Close connections are made with the most important roads of the 
Union, and by a judicious system, inaugurated within the last few 
years, travellers are conveyed from New York City to the principal 
cities of the Union without change of cars in the majority of instances, 
and with but one or two changes in the others. Freights are brought 
from the far South and the remote West to the metropolis in the cars 
in which they were originally placed. The New York Central Rail- 
way, extending from Albany to Lakes Erie and Ontario, at Buffalo 
and Oswego ; the Erie Railway, from Jersey City, opposite New York 
City (and lying for a short distance in New Jersey), to Lakes Erie 
and Ontario, at Buffalo, Dunkirk, and Rochester; the Albany and 
Susquehanna, from Albany to Binghampton ; and the Hudson River 
and Harlem Railways, the last two from New York City to Albany, 
are the principal roads in the State. 

EDUCATION. 

"The institutions of higher education in this State are mostly 
under the general supervision of a board styled ' The Regents of the 
University of the State of New York.' The Board consists of the 
Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Secretary of State, and the 
Superintendent of Public Instruction, as ex-oficio members, and of 
nineteen other persons chosen by the Legislature in the same manner 
as Senators in Congress. The officers of the Regents are a Chancellor, 
a Vice-Chancellor, a Treasurer, a Secretary and an Assistant Secretary, 



NEW YORK. 369 

who are appointed hy the Board, and who hold their offices at its 
pleasure. The leading duties with which the Regents are charged, 
are the incorporation of colleges, academies and other institutions of 
learning, under such general rules and regulations as they may from 
time to time establish, and the visitation and general supervision of 
all colleges and academies. 

" The Regents are the Trustees of the State Library, the Trustees 
of the State Cabinet of Natural History, and the Historical and 
Antiquarian Collection connected therewith. They annually apportion 
among the academies the sum of $40,000 from the income of the 
Literature Fund; also the sum of $18,000, or thereabouts, to acade- 
mies appointed to instruct classes in the science of common school 
teaching; and $3000 to academies which shall have raised an equal 
amount, for the purchase of books and philosophical and chemical 
apparatus. 

"An organization consisting of the officers of colleges and academies, 
subject to the visitation of the Board, and called ' The University 
Convocation of the State of New York,' holds an annual session at 
Albany, commencing on the first Tuesday in August. 

" There are in the State 23 colleges, the oldest, Columbia College, 
having been incorporated by the colonial government in 1754. This 
college has, in addition to its academical department, a Law Depart- 
ment, and a School of Mines. The University of the City of New 
York has schools of Art; of Civil Engineering and Architecture; of 
Analytical and Practical Chemistry; and of Law. 

" Cornell University, at Ithaca, incorporated in 1865, and opened 
to students in 1868, has been liberally endowed by Mr. Ezra Cornell. 
It has also received the donation of land scrip made to this State by 
the General Government to found an agricultural college. In its plan 
and object, it combines the advantages of a university with the prac- 
tical benefits of a school of science and art. 

" Rutger's Female College, in New York City, provides a thorough 
collegiate course of instruction, surpassing even many colleges for 
young men. 

" Vassar College, at Poughkeepsie ; The Packer Collegiate Institute, 
Brooklyn ; and other institutions for young ladies, offer every facility 
desired for complete education. 

" The Superintendent of Public Instruction has the general super- 
vision of Public Schools in the State. School Commissioners in the 
different counties, city and town superintendents in the principal 



370 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

cities and towns, and trustees in the scliool districts, exercise a local 
supervision over the schools in their respective localities. Great im- 
provements have been made in the public schools of the State. The 
schools were made free in 1867. Tiiere are four State Normal Schools 
in successful operation, and four others have been authorized by law. 
The State Normal and Training School at Oswego has been distin- 
guished for its influence in introducing special methods of primary- 
instruction, known as Object Teaching. During the year 1867-68, 
81 academies instructed teachers' classes in the science of common 
school teaching and government, under the supervision of the Regents 
of the University. Teachers' Institutes are held in nearly all the 
counties, principally under the direction of the County Commis- 
sioners," * 

In the year 1870, there were 11,705 public schools in the State, 
conducted by 5283 male and 21,230 female teachers. The number 
of children at school during some portion of the year was 1,029,955. 
The amount expended on these schools in thesame year was $9,929,462. 

In 1867 the number of private schools was 1433. 

In 1870 there were 8360 libraries in the State, containing 2,436,576 
volumes. Of these 774 were public. 

In the same year the number of newspapers and periodicals was as 
follows: daily 74, semi-weekly ] 0, tri-weekly 7, weekly 366, monthly 
69, quarterly 10, annual 6 — total 542. Of these 365 were j^olitical, 
56 religious, 63 literary, and 58 miscellaneous. Ttieir total annual 
circulation was 320,930,884 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The charitable institutions of this State are, perhaps, the most 
complete and the best managed of any in America. They are under 
the general supervision of a Board of Public State Charities, appointed 
by the Governor. 

The Neio York Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, located at New 
York City, was founded in 1818. It is one of the largest and most 
complete in the world, and is famous for the excellence and success of 
its system of treatment. On the 1st of January, 1868, it contained 
439 pupils. 

The New York Asylum for Idiots, at Syracuse, to which place it 

* America]! Year Book, vol, i. I'p. 415-416. 



NEW YORK. 371 

was removed from Albany in 1855, is in a flourishing condition. Tlie 
number of inmates is 140. 

The State Lunatic Asylum is at Utica. It was opened in 1843, and 
is always full of patients. On the 1st of January, 1867, the number 
was 401. Besides this establishment the State maintains the Willard 
Asylum, at Ovid, and the Hudson River Asylum, at Poughkeepsie. 
The City and County of New York maintain a large Insane Asylum 
on Blackwell's Island ; King's county has one at Flatbush, and the 
Commissioners of Emigration have one on Ward's Island, There ar? 
also several private, and a number of county asylums. 

The Inebriate Asylum is at Binghampton. Persons addicted to the 
use of strong: drink are reclaimed here. There ^vere 40 inmates in 
the asylum on the 1st of January, 1868. 

The Western House of Refuge, at Rochester, is lor the confinement 
and reformation of juvenile delinquents. It was opened in 1849. 
On the 1st of January, 1868, there were 448 boys confined here. 

There are three State Prisons — one at Sing Sing, one at Clinton, 
and one at Auburn. They are each managed by a warden, and are 
under the supervision of a Board of five persons appointed by the 
Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. They 
hold office ten years. The prisoners are required to labor during the 
day, and are confined in separate cells at night. The number of 
inmates in the Sing Sing prison on the 1st of September, 1867, was 
1409; the number in the Auburn prison, 927; in the Clinton 
prison, 507. 

All the principal cities of the State are provided with excellent 
penal establishments of their own, and make liberal ])rovision for the 
support of such charitable institutions as are needed. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870 the total value of church property was $66,073,755. The 
number of fhiirchcs was 5 '74. 

FINANCES. 

On the 30th of September, 1874, the total funded debt of the State 
was $30,1 99,456, classified as follows : 

General fund, $3,988,526 

Contingent, 68,000 

Canal, 10,230,430 

Bounty, 15,912,500 

Total, $30,199,456 



372 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The following statement shows the amount of the State debt on 
September 30th, 1870, after deducting the unapplied balances of tlie 
sinking funds at that date : 

Balances. As provided fur. 

General fund, $4,040,026.40 $1,008,975.74 $3,031,050.66 

Contingent, 68,000.00 17,992.21 50,007.79 

Canal, 11,966,580.00 2,149,884.61 9,816,695.39 

Bomity, 22,567,000.00 3,055,609.58 19,511,390.42 

$38,641,606.40 $6,232,462.14 $32,409,144.26 

The State debt, on September 30th, 1870, 
after deducting the unapplied balances of the 
sinking funds, amounted to $38,641,606.40 

On September 30th, 1874, to 30,199,456.40 

Showing a reduction of $8,442,150.00 

The receipts of the State Treasury, on account of all funds except 
the Canal and Free School funds for the fiscal year, amounted to 
$26,465,370.43, and the expenditures to $19,636,308.36. 

The gross valuation of taxable property in the State for the year 
1870 was $1,967,001,1 80. The total State tax amounted to $14,285,976, 
being a little more than seven mills on the dollar. 

On the 1st of October, 1870, there were 292 National Banks in 
operation in the State of New York, with an aggregate paid-in capital 
of $13,497,741, and an aggregate circulation of $67,077,668. At the 
same time there were 61 banks doing business under the State laws, 
whose outstanding circulation was $2,253,937.50. There were, at the 
same time, 133 Savings Banks, with assets estimated at $220,000,000. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The original Constitution of New York was adopted in 1777. It 
has been amended and changed since then. The last Convention for 
this purpose met in June, 1867, and continued its sessions for several 
weeks into the year 1868. 

The Government of the State is placed in the hands of a Gov- 
ernor, Lieutenant-Go vernor. Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, 
Attorney General, and a Legislature consisting of a Senate (of 32 
members) and an Assembly (of 128 members). The Executive officers 
named above and the Senators are elected once every two years, and 
the members of the Assembly annually. The election for Governor 
and Lieutenant-Governor and that for the other officers are held on 
alternate years. The Canal Commissioners and Inspectors of State 



NEW YORK. 373 

Prisons are elected for three years, one each year. The Canal Ap- 
praisers, the Superintendent of the Banking Department, and the 
Auditor of the Canal Department are appointed for three years by the 
Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The 
Adjutant-General and other officers of the military staff are appointed 
by the Governor. 

" The Court for the Trial of Impeachments is composed of the 
President of the Senate (who is president of the court, and when 
absent the chief judge of the Court of Appeals presides), the Senators, 
or the major part of them, and the judges of the Court of Appeals, 
or the greater part of them. It is a court of record, and, when sum- 
moned, meets at Albany, and has for its clerk and officers the clerk 
and officers of the Senate. 

" The Court of Appeals has full power to correct and reverse all 
proceedings and decisions of the Supreme Court. It is composed of 
eight judges, of whom four are elected (one every second year) by the 
people at large, for eight years, and four selected each year from the 
Justices of the Supreme Court having the shortest time to serve. 
These selections are made alternately from the First, Third, Fifth, 
and Seventh, and from the Second, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Judicial 
Districts. The judge (of the four chosen at large) whose term first 
expires, presides as Chief Judge. Six judges constitute a quorum. 
Every cause must be decided within the year in which it is argued, 
and, unless reargued, before the close of the term after the argument. 
" The Supreme Court has general jurisdiction in law and equity, 
and power to review judgments of the County Courts, and of the old 
Courts of Common Pleas. For the election of the Justices, the State 
is divided into eight judicial districfs, the first of which elects five, 
and all the others four, to serve eight years. In each district one 
justice goes out of office every two years. The justice in each district 
whose terra first expires, and who is not a judge of the Court of 
Appeals, is a Presiding Justice of the court, and the clerks of the 
several counties serve as clerks. 

" The County Courts are always open for the transaction of any 
business for which no notice is required to be given to an opposing 
party. At least two terms in each county for the trial of issues of 
law or fact, and as many more as the County Judge shall appoint, 
shall be held in each year. 

" County Judges are elected for four years ; they are vested with 
the powers of justices of the Supreme Court at Chambers, are mem- 



374 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

bers of Courts of Oyer and Terminer, and, with two Justices of the 
Peace, constitute Courts of Sessions. 

"The Criminal Courts are the Courts of Oyer and Terminer and 
the Courts of Sessions. The Courts of Oyer and Terminer in each 
county, except in the city and county of New York, are composed of 
a justice of the Supreme Court, who presides, the County Judge, and 
the two Justices of the Peace chosen members of the Court of Ses- 
sions. The Presiding Justice and any two of the others form a 
quorum. In the city and county of New York they are held by a 
justice of the Supreme Court alone. These courts are all held at the 
same time and place at which the Circuit Courts are held. Courts of 
Sessions, except in the city of New York, are composed of the County 
Juflge and the two Justices of the Peace designated as members of 
the Court of Sessions, and are held at the same time and place as the 
County Courts." * 

The seat of Government is established at Albany. For purposes 
of government the State is divided into 60 counties. 

HISTORY^ 

The first white man who trod the soil of New York, was Samuel 
Champlain, a French navigator, who entered the lake- to which he 
has given his name, on the 4th of Jul}', 1609. On the 12th of the 
same month, Hendrik Hudson, an Englishman, commanding a ship 
in the service of the Dutch East India Company, entered the bay of 
New Y'ork, having discovered the entrance to it three days previous. 
He explored the river which is called after him, as far as Albany ; and 
during the next ten years, frequent voyages for trade were made to 
this region by the Dutch, and small trading posts were established by 
them at IManhattan Island (New Y^'ork City) and Fort Orange (Albany). 
In 1623, Fort Orange and Manhattan Island were permanently set- 
tled, 18 families locating themselves at the former place, and 30 at 
the latter, which was called New Amsterdam. The English claimed 
the territory by right of prior possession; and in March, 1664, 
Charles II. granted it to his brother, the Duke of York. In August 
of the same year, the English took forcible possession of the province, 
which had been called New Netherlands by the Dutch, and changed 
its name to New Y^ork, which also became the name of the town of 
New Amsterdam. 

* American Year Book, vol. ii. p. 412. 



NEW YORK. 



375 




NEW YORK' IN 1GG4. 



Under the rule of James II., the colony was governed with an iron 
hand. Large grants of land and odious privileges were awarded 
to unworthy favorites, but the people at large were oppressed with 
heavy taxes, and their industry hampered by burdensome restric- 
tions upon manufactures and trade. Frequent conflicts between the 
authorities and the people were the result of these narrow measures. 
It was hoped that the accession of William and Mary to the throne 
would bring with it a change in the policy of the Government towards 
the province, but this expectation was doomed to disappointment. 
The new king was quite as fond of high taxes as the old one 
had been. 

Nicholson, the Governor appointed by King James, oppressed the 
people so grievously, tliat they rose against him in 1689, seized the 
government, and made their leader, Jacob Leisler, a merchant of New 
York, Governor in the names of William and Mary. Leisler held 
his place for two years, although the home Government never formally 
recognized him. In 1691, the king sent Governor Sloughter over to 
supersede him. Leisler and his son-in-law, Milborne, made some 
slight resistance to the new ruler, and were arested, tried for treason, 
and executed. 

The Indians gave great trouble to the first settlers, and the early 
history of New Y'"ork is little more than a record of a continuous war- 
fare with the various tribes of the Five Nations. In 1689, Schenec- 
24 



376 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tady was taken and burnt by the savages, and many of its inhabitants 
killed. During the wars with the French in America, many incur- 
sions were made into the province by the French and Indians, and con- 
siderable suffering was experienced by the settlers. The province bore 
a prominent part in these struggles, furnishing many men and much 
money, and providing some of the best officers connected with them. 
The country along Lakes George and Champlain was made historical 
by the events of these wars. The victory over Dieskau was won at 
the head of the former lake, which beautiful sheet of water was again 
made memorable by the fearful massacre of the garrison of Fort Wil- 
liam Henry, in 1757. The fort had been surrendered to the French, 
but their Indian allies refused to respect the capitulation. The next 
year, Abercrorabie's army of 16,000 men, the largest and best equipped 
force that had ever been seen in America, was defeated before Ticon- 
deroga. Besides these important events of the last French war, there 
were many other enterprises connected with these struggles, in which 
the colony won considerable renown. 

New York contained, perhaps, more royalist partisans than any of 
the colonies ; but in spite of this, the people, as a whole, were warm 
in their resistance to the oppressions of England, and gave a hearty 
support to the measures adopted by the United Colonies for their 
common protection. In October, 1775, they forced Tryon, the last 
loyalist Governor, to take refuge on a British man-of-war. Some of 
the principal events of the Revolution occurred in this State, which, 
besides furnishing its fair share of men and means, gave to tlie cause 
many of the brightest names which adorn it. The fortresses of Crown 
Point and Ticonderoga, which were situated within the limits of New 
York, were seized by the " Green Mountain Boys,'' of Vermont, in 
May, 1775. The other events of the war occurring in this State, were 
the advance and retreat of the army of Montgomery and Schuyler, 
which was expected to conquer Canada, in July, 1775, the battle of 
Long Island, and the occupation of New York, in February, 1776; 
the invasion of the State by Burgoyne, in the summer of 1777, and 
his subsequent surrender at Saratoga, after the battles of Stillwater 
and Saratoga, in October of the same year; the contests with the 
Six Nations, who had espoused the English cause, and the destruc- 
ti(m of their villages by General Sullivan, in 1779; and tlie evacua- 
tion of the city of New Y^ork by the British, on the 25th of Novem- 
ber, 1783. 

Immediately after the close of the war, the State was involved in 



NEW YORK. 377 

the renewal of an old controversy respecting the territory now known 
as the State of Vermont. * For some time it seemed that the quarrel 
would result in open hostilities between New York and Vermont; 
but it was at length compromised in 1790, as has been shown in 
another chapter. 

The original Constitution of New Y'ork was adopted in March, 
1777. It was revised in 1801, 1821, and 1846. A fourth revision 
was made in 1868. Slavery existed in New York until 1817, when 
it was finally abolished. Indeed, at the time of the seizure of the 
province by the English, in 1664, it contained, in proportion to its 
population, more slaves than Virginia. 

New York was the eleventh State to ratify the Constitution of the 
United States, which was done on the 26th of July, 1788. 

The western part of the State was rapidly settled after the close of 
the Revolution, but suffered considerably from the attacks of the 
British during the war of 1812-15. The State bore a conspicuous 
part in this struggle. The principal naval depot of the Americans 
on the lakes was at Sacket's Harbor, on Lake Ontario, and was the 
object of an unsuccessful attack by the British. The battle of Platts- 
burg and the great naval fight on Lake Champlain both occurred 
within the limits of the State, which was also well represented in 
the gallant little navy which made such a glorious name on the 
high seas. 

"In 1796, the 'Western Navigation Company' was incorporated. 
This company built locks around the Rapids upon the Mohawk, and 
dug a canal across the portage at Rome, so that laden boats could 
pass from the ocean to Oneida Lake, and thence by the outlet of that 
slieet of water to Lake Ontario. Various plans were brought before 
the public from time to time for improving this channel of navigation 
and for building locks around Niagara Falls, so as to unite the waters 
of Ontario and Erie. In 1800, Governeur Morris conceived the bold 
plan of bringing the waters of Lake Erie to the Hudson by means of 
a canal directly through the centre of the State. In 1808, James 
Geddes made a partial survey of the proposed route, and gave a re- 
port highly favorable to the enterprise. De Witt Clinton soon after 
investigated the matter, and from that time forward gave to the pro- 
ject the whole weight of his influence. The war of 1812 caused a 
suspension of the work, but upon the return of peace in 1815, the dis- 

* See Chapter on Vermont. 



378 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

cusslon was vigorously resumed; and in 1816, a law was passed 
authorizing the construction of the canal. The work was actually 
commenced in 1817, and the canal was finished in 1825. It speedily 
became the great channel of trade and emigration, and poured into 
New York City the rich streams of traffic which have made it the 
commercial metropolis of the western continent. The State has been 
covered with a network of railways, rendering communication between 
distant points easy and rapid. The early attention paid to internal 
improvements, and the consequent development of internal resources^ 
gave to New Y^ork the impetus which has placed it first in commer- 
cial importance, and given to it the name of ' The Empire State.' " * 
During the recent war, the State was amongst the first and most 
active in its support of the Government. It contributed to the ser- 
vice of the Union a force of 473,443 men, of which number the city 
of New York furnished 267,551. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The cities and towns of importance are New York, Brooklyn, Buf- 
falo, Rochester, Troy, Syracuse, Utica, Watervleit, Oswego, Newtown, 
Poughkeepsie, Auburn, Newburgh, Elmira, Morrisania, Cohoes, 
Flushing, Hempstead, Johnson, Lockport, Binghanipton, Fishkill, 
Rome, Schenectady, Kingston, Cortlandt, Yonkers, Oyster Bay, Og- 
densburgh, Brookhaven, Huntington, Ithaca, Rondout, Saugerties, 
and Green burg. 

ALBANY, 

The capital and fourth city of the State, is situated in Albany county, 
on the right bank of the Hudson, at the head of tide-water and sloop 
navigation, in 42° 39' 3'' N. latitude, 73° 32' W. longitude; 145 
miles north of New York, 164 west of Boston, and 370 northeast from 
Washington. It is finely located, the ground rising to the westward, 
from the river shore to an elevation of about 220 feet. These heights 
are divided into three distinct hills by ravines through which con-, 
siderable streams of water flow, viz., the Foxen Kill, Rutten Kill, 
and the Beaver Kill. The ravines have been almost entirely filled 
up, and the creeks reach the river by means of huge sewers far 
below the surface. " The view from the most elevated points in Al- 
bany is very fine. To the north may be seen the city of Troy and 
adjacent vilages, and in the distance loom up the Green Mountains 

* N'ew American Cyclopsedia, vol. xii. p. 269. 



KEW YORK. 



379 




ALBAXY. 



of Vermont. To the east we behold a beautiful extent of country 
stretching beyond the Hudson as far as the eye can reach ; and to the 
south, the Helderbergs and the Catskill Mountains, with the river 
flowing at their base." 

Being situated at the head of sloop navigation, Albany has a large 
cohimerce with all parts of the State. The Hudson affords water 
communication with the sea, the Erie Canal connects it with the great 
lakes, and the Champlain Canal binds it to Lake Champlain and the 
lower St. Lawrence. Seven railways connect it with all parts of the 
Union. The Erie Canal enters the city at its northern limits. The 
boats are thence conveyed to a large basin covering 32 acres, which 
has been formed by constructing a pier, more than a mile in length, 
■Avhich cuts oif and encloses a bend in the river. A safe and fine 
anchorage is thus secured for vessels and steamers during the season 
of ice, and the sides of the basin afford excellent wharfage. The trade 
brought to the city by the canals is immense, and has been the chief 
cause of its rapid growth and prosperity. The lumber trade is esti- 
mated at about $7,000,000. About 2,000,000 barrels of flour, over 



380 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

3,000,000 bushels of corn, nearly 2,000,0C0 busliels of barley, and 
about 5,000,000 pounds of wool, pass through Albany yearly. 

The city is also largely interested in manufactures. Iron, hollow- 
ware, and malt are the principal articles. Large numbers of stoves 
and large quantities of beer are produced annually. Pianofortes, 
hats, caps, bonnets, sleighs, coaches, leather, are also produced in large 
quantities. 

The city is well built as a rule, and contains a number of handsome 
edifices. The streets are more crooked and irregular than those of 
any American city, save Boston, but, with this exception, Albany re- 
tains few tracfs of its origin. State street, extending from the river, 
westw^ard to the Capitol, is the principal thoroughfare. The city mn- 
tains a number of public squares, some of which are handsome. The 
public buildings are handsome, though not in keeping with the wealth 
and importance of the Empire State. The Capitol was erected in 
1807, at a cost of $173,000. It is a plain building of brown stone, 
from the quarries on the Hudson River, with a Doric portico of white 
marble. It is 115 by 90 feet, and is 50 feet high. It is surmounted 
by a dome ornamented with a statue of Justice. In this building are 
the halls of the two Houses of the Legislature, the offices of the 
Governor, and Adjutant-General, and the chambers of the Court of 
Appeals and Supreme Court. Immediately in the rear of the Capitol 
stands the new State Library, a handsome modern fire-proof edifice, 
containing more than 60,000 volumes, among which are some of the 
rarest and most valuable works in print. The State Hall, a large 
edifice of white marble, stands opposite the Capitol, with a liandsome 
park between them. It contains the offices of 'the Secretary of State 
and other State officials. It was built in 1843, at a cost of $350,000. 
A new and imposing Capitol is now in course of erection. Near the 
State Hall, and on the same side of the square, is the City Hall, also 
built of white marble, at an expense of $120,000. It is occupied by 
the officers of the city government, and by the city and county 
courts. 

The educational and scientific institutions of Albany are of a high 
character. They possess many of the handsomest buildings in the 
city. In addition to the free common schools, the Albany Academy, 
the Albany Female Academy, the State Normal School, for the educa- 
tion of teachers in common schools, and the Albany University are 
the principal. The University embraces departments of law, medi- 
cine, and science in its various branches, and connected with it is the 



iVEW YORK. 381 

Dudley Observatory, founded by Mrs. Blandina Dudley. The Mer- 
chants' Exchange, Post Office, and Exchange Bank are handsome 
edifices. The charitable and benevolent institutions are numerous, 
and are liberally supported. The city contains upwards of 50 churches 
and 6 missions. The most imposing church edifice is the Roman 
Catholic cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, one of the largest 
churches in the Union. It will seat 4000 persons. 

There are several fine libraries in the city, and the newspapers pub- 
lisiied here are influential and possessed of a large circulation. 

The city is lighted with gas, and supplied with pure water, which 
is distributed in pipes from a large reservoir built at an expense of 
$1,000,000. For purposes of government the city is divided into ten 
wards, each of which elects two aldermen, who, together with the 
Mayor and Recorder, form the Common Council, or city government. 
The population, according to the census of 1870, is 69,422. 

With the exception of Jamestown, in Virginia, Albany is the oldest 
settlement within the limits of the original thirteen States. Before 
the arrival of the whites, the Indians gave to the place the name of 
Scho-negh-ta-da, " over the plains," which name the Dutch settlers 
afterwards gave to an Indian settlement which marked the present 
site of Schenectady, as " over the plains " from Albany. In Septem- 
ber, 1609, ITendrik Hudson, having discovered the river which bears 
his name, ascended it to a point now marked by the city of Hudson, 
where he anchored, having spent nearly two weeks in the voyage 
from the mouth of the river. From this point the mate and a boat's 
crew ascended to the head of tide water, the present site of Albany, 
27 miles higher up the stream. In 1614, a fort and a trading post 
were established by the Dutch on Boyd's Island, near the southern 
limits of the present city. In 1617, the fort was carried away by a 
flood, and a year or two later, a new one was built near the present 
site of Fort Orange Hotel, on Broadway, and called Fort Orange in 
honor of the Prince of Orange. In 1630, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a 
dealer in pearls, of Amsterdam, bought from the Indians a large tract 
of land, including Fort Orange, on the west bank of the Hudson, and 
sent out a considerable colony of Dutch mechanics and farmers to oc- 
cupy his new estate. Seven years afterv.^ards he purchased from the 
Indians another tract lying immediately across the Hudson, and thus 
became proprietor of a district extending for 24 miles along the river, 
and"48 miles from east to west. Over this region, to which he gave 
the name of Rensselaerswyck, he exercised sovereign authority, as its 



382 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

patroon, committing the administration of matters of justice and fi- 
nance to a commissary-general. In 1664, the province passed into 
the hands of the English. Van Rensselaer was secured in his pos- 
session of the soil by a new patent from the king, but the sovereignty 
passed to the crown. The Van Rensselaer family still retain a large 
portion of the orininal estate, and a part of the Van Rensselaer man- 
sion, built in 1765, is still standing in Albany. 

After passing into the hands of the English, the settlement, which 
had been known as Fort Orange, Beaverwyck, Williarastadt, and the 
Fuyck, was called Albany, in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, 
afterwards James II., of England. Albany received a city charter in 
1686, with Peter Schuyler as its first mayor. The selection of the 
mayor was fortunate, as both he and his family possessed the confi- 
dence and friendship of the Indians to such an extent that the savages 
never attacked Albany, though they made the neighboring settlements 
feel severely the terrors of their hostility. During the Revolution, 
Albany gave an active support to the patriot cause, and contributed 
many troops to the American army. The defeat of Burgoyne at Sara- 
toga saved it from capture, as that general was marching directly 
upon it. Sir Henry Clinton also made two attempts to reach it, both 
of which resulted in failure. In 1807, Albany became the capital of 
the State, but it was a comparatively insignificant town until the in- 
troduction of steam navigation and the opening of the Erie Canal 
placed it in the path to its present prosperity. 

NEW YORK, 

The largest and most important city of the State and the United 
States, is situated in New York county, on Manhattan Island, 
at the mouth of tiie Hudson River, 18 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, 
latitude (of the City Hall) 40° 42' 43" N., longitude 74° 0' Z" W. 
The city limits comprise the entire county of New York, embracing 
Manhattan Island, Randall's, Ward's, and Blackwell's islands, in 
the East River, and Governor's, Bedloe's, and Ellis' islands in 
the bay, the last 3 of which are occupied by the military posts of 
the Federal Government. Manhattan Island is bounded on the north 
by Harlem River and Spuyten Duy vel Creek, on the east by the East 
River, on the west by the Hudson River, and on the South by New 
York Bay. It is 9 miles long on the east side, 13| miles long on 
the west side, and 2^ miles wide at its greatest breadth. It is but a 
few feet in width at its southern extremity, but spreads out like a fan 



NEW YORK. 385 

as it stretches to the northward. The southern point is but a few 
inches above the level of the bay, but the island rises rapidly to the 
northward, its extreme northern portion being occupied by a series of 
bold, finely wooded heights, which terminate at the junction of the 
Hudson River and Spuyten Duyvel creek, in a bold promontory 130 
feet high. These heights, known as Washington Heights, are 2 or 
3 miles in length. The southern portion of the island is principally 
a sand bed, but the remainder is rocky. The island covers an area 
of 22 square miles, or 14,000 acres. It is built up compactly for 
about 6 miles, and irregularly along the east side to Harlem, 3 miles 
farther. Along the west side it is built up compactly to the Central 
Park, 59th street, and irregularly to Manhattanville, 125th street, 
from which point, to Spuyten Duyvel creek, it is covered with country 
seats, gardens, etc. Three wagon and 2 railroad bridges over the 
Harlem River connect the island with the mainland, and 26 lines of 
ferries connect it with Long and Staten islands and jSTew Jersey. 

The city is finely built, and presents an aspect of industry and 
liveliness unsurpassed by any city in the world. Lying in full sight 
of the ocean, with its magnificent bay to the southward, and the East 
and Hudson rivers washing its shores, the city of New York possesses 
a climate which renders it the most delightful residence in America. 
In the winter the proximity of the sea moderates the severity of the 
cold, and in the summer the heat is tempered by the delightful sea 
breezes which sweep over the island. Snow seldom lies in the streets 
for more than a few hours, and the intense '' heated terms " of the 
summer are of very brief duration. As a natural consequence, the 
city is healthy, and the death-rate, in proportion to the population, is 
small. 

The southern portion is densely built up, and between the City 
Hall and 23d street, it is more thickly populated than any city in 
America. It is in this section that the '' tenement houses," or build- 
ings containing from 10 to 20 families, are to be found. In this 
region there are many single blocks of dwellings containing twice the 
number-of families residing on 5th avenue, on both sides of that street, 
from Washington Square to the Central Park, or than a continuous 
row of dwellings, similar to those of 5tli avenue, 3 or 4 miles in 
length. There is a multitude of these squares, any one of which con- 
tains a larger population than the whole city of Hartford, Connecticut, 
which covers an area of 7 square miles. * The greatest mortality is 

* Annual Cyclopsedia, 1S61. Hartford at that time contained a popula- 
tion of about 28,000. 



586 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




fcCENE IN BROADWAY, 



in these overcrowded districts, which the severest police measures 
cannot iicep clean and free from filth. It must not be supposed, 
however, that poverty alone induces persons to live in such houses. 
Many of the most crowded districts are occupied by people, especially 
foreigners, who wish to avoid the expense and trouble of more com- 
modious residences. 

The southern portion of the city is devoted almost exclusively to 
trade, comparatively few persons residing below the City Hall. Be- 
low Canal street the streets are narrow, crooked, and irregular, but 
above this point they are broad and straight, and are laid out at regu- 
lar intervals. Above Houston street the streets extending across the 
island are numbered. The avenues begin in the vicinity of 3d street, 
and extend, or will extend, to the northern limits of the island, run- 
ning parallel with the Hudson River. They are generally 100 feet 
wide, and are compactly built up. The numbered cross streets are 
usually 60 feet wide, but a few have a width of 100 feet. First street 
is about a mile and three quarters above the southern end of the island, 
which is known as the Battery. The main thoroughfare is Broadway, 
which extends throughout the entire length of Manhattan Island. It 



NEW YORK. 387 

IS built up compactly for about 5 miles. There are over 420 miles 
of streets iu the patrol districts, and 11 miles of piers along the water. 
The sewerage is good in the main, but is defective in some places. 
Upwards of 300 miles of water pipes have been laid. The streets are 
lighted by over 15,000 gas lamps, the footways are generally made 
of broad stone flags, and the streets are laid in some cases with the 
wooden pavement, and in others with the Belgian, or stone block 
pavement. Cobble stones are rapidly disappearing. For so large a 
city. New York is remarkably clean, except in those portions lying 
close to the river, or given up to paupers. 

The city is substantially built. Frame houses are very rare. Many 
of the old quarters are built of brick, but this material is now used 
to a limited extent only. Broadway and the principal business 
streets are lined with buildings of marble, iron, brown and Portland 
stone, palatial in their appearance ; and the sections devoted to the 
residences of the better classes are built up mainly with brown stone 
or Portland stone, and in some instances with marble. Thus the city 
presents an appearance of grandeur and solidity most pleasing to the 
eye. The public buildings Avill compare favorably with any in the 
world, and there is no city on the globe that can boast so many 
palatial warehouses and stores. Broadway is one of the most magni- 
ficent thoroughfares in the world. The stores which line it are gene- 
rally from five to six stories high above the ground, with two cellars 
below the level of the pavement, and vaults extending to near the 
middle of the street. The adjacent streets in many cases rival Broad- 
way in their splendor. The stores of the city are famous for their 
elegance and convenience, and for the magnificence of the goods dis- 
played in them. The streets occupied by private residences are 
broad, clean, well paved, and are lined with dwellings inferior to 
none in the world in convenience and elegance. Fifth, Madison, 
Park, and Lexington avenues, and the numbered streets crossing 
them, are lined with magnificent residences of brown or light-colored 
stone and marble. The amount of wealth and taste concentrated in the 
dwellings of the better classes of the citizens of New York is very great. 

The city is well provided with public parks and promenades. The 
principal parks, commencing at the lower end of the island, are the 
Battery, containing 10 acres, and facing the Bay; the Bowling Green; 
the City Hall Park, comprising an area of 10 acres, and containing 
the City Hall, the new Post Office, Court House, etc. ; Washington 
Square, about 9 acres ; Union Park ; Grammercy Park, belonging to 



388 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SCENE IN FIvTIl AVEXUE. 



the owners of the residences facing it ; Stuy vcsant Square, about 3 
acres, divided in the centre by the passage of 2nd avenue ; Tomp- 
kins Square, about 11 acres; Madison Square, 6 acres; and Hamil- 
ton Square, 15 acres. These are handsomely laid off, with the excep- 
tion of Tompkins Square, which is used as a drill ground, and are 
ornamented with fountains, statues, etc., and are kept in good order 
by the city. 

The chief pleasure ground is the Central Park, situated on the 
eastern slope of an elevated ridge extending along the western side 
of the island, in the upper part of the city, from 59th street, on 
the south, to 110th street, on the north, and from 5th avenue, on 
the east, to 8th avenue, on the west. It is two miles and a 
half in length, by half a mile in width, and embraces an area 
of 843 acres. It is laid out with great taste and skill, and compri- 
ses a variety of landscape, which renders it one of the most beauti- 



NEW YORK. 



389 




VIEW I>i CENTRAL PAKK. 



ful and attractive parks in the world. Up to the present day the 
outlay upon it has exceeded ten millions of dollars. It is divided 
into the Lower Park,, extending from 59th to 79th streets, and com- 
prising an area of 336 acres ; and the Upper Park, extending from 
79th to 110th streets. Between the Upper and Lower Parks lie the 
vast reservoirs of the Croton water works, which cover an area of 137 
acres, and have a capacity of 1,150,000,000 gallons. The Lower 
Park is generally level, and is laid oif in lawns, terraces, walks, and 
drives, with two beautiful lakes, which cover an area of 40 acres; and 
is ornamented with statuary, flowers, and tasteful buildings. The 
Upper Park is more rugged, and is naturally the more beautiful. It 
is a succession of charming hills and dales, whose beauties have been 
increased and heightened by the best landscape gardeners and engi- 
neers. A museum of natural history, and the beginning of a zoolo- 
gical garden are located in the Lower Park, near the principal en- 
trance on 5th avenue ; and a museum of statuary has been opened in 
one of the buildings at Mount St. Vincent, in the Upper Park. The 
management of the Park is entrusted to a Commission, appointed by 



390 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




THE WATER TERRACE LN THE CENTRAL PARK. 

the Governor of the State. Naturally, the Park is an object of great 
pride to the citizens, and is one of the principal attnactions to stran- 
gers visiting the city. It is usually full of pleasure seekers, of all 
ages, sexes, and conditions, and it is pleasant to record that no crime, 
of the most trifling character, has ever been committed within its 
limits. In 1870, the total number of persons visiting it, including 
the drivers and occupants of carriages, was 8,421,427. Pleasure boats 
ply on the principal lake, and may be engaged for a small sum ; and 
" park omnibuses," or open carriages of a peculiar construction, 
under the control of the Commissioners, convey visitors through the 
grounds for the sum of 25 cents each. The streets enclosing the 
Park are being rapidly built up with elegant' mansions, and afford 
one of the most delightful quarters for residence on the island. 

New York is the commercial metropolis of the United States. The 
local trade of the city is necessarily very great, but its trade with the 
rest of the Union is enormous, and it conducts a large foreign com- 
merce. Only three lines of railway enter the city limits, but 14 lines, 
terminating on the shores of Long Island and New Jersey, connect it 
with all parts of the Union. At least 100 steamboats, large and 
small, ply between the city and the towns on the Bay, the Hudson 
River, and Long Island Sound, while fully as many steamships con- 
nect New York with the more distant ports of the Union. Besides 
these, the number of sailing craft engaged in the coasting trade is very 
large. About 120 first class steamers ply between New York and 
the ports of Europe, and about 20 sail to South American, Mexican, 
and West Indian ports. Being entirely surrounded by water, New 



NEW YORK. 391 

York is admirably adapted to commerce. The largest ships can lie 
alongside of its piers, of which there are eleven miles, constantly 
crowded with shipping, on the North and East River fronts. During 
the year 1870, the foreign imports of New York were valued at 
$315,200,022, and the exports to foreign countries at $195,945,733, 
exclusive of $58,191,475 in specie and bullion. About two-thirds of 
all the imports, and about forty per cent, of all the exports of the 
United States pass through the port of New York. In the year 
1868, the arrivals at New York from foreign ports were as follows: 

Vr^<cN. 

Steamers, 691 

Ships, 390 

Barks, 1,055 

Brigs, 1,499 

Schooners, 1,223 

Total, 4,861 

The domestic trade of New York is immense. Daring the year 
1864, some of the receipts of the port were as follows : 

Barrels of wheat flour, 3,967,717 

Bushels of wheat, 13,453,135 

" oats, 12,952,238 

" corn, • 7,164,895 

Bales of cotton, 190,911 

Packages of pork, 332,454 

beef, 209,664 

" cut me:'.;.:-., 268,417 

" butter, 551,153 

" cheese, 756,872 

Tierces and barrels of lard 186,000 

Kegs of lard, 16,104 

Barrels of whiskey, 289,481 

" petroleum, 775,587 

In June, 1863, the tonnage belonging to the port of New York 
was officially stated as follows : Registered — permanent, 609,025 ; 
temporary, 237,420. Enrolled — permanent, 745,330 ; temjDorary, 
17,334. Total, 1,624,000. There was besides, 97,485 steam ton- 
nage. This does not include the vessels owned in other cities and 
States, or foreign vessels trading with New York. 

The city is amply provided with means of communication between 
its principal points. Lines of omnibuses and street railways traverse 
the island in ev^ery direction, the principal car lines continuing their 
trips through the night. The fares vary from five to ten cents. More 



392 OUE COU^TKY AND ITS EESOURCES. 

than 400 street cars and 200 omnibuses are engaged in transporting 
persons througli the city. A steam railway, connecting the upper 
and lower portions of the island, is now in construction. 

Communication with the shores of Long Island, Staten Island, and 
New Jersey is maintained by 26 lines of ferries, employing over 100 
steam ferry boats, and transporting, it is estimated, upwards of 80,- 
000,000 of ])assengers, and more than 3,000,000 of vehicles annually. 
The railway lines leading to the city run over 400 trains to and from 
points 5 miles and upwards distant from the city. Fourteen rail- 
ways lead directly to the city. Three of these terminate within the 
city limits, six on the New Jersey shore, four in Brooklyn, and one 
on Staten Island. 

The hotels of New York are the best in the world. They are 
built upon extensive plans, and are among the finest specimens of 
architecture in the city. They are fitted up luxuriously, and afford 
their guests every comfort. and convenience. The principal are the 
Astor House, the St. Nicholas, the Metropolitan, the Grand Central, 
the Fifth Avenue, the St. James, and the Grand Hotels ; and the 
Everett, the Clarendon, the Albemarle, the Hoffman, the Coleman, 
the Sturtevant, and the Gilsay Houses. The Astor is byilt of gray I 
granite, and presents a massive appearance; the' St. Nicholas, tiie 
Grand Central, the Fifth Avenue, the Hoffman, the Albemarle, the 
St. James, and the Grand are of pure white marble ; and the Gilsay 
House, a magnificent modern structure, is of iron. These Houses 
are amongst the most elegant buildings in the city, and each is capa- 
ble of accommodating several hundred guests. 

The theatres are numerous, and will compare favorably in splendor 
and convenience with any in the world. They are more comfortably 
arranged than those of other American cities, and are much hand- 
somer. The performances are good, as a rule. There are about 30 
first-class places of amusement in the city, including theatres, concert 
halls, lecture rooms, music halls, circuses, summer gardens, etc., be- 
sides a number of inferior places. It is estimated that during the 
fall and winter season about 30,000 persons nightly attend the per- t 
formances at these places. 

The principal telegraph lines of the country begin or terminate iii 
New York. There is also a line connecting the j)rincipal points of 
the city, and used for local business. 

The public buildings are numerous and imposing, and the city is 
surpassed by only a few of the capitals of Europe in this respect, j 



NEu' YORK. 



393 




CITY HALL. 



The City Hall is a fine edifice of white marble, 21 G feet in length, 
situated in the City Hall Park. The foundation was laid in 1803, 
and the building was opened for the use of the municipal Govern- 
ment in 1812. It is handsomely furnished and decorated with paint- 
ings and statuary. The County Court House, in the rear of the City 
Hall, is a splendid building of white marble in the Italian style of 
architecture, 250 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 3 stories high, the 
whole being surmounted by a fine dome, the summit of which will 
be 210 feet above the street. The Custom House, on Nassau street, 
corner of William, is a splendid building of Quincy granite, erected 
for a Merchants' Exchange, at a cost of over $1,800,000, including the 
ground. It is entirely fire proof, and covers the Avhole block, being 
200 feet long, by 171 to 144 feet wide, and 124 feet to the top of the 
dome. The front is ornamented with a portico, resting on 18 massive 
Ionic columns. The Sub-Treasury of the United States, on Wall and 
Nassau streets, is built of white marble, in the Doric style. It cost, 
including the ground, $1,195,000. The Hall of Justice, or the 
" Tombs," on Centre street, between Leonard and Franklin, includes 
25 



.394 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the halls of the Court of Sessions, and the police courts, and the city 
prison. The prison contains 150 cells. The building is in the Egyp- 
tian style of architecture, is constructed of light granite, and is 253 
feet long, by 200 wide. 

The Literary and Scientific institutions are numerous. There are 
about 260 free schools in the city, 89 of which are primary, and 15 
for colored children. The buildings used are mostly of brick, are 
large, and are provided with every convenience. The annual atten- 
dance is about 200,000. They are liberally supported by the city. 
Besides these, a number of private institutions are supported in part 
by the city. 

The University of New Yorlc occupies a gothic building of white 
marble, on University place, opposite Washington Square. It was 
founded in 1831. It has about 25 professors and tutors, and about 
336 students. Its library contains over 5000 volumes. The New 
Yorh Free College, Lexington avenue and 23d street, is a handsome 
building, erected in 1848. The students, whose number is limited to 
1000, are chosen from the pupils of the public schools only, and here 
receive a thoroughly collegiate education free of charge. The Cooper 
Institute, on Astor place, is an imposing building of brown stone, 
erected at a cost of $600,000, and presented to the city of New York 
by Peter Cooper, Esq. It contains a free reading-room and library, 
;ind affords a free education for the poorer classes in the practical arts 
and sciences. One of its departments is a school of design for women. 
The basement is occupied by an immense lecture-room. The General 
Theological Seminary, West 20th street, between 9th and 10th ave- 
nues, is the principal school of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The 
other institutions of importance are Columbia College, 49th street, be- 
tween Madison and 4th avenues ; the Lyceum of Natural History, the 
Union Theological Seminary, the Neio York Historical Society, the 
American Geographical and Statistical Society, the New Yo7'k Law 
Institute, the College of St. Francis Xavier, the College of Physicians 
and Surgeons, the College of Pharmacy, and Rutgers' Female College. 

The Libraries are excellent. The principal is the Astor Library, 
founded by John Jacob Astor, and enlarged by his son William B. 
Astor. The collection numbers over 150,000 volumes. It is free to 
the public, and is open daily (Sundays and holidays excepted), from 
9 to 5 o'clock. The books cannot be taken from the reading-room. 
The Ilercantile Library, in Clinton Hall, Astor place, contains about 
90,000 volumes. Its. privileges are extended only to members, who 



^EW YORK. 



395 




ACADEMY OF DESIGN. 

pay a small subscription annually. The Society Library, 67 Univer- 
sity place, contains over 55,000 volumes, and consists of one of the 
most valuable collections of books in the city. Its privileges are 
limited to members and such friends as they may introduce. The 
New York Historical Library, 2d avenue and 11th street, contains 
over 30,000 volumes, and a valuable collection of coins and antiqui- 
ties. The others are the Apprentices' Library, 18,000 volumes; 
Arfierican Listitute Library, 10,000 volumes; City Library, 5000 
volumes ; Law Institute Library ; Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion Library, about 15,000 volumes; General Theological Seminary 
Library, 18,000 volumes; and the Library of the Union Theological 
Seminary, 26,000 volumes. 

The Art Galleries are, the National Academy of Design, whose 
elegant hall, at the corner of 4th avenue and 23d street, forms one 
of the chief ornaments of the city ; and the Artists' Fund Society. 

The monuments, fountains, etc., are few in number, and insignifi- 
cant in appearance. The principal are the Worth Monument, at the 
intersection of Broadway and 5th avenue; and the Martyrs' Monu- 
ment, in Trinity Church-yard. 

The churches are numerous and represent every denomination of 
Christians. Many are magnificent structures, erected at great ex- 



396 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

jDCUse and in the highest style of art. The principal is Trinity 
Church, Protestant Episcopal, on Broadway, opposite Wall street. It 
was founded in 1696, and the present is the third edifice which has 
marked the site, the others having been destroyed by fire. The 
jjresent church was begun in 1839, and completed in 1846. It is 1 92 
feet by 80 feet, and 60 feet high. The steeple is 284 feet high, and 
from it the best view of the city and suburbs, the bay, etc., is to be 
obtained. The church is of brown stone, and is beautifully orna- 
mented with carvings, sculptures, stained-glass windows, etc. The 
spire contains a clock and a fine chime of bells. The church is situ- 
ated in the midst of an old grave-yard, which is one of the most inter- 
esting spots in the city. Trinity Church is the richest church in the 
Union, its property being estimated at over $60,000,000. Graee 
Chureh, Protestant Episcopal, Broadway and 10th street, is a beautiful 
structure of light-colored stone, built in 1845. The interior is very 
fine. The others, conspicuous for their elegance and splendor, are 
St. Patrick's Cathedral (Roman Catholic), now building, on 5th ave- 
nue and 50th street, St. George's, Trinity Chapel, St. Paul's (Metho- 
dist), St. Stephen's (Roman Catholic), and the Temple Emmanuel 
(Jewish). The Bible House, occupying the square bounded by 3d 
and 4th avenues, and 8th and 9th streets, is a massive brick struc- 
ture, and is the property, and the scene of the operations, of the 
American Bible Society. Upwards of 500 operatives are em^^loyed 
liere. 

The Charitable and Benevolent Institutions are numerous, and of 
high and useful character. The New York Hospital, on West 59th 
near the Park, tiie Institution for the Blind, the Deaf and Dumb Asy- 
lum, the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane, the New York Orphan 
Asylum (besides which nearly all the religious denominations have 
similar institutions of their own), the Bellevue Hospital, St. Liihe^s 
Hospital, the Five Points Mission, the Home of Industry, the New 
York Juvenile Asylum, the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, the 
American Female Guardian Society, the Eye and Ear Infirmary, the 
City Dispensaries (of which there are 8), and the Lying-in Hospitals, 
are the principal. Large sums are annually expended for charitable 
and benevolent purposes, by the city and the citizens. 

The prisons of the city, with the exception of the Tombs, are 
located on Blackwell's Island. The city also provides a refuge for 
juvenile delinquents on Randall's Island, and a hospital for emigrants 
on Ward's Island. All of these are provided with splendid and 
spacious buildings. 






^? 

■3 

i > 

= l2! 

o 



3 "^ 

5 o 




NEW YORK. 399 

The cemeteries lie out of the city limits, with the exception of that 
belonging to Trinity Parish, which is located on the Hudson, near 
Washington Heights. The others number 12, and are situated on 
Long Island and in Westchester county. The principal are Green- 
wood and Calvary on Long Island, and Woodlawn in Westchester 
county. 

The journals of New York stand at the head of the American jirc: ~. 
The principal dailies are the Herald, Tribune, Times, World, Sun, 
Standard, Evening Post, Express, and Evening Mail. There are 140 
newspapers and periodicals published in the city, claiming a circula- 
tion of over 5000 copies. New York is also the principal place in 
the Union for the publication of books. The office of the New York 
Herald is one of the handsomest buildings in the city. 

The city is supplied with pure water by means of the Croton Aque- 
duct, from the Croton River, a small stream in Westchester county. 
The total length of the Aqueduct, to the reservoirs in the Central 
Park, is about 38 miles. It was begun in 1837, and completed in 
1842, at an expense of $10,375,000. It is the largest and most mag- 
nificent of all modern constructions of its class, and supplies the city 
with an abundance of pure and delightful drinking water. The water 
is conducted by the Aqueduct from the Croton River to the reservoirs 
at the High Bridge (on which bridge it crosses the Harlem River) 
and those in the Central Park, from which it is distributed over the 
city in large iron pipes, there being a small distributing reservoir on 
5th avenue, at the corner of 42d street. The buildings, both public 
and private, of the city are thoroughly supplied with water. Up- 
wards of 300 miles of water pipes have been laid through the streets, 
and every portion of the city is well supplied in this respect. The 
capacity of all the reservoirs is nearly 2,000,000,000 of gallons. 

The city is lighted with gas, which is supplied by several private 
companies. There are upwards of 1 5,000 gas lamps in the streets, 
which burn from dusk until dawn. 

The city is divided into 22 wards, and is governed by a Mayor 
and Common Council, elected by the people. The Mayor is chosen 
once in two years. The.council is divided into a Board of Aldermen, 
17 in number, elected for two years, and a Board of Councilmen, 
25 in number, chosen annually. The police force consists of a Board 
of Commissioners, to whom the direct control of the force is entrusted, 
a Marshal, and about 2100 officers and men. They are dressed in a 
neat uniform of dark blue cloth, are armed with clubs and revolvers, 



400 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




HIGH BRIDGE, HARLEM, 



and are drilled regularly in military tactics. There are 33 precincts, 
including the detective squad. The force is charged with the duty 
of guarding about 300 day and 400 night posts, about 425 miles of 
streets, and 14 miles of piers. There are 25 station houses fitted up 
with lodging rooms for the men, and having rooms also for the ac- 
commodation of wandering or destitute persons, large numbers of 
whom thus receive temporary shelter. 

The Fire Department is under the control of a Board of Commis- 
sioners. It consists of a Chief Engineer, an Assistant Engineer, 10 
District Engineers, and over 500 men and 46 horses. There are 34 
steam fire engines, 4 hand engines, and 12 hook and ladder companies 
in the department. The men are regularly enlisted, and are paid by 
the city. There is a fire alarm telegraph, with about 800 stations, 
extending through the city, and it is so arranged that the most inex- 
perienced person can at once telegraph the exact location of a fire to 
all the engine houses in the city. It requires but 15 seconds in the 
day, and one minute at night, to get the engines ready for action and 
start them on the way to a fire. A system -of fire patrols is main- 
tained by the city and by the insurance companies. There are also a 
number of lofty look-out towers, from which a constant watch is 
kept. 

According to the United States census of 1870, the population of 
New York is 942,337. There can be no doubt, however, that the 



NEW YORK. 401 

actual population is over 1,000,000. The rate at which the city has 
grown is shown by the following table : 

Year. Population. 

, 1656, 1,000 

1756, 10,381 

1800, 60,489 

1820, 123,706 

1830, 202,589 

1840, 812,852 

1850, 515,547 

I860, 814,287 

On the 12th of September, 1609, Henry Hudson, an English navi- 
gator in the service of the Dutch East India Company, discovered 
Manhattan Island. The Dutch made a temporary settlement on the 
island in 1612, and established a permanent colony in 1623, when a 
fort was built, and the settlement named New Amsterdam. The first 
white child, Sarah Rapelje, was born in the same year, and in 1626, 
Peter Minuits, the Dutch Governor, arrived. In 1633, a new fort 
was begun on the present site of the Battery. Previous to 1638 to- 
bacco was cultivated and slavery was introduced. In 1656, there were 
1000 inhabitants and 120 houses in the town ; in 1658, wharfs were 
constructed, and in 1662 a windmill was built. In August, 1664, an 
English fleet arrived in the bay, and took possession of the town in 
the name of the King of England. No resistance was ofiered, and 
the name of the town was changed to New York, in honor of the 
Duke of York and Albany, afterwards James II., to whom Charles 
II. had granted the entire province. In July, 1673, the Dutch fleet 
recaptured the town, drove out the Englisli, and named it New 
Orange. The peace between Great Britain and the Dutch, whicli 
closed the war, restored the town to the English, November 10th, 
1674, and the name of New York was resumed. The Dutch Gov- 
ernment was replaced by the English system under a liberal charter, 
and during the remainder of the seventeenth century the town grew 
rapidly in population and size. In 1700, New York contained 4500 
white, and 750 black inhabitants, and about 750 dwellings. In 1689, 
there was a brief disturbance, known as Leisler's Rebellion. In 
1702, a terrible fever was brought from St. Thomas', and carried oif 
600 persons, one-tenth of the whole population. In 1696, the first 
Trinity Church was built, and in 1719, the first Presbyterian Church 
was built. In 1711, a slave market was established; in 1725, the 
New York Gazette, the fifth of the Colonial newspapers, was estab- 



402 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

lishecl; in 1732, stages ran to Boston, the journey occupying 14 days; 
and in 1735, the people made their first manifestation of hostility to 
Great Britain, which was drawn forth by the infamous prosecution by 
the officers of the Crown of Rip Van Dam, who had been the acting 
Governor of the town. In 1741, a severe fire occurred in the lower 
part of the city, destroying the old Dutch fort and the Dutch church, 
and in the sarnie year the yellow fever raged with great violence. The 
principal event of the year, however, was the so-called negro plot for 
the destruction of the town. Though the reality of the plot was never 
proved, the greatest alarm prevailed ; the fire in the fort was declared 
to be the work of the negroes, numbers of whom were arrested ; and 
upon the sole evidence of a single servant girl a number of the poor 
wretches were hanged. Several whites were also charged with being 
accomplices of the negroes. One of these, John Ury, a Roman Catho- 
lic priest, and, as is now believed, an innocent man, was hanged in 
August. In the space of six months 154 negroes and 20 whites Ave re 
arrested ; 20 negroes were hanged, 13 were burned at the stake, and 
78 were transported. The rest were discharged. In 1750 a theatre 
was established, and in 1755 St. Paul's Church was built. New 
York took a prominent part in the resistance of the Colonies to the 
aggressions of the mother country, and, in spite of the presence of a 
large number of Tories, responded cordially to the call of the Colonies 
for men and money during the war. 

On the 26th of August, 1776, the battle of Long Island having 
been lost by the Americans, the city was occupied by the British, who 
held it tlintil the close of the war. It suffered very much at their 
hands. Neai'ly all the churches, except the Episcopal, were occupied 
by them as prisons, riding-schools, and stables ; and the schools and 
colleges were closed. On the 21st of September, 1776, a fire destroyed 
493 houses, all the west side of Broadway from Whitehall to Barclay 
street, or about one-eighth of tlie city ; and on the 7th of August, 1778, 
about 300 buildings on East River were burned. On the 25th of 
November, 1783, the British evacuated the city, which was at once 
occupied by the American army. 

In 1785 the first Federal Congress met in the City Hall, which 
stood at the corner of Wall and Nassau streets, and on the 30th of 
April 1789, George Washington was inaugurated first President of the 
United States on the same spot. By 1791 the city had spread to the 
lower end of the present City Hall Park, and was extending along the 
Boston Road (Bowery) and Broadway. In 1799, the Manhattan 



( 



NEW YORK. 



403 




IINIOK SQUARE. STATUE OF WASHINGTON. 



Company, for supplying the city with fresh water, was chartered. 
On the 20th of September, 1803, the corner-stone of the City Hall was 
laid. Free schools were established in 1805. In the same year the 
yellow^ fever raged with violence, and had the effect of spreading the 
population by driving them up the island, where many located them- 
selves permanently. In 1807, Robert Fulton navigated the first 
steamboat from New York to Albany. 

The War of 1812-15 for a while stopped the growth of the city, 
but after the return of peace, its onward progress was resumed. In 
August, 1812, experimental gas lamps were placed in the Park, though 
tiie use of gas for purposes of lighting was not begun until 1825. 
In 1822, the yellow fever again drove the population higher up the 
island, and caused a rapid growth of the city above Canal street. In 
1825, the Erie Canal was completed. This great work, by placing 
the trade of the West in the hands of New York, gave a powerful 
impetus to the growth of the city, which was now increasing at the 
rate of from 1000 to 1500 houses per year. In 1832 and 1834, the 
cholera raged severely, carrying off upwards of 4484 persons in the two 
years. In 1835, the "great fire" occurred. This terrible conflagra- 
tion (December 16th) laid 648 houses, almost the entire business 
portion of the city, south of Wall street, and east of Broadway, in 



404 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ashes, and inflicted a loss of more than $18,000,000 upon the city. 
New York rose from this disaster with wonderful energy and rapidity, 
but only to meet, in 1837, the most terrible commercial crisis that had 
ever been known in the country. Even this did not check the growth 
of the city, the population increasing 110,100 between 1830 and 1840. 
In 1842, the Croton water was introduced. In 1849 and 1854, the 
cliolera again appeared, killing over 5400 persons. In 1852, the first 
street railway was built. In 1858, the Central Park was begun. 

Since then the city has grown rapidly in extent and population, 
and is fast becoming one of the most beautiful and brilliant in the 
world. It possesses every advantage for rapid improvement, and is 
moving on surely to the accomplishment of a glorious destiny. 

BROOKLYN, 

The second city in the State, and the third city in the United States, 
is situated in Kings county, on the western end of Long Island, 
immediately opposite the city of New York, from which it is separated 
by the East River. The city extends from Newtown Creek, including 
Green Point, to the boundary below Greenwood, a direct distance of 
7^ niiles, and nearly 10 miles following the low-water line. From 
the river it stretches back inland for about 4 miles. The city proper 
is divided into the Western District ( W. D.), Williamsburg, Greenpoint, 
the Eastern District (E, D.), and South Brooklyn. The ground on 
which the city is located is for the most part flat and low, and was 
formerly marshy, but a portion of the city is built upon a line of bold 
heights overlooking the bay, and commanding a fine view of New Y'ork 
and the harbor. The general appearance of the city is handsome and 
attractive. It is well built, and some portions of it will compare 
favorably with New Y^'ork. The streets are broad, straight, and well- 
paved, and many of them are delightfully shaded with noble trees. 
Brooklyn covers nearly as much ground as New York, but its popula- 
tion is only about one-third as great, and is not so much crowded. 
Small houses are the rule in this city, large residences being rare, 
except in the wealthier quarters. Many of the streets are lined with- 
tasteful cottage residences, in front of which ai'e yards of considerable 
size, ornamented with flowers, shrubbery, etc. 

The site of Brooklyn was originally very irregular, but the constant 
iniproveraents which have been carried on during the growth of the 
city have very much changed the primitive appearance of the land. 
Immediately opposite the lower end of New Y^'ork, is a ridge 70 feet 



NEW YORK. 405 

above the level of the East River, known as " The Heights." This 
is the wealthiest and most fashionable quarter of Brooklyn, though it 
is now rapidly giving way to business edifices. The principal tho- 
roughfare is Fulton street, stretching from the Fulton Ferry to the 
City Hall^ from which point it turns abruptly to the eastward, and 
extends to the city limits, under the name of Fulton avenue. It is 
enclosed as far as the City Hall, about one mile, with large and hand- 
sonic stores and offices. From the City Hall eastward, it is less sub- 
stantially built. 

The proximity of Brooklyn to New York and its facilities for 
economical living have been the chief causes of its rapid growth. 
Thousands of persons living in Brooklyn conduct their business in 
New York, and pass and repass between the cities daily. The trade 
of Brooklyn is mostly local. The city is largely engaged in manu- 
factures, but its productions are sold chiefly through New York. 
Large quantities of tobacco are manufactured here, and the city has a 
large trade in flour, sugar and whiskey. 

The public buildings are among the handsomest in the country. 
The City Hall, at the southern end of Fulton street, is an imposing 
edifice of white marble, 162 by 102 feet, and 75 feet high, surmounted 
by a dome, the top of which is 153 feet from the ground. It was 
erected at a cost of $200,000. Just in the rear of the City Hall, and 
fronting on Joralemon street, is the County Court House, 140 feet 
wide, and 315 feet deep, built of white marble, in the Corinthian style 
of architecture. It cost $543,000. The Academy of Music, and the 
Mercantile Library, on Montague street, are built in the modern Gothic 
style, of a fine quality of brick ornamented with stone, and are among 
the handsomest buildings in the city. 

There are nearly 200 churches in Brooklyn, in consequence of which 
the place is frequently called " The City of Churches." Some of these 
are magnificent edifices, but the majority are simple and modest in 
their appearance. They are all in prosperous condition, and there 
are, perhaps, few cities in the land -whose church finances make so 
favorable a showing as those of Brooklyn. 

The city is well supplied with public schools of every grade, and 
contains a number of thriving private schools and academies. The 
average attendance is over 50,000. There are also schools for colored 
children. During the year ending February 1st, 1864, the amount 
expended by the city for purposes of education was $229,845.61. 

The Literary Institutions are of a high character. The Mercantile 



406 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Library contains about 35,000 volumes, and is supported by the sub- 
scriptions of its members. The Long Lsland Historical Society pos- 
sesses a fine collection of 15,000 volumes, besides numerous manu- 
scripts and historical relics. The United States Lyceum is located in 
the Navy Yard, and possesses a large and valuable collection of curi- 
osities, geological and mineralogical specimens. The Lyceum, in 
Washington street, possesses a splendid granite building and a fine 
lecture hall. The Art Association holds two exhibitions in each year. 
Besides these, are the Philharmonic Society, and several other societies 
devoted to literary, scientific, and musical ends. 

The Charitable Institutions are the Long Lsland College Hospital; 
the City Hospital, in Raymond street, wi^i beds for 170 patients; the 
Graham Institution, for the relief of respectable aged, indigent females; 
the Orphan Asylum of the City of Brooklyn, which shelters about 150 
children ; the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, a 
noble charity, which has in a single year rendered substantial aid to 
8000 persons; the Marine Hospital, belonging to the United States; 
the Church Charity Foundation, for the relief of indigent and desti- 
tute persons ; and the Brooklyn and Homoeopathic Dispensaries. Be- 
sides these, are a number of religious and private charities, which are 
well sustained. 

There are several small squares and parks in the city, the principal 
of which is Washington Park (Fort Greene), occupying an elevated 
plateau northeast of the City Hall. During the Revolutionary war, 
the site of this park was occupied by extensive fortifications designed 
to cover the Long Island approaches to the city of New York. The 
ruins of Fort Greene, the principal work, still remain. The park is 
tastefully laid out, and commands a good view of the city. 

During the last few years, a large park, known as Prospect Park, 
has been laid out in the southwestern portion of the city. It contains 
550 acres, and promises to be one of the handsomest parks in the 
Union. 

The United States Navy Yard , is situated within the city limits, on 
the south side of Wallabout Bay, which lies in the northeast part of 
Brooklyn. It occupies about 40 acres of ground, enclosed by a stone 
wall, and contains a large dry-dock, constructed at a cost of $1,000,000, 
several extensive shops for the construction of vessels, machinery, 
arms, etc. It is one of the principal naval stations of the Republic. 
To the north of the Navy Yard, stands the Marine Hospital, in the 
midst of extensive grounds. During the war of the Revolution, the 



KEW YORK. 



407 




TJisITED STATES NAVY YAKD, BKOOKLYX. 



British prison ships were anchored in Wallabout Bay. Large num- 
bers of American prisoners of war were confined in these hulks, and 
it is said that 11,500 of them perished from ill usage and impure air. 
They were hastily buried on the shore of the bay. By 1808, their 
bones were entirely exposed, the tide having washed out their graves. 
In that year, their bones were collected and deposited in 13 coffins, 
inscribed with the names of the 13 original States, and deposited in a 
vault in Hudson avenue, near the present Navy Yard. The Govern- 
ment property at the Navy Yard, not counting the shipping, is esti- 
mated at $25,000,000. 

The Atlantic Dock, in South Brooklyn, opposite Governor's Island, 
is a very extensive work. ' It embraces within the piers an area of 
nearly 41 acres, and can accommodate ships of the largest size. It 
was built by a company incorporated in 1840, with a capital of $1,- 
000,000. The outer pier extends for 3000 feet along Buttermilk 
Channel, and is covered with large granite warehouses. It is the 
centre of one of the largest grain trades in the world. 

The cemeteries of Brooklyn are used by that city in common with 



408 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

New York. The principal is Greenwood, in the extreme southern 
part of Brooklyn, about 3 miles from Fulton Ferry. The street cars 
run to the gates. It is beautifully laid out, contains 242 acres of 
ground, and is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. 
Many of its monuments are noted as works of art. It commands ex- 
tensive views of the ocean and of the bay and city of New York. 
The cemeteries of the Evergreens and Oypress Hills lie about 4 miles 
to the eastward of Greenwood. 

Brooklyn is connected with New York by numerous ferries. It is 
lighted throughout with gas, and is abundantly supplied with pure 
Avater from the Ridgewood water-works. There is also a steam fire 
department, and an efficient police force. The city is divided into 
20 wards, and is governed by a Mayor and Common Council. The 
population in 1870 was 396,300. 

Brooklyn was first settled in 1625, by a band of Walloons, sent out 
as agriculturists by the Dutch West India Company. These settled 
on the shores of the bay now used by the Navy Yard, and gave to 
their settlement the name of Waalboght, or Walloon's Bay, which has 
since been corruj^ted into Wallabout Bay. From this beginning 
sprang a straggling town, to which the Dutch gave the name of 
Breuckelen, from a village in Holland. The first white man who 
actually settled within the limits of the present city of Brooklyn, was 
George Jansen de Rapelje. The Dutch Government bought the title 
to the land from the Canarsee Indians, a large tribe which dwelt in 
the southern part of what is now Kings county. In 1641, the Dutch 
allowed the English to settle on Long Island, on the condition of 
their taking the oath of allegiance to the States General. In 1654, 
the erection of the first church was begun by order of Governor Stuy- 
vesant. It was located at Flatbush. Previous to this, the settlers 
on Long Island attended worship in New Amsterdam. 

The history of Brooklyn until the period of the Revolution is un- 
eventful. During that struggle, it was the scene of several important 
events. On the 26th of August, 1776, the battle of Long Island was 
fought, the battlefield being within the present city limits in the direc- 
tion of Flatbush. The American army was defeated and compelled 
to abandon Long Island. The occupation of New York by the 
British forces was the result. 

Brooklyn grew very slowly after its settlement. In 1698, it contained 
509 persons ; in 1800, 3298 ; in 1820, 7175. In 1834, it was incor- 
porated as a city. In 1855, it was consolidated with the city of 



NEW YORK. 409 

Williamsburg and the town of Bushwick, including the village of 
Greenpoint, under the general name of Brooklyn. 

BUFFALO, 

The third city in the State, is situated in Erie county, at the eastern 
extremity of Lake Erie, in latitude 42° 53' N., longitude 78° 55' W. 
It is 352 miles by the Erie Canal, and 300 miles by the New York 
Central Railway, west of Albany, and 460 miles northwest of New 
Y^ork by railway. It is connected with Albany and the Hudson 
River by the Erie Canal, and has railway connections with all parts 
of the Union. 

The water front of the city is 5 miles long, half of it lying along 
Lake Erie, and the rest along the Niagara River. Buffalo Creek 
extends through the southern portion of the city, and forms a part of 
the harbor. " The harbor of Buffalo is now one of the best in the 
great chain of lakes. The present harbor is formed by Buffalo Creek, 
the Blackwell Canal, the Erie and Ohio Basins, and North Buffalo 
Harbor. Buffalo Creek is navigable for more than 2 miles from its 
entrance into the lake for vessels drawing 12 feet of water. Nearly 
parallel to, and from 200 to 800 feet from it, is the Blackwell Ship- 
Canal, one mile and a quarter long, and connected with it by 4 ship- 
canal slips. About 1 mile from the mouth of the creek, and connected 
with it by a ship-canal slip, is the Ohio Basin, containing 10 acres. 
A pier or brealcAvater on the south side of the creek, and a sea wall 
next the lake, give ample protection from storms. On the end of this 
pier, extending about 1500 feet into the lake, is a mole on which is the 
Government light-house. On the north side of the creek is another 
pier, extending into the lake about 500 feet. At nearly right angles 
to the south pier, and distant from it and the north pier 600 feet, com- 
mences the Erie Basin Pier, extending towards North Buffalo Harbor 
5000 feet, and about 1000 feet distant from the shore line of the lake. 
The intermediate space betM-een this pier and the shore line, 1000 by 
5000 feet, is called the Erie Basin Harbor, which has sufficient depth of 
water for vessels drawing- 10 feet. At the lower end of the Erie Basin 
sea-wall is a mole, and vessels can enter it at this point, or from the 
entrance through Buffalo Creek. About three-quarters of a mile from 
the mole of the Erie Basin Pier is the Black Rock Pier, enclosing a 
portion of the Niagara River, about 2 miles long and from 200 to 600 
feet wide, forming what is called ' Black Rock Harbor.' The water 
in this harbor is shoal, and only vessels of light draught can enter it. 



410 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




VIEW FROM WEST POINT. 



It forms for more tlian a mile the Eric Canal, and boats drawing 6 feet 
of water can pass through it. Buffalo Creek, the Blackwell Canal and 
slips, the Ohio and Erie Basin harbors, give abundance of sea-room 
to accommodate a fleet of 300 sail and steam vessels. The Erie Canal 
from Buffalo to Tonawanda, a distance of 12 miles, is nearly parallel 
with the Niagara River, and for a very considerable portion of the 
distance is only separated from it by an embankment of from 100 to 
400 feet in width. The Niagara River from North Buffalo to Tona- 
wanda, a distance of 8 miles, has from IG to 25 feet of water, with 
good bottom for anchorage and wide river for a harbor. The rapid 
growth of the West and the large augmentation in the receipt of cereals 
have given rise to immense grain warehouses, called elevators, which 
Avere introduced to facilitate and cheapen thq transhipment of this kind 
of produce. There are now built and in successful operation 27 of 
these grain warehouses, besides 2 floating elevators. They have a 
storage capacity for 5,830,000 bushels, and have . a transfer capacity 
equal to 2,808,000 bushels in each 24 hours. They were first intro- 
duced in 1842. There are 6 ship-yards in the city, 4 of which have 



NEW YORK. 411 

dry-docks. They will admit the largest vessels navigating the lakes. 
There is a marine railway and a very powerful derrick for handling 
boilers and heavy machinery." 

The position of Buffalo has placed in its hands the immense commerce 
of the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal, and its trade has been greatly 
increased by the great lines of railways which connect it with all parts 
of the United States and Canada. Its grain trade is enormous, and 
is growing rapidly. In 1863, the total number of vessels entering and 
clearing at the port of Buffalo was 15,376. These had a total tonnage 
of 6,757,903. In the same year the trade of Buffalo by lake, rail, and 
canal amounted to $256,214,614. In the same year there were 
received at this port grain and flour estimated as wheat to the amount 
of 64,735,510 bushels. It is not an unusual sight during the season 
of navigation to see a fleet of 150 sailing vessels and steamers enter 
Buffalo harbor from the west during a period of 24 hours. 

The manufacturing interests are increasing rapidly. Iron, leather, 
agricultural implements, and oil refining are the most important. It 
is believed that Buffalo will soon rank next to Pittsburg in its iron 
manufactures. Its proximity to the iron and coal regions of New 
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio afford it great facilities for the econo- 
mical working of this metal. 

The city is well built. The streets are broad and well paved, and 
as a rule intersect each other at right angles. The stores and business 
houses are substantial, and in many cases handsome. The business 
portion of the city lies near the water. Farther back are the streets 
devoted to private residences. These are generally well shaded, and 
are lined with tasteful and sometimes with elegant dwellings. There 
are six public squares, viz : Niagara, Lafayette Place, Washington,, 
Franklin, Delaware Place, and Terrace Parks. 

The public buildings include the City Hall, 2 Court- Houses, the 
City Penitentiary, the City Jail, the Custom House, the State Arsenal, 
and the building of the Young Men's Christian Association. 

Among the Literary and Benevolent Institutions are the Buffalo 
University and lledical School; the Young Men's Association,, 
with a library of over 13,000 volumes ; the Buffalo Female Acad- 
emy ; the City and Marine Hospitals ; St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum ; 
and the Hospital of the Sisters of Charity. All of these are provided 
with handsome and commodious buildings. 

There are upwards of 70 churches in the city, several of which are- 
noted for their beauty and grandeur. 
26 

t 



412 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The city is lighted with gas, and supplied with pure Avatcr, and its 
thoroughfares are traversed by street railways. The city is divided 
into 13 wards, and is governed by a Mayor and Council chosen by the 
people. There are over 30 public schools, besides a Central High 
School, and a number of private institutions in the city. There are 
18 publications issued liere, 6 of which are daily, 8 weekly, and 3 
serai-weekly newspapers. The population in 1870 was 117,714. 

Buffalo was laid out in 1801 by the Holland Company, and in 1812 
it became a military post, at which time it contained about 200 houses. 
In December, 1813, it was captured and burned by the British and 
Indians, and only 2 houses left standing. Congress made a donation 
of $80,000 to the settlers to assist them in rebuilding the place. In 
1832, it was incorporated as a city, and in 1852, the charter was 
amended so as to include Black Rock. Since 1814, the growth of the 
city has been very rapid. It contained only 2095 inhabitants in 1820, 
its wonderful growth being confined almost entirely to half a century. 

ROCHESTER, 

In Monroe county, is the fifth city in importance in the State. It is 
situated on both sides of the Genesee River, 7 miles from its entrance 
into Lake Ontario, 230 miles west by north of Albany, and 68 miles 
cast-northeast of Buffalo. Latitude 43° 8' N., longitude 77° 51' W. 
The ground upon which the city stands is generally flat, and the cor- 
})orate limits cover an area of 8 square miles, nearly all of which is 
closely built up. The streets are broad and straight, and are well 
paved. In the business sections are many handsome buildings, and 
the private residences are generally tasteful and often elegant. 

The Genesee River is navigable to the city limits, but the docks are 
situated at the mouth of the river, 7 miles distant. These are con- 
nected with the city by railway, and by lines of steamers. Rochester 
controls a large trade on Lake Ontario. The Erie Canal passes through 
the city, crossing the river on a fine stone aqueduct. The Genesee 
Valley Canal connects with it here, and extends southward from 
Rochester to the Alleghany River. The Erie and New York Central 
railways and their branches have added much to the wealth and 
importance of the city. The unlimited water-power afforded by the 
Genesee, has been one of the chief sources of the prosperity of Rochester. 
Within a distance of 3 miles, the river has a descent of 226 feet, which 
it accomplishes in 3 perpendicular falls of 95, 20 and 75 feet. The 
upper falls lie within the city limits and are noted for their beauty. 



NEW YORK. 415 

In consequence of the possession of this water-power, Rochester is now 
one of the principal manufacturing cities in the Union. The flour 
mills are the most extensive in the country. Shoes, iron ware, woodon 
\vare, clothing, etc., are extensively manufactured. There is also an 
extensive trade in produce, which is collected here for shipment to 
other markets. The nurseries of Rochester are famous, and are 
unsurpassed. 

The public buildings of the city are handsome. The principal arc 
the City Hall, and the Arcade, the latter containing the Post Office 
and other Federal offices. 

The Educational and I^iterary Institutions are the University of 
Rochester, with a fine edifice of broM-n stone, and an endowment of 
$200,000 ; the Rochester Theological Seminary, under the control of 
the Ba])tists; the Athenaeum; the Public Library; and the Free Aca- 
demy. There over 20 public schools, in excellent condition, and a 
number of private schools. 

The Charitable and Benevolent Institutions are St. 3Iary\ Hospi- 
tal, the City Hospital, the Industrial School, the Home for the Friend- 
less, an Insane Asylum, two Orphan Asylums, and the Western House 
of Refuge, for boys, belonging to the State. 

There are over 45 churches in the city, many of them elegant 
structures. The city is well supplied with water, and is lighted with 
gas. Street railways afford communication between its various parts. 
It is governed by a Mayor and Council. The population in 1870 
was 62,315. 

Rochester was settled in 1812, and was named in honor of Colonel 
Nathaniel Rochester, one of the pioneers of the city. It was incor- 
porated as a city in 1834. 

TROY, 

The sixth city in the State, lies on both sides of the Hudson River, 
at the mouth of Poestenkill Creek, at the head of steamboat naviga- 
tion, 6 miles northeast of Albany, and 151 miles north of New York. 
The principal portion of the city lies immediately along the river, for 
about 3 miles, communication between the two banks being main- 
tained by means of a bridge and ferry boats. The city lies in a plain. 
At the southern end of the east side rises a bold hill, called Mount 
Ida, from which an extensive view may be gained of Troy, the river, 
and the surrounding country. In the northern part of the city is a 
rugged mass of rockj 200 feet high^ called Mount Olympus. 



41G OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MISCELLANIES. 

ANCIENT LAWS OF TPIE PROVINCE OP NEW YORK. 

The following laws are extracted from those establisliecl by the Dnke of York 
for the government of New York, in the year 1G64. This code (called the 
"Duke's Laws") was compiled under the direction of NicoUs, the first English 
Governor. It continued in force till the period of the Revolution in England, 
and ceased to have efifcct in 1091, when the General Assembly of t])e Province 
began to exercise a new legislative power under the sovereignty of King William: 

Capital Laics. — t. If any person within tliis Government shall by direct ex- 
prcst, impious or presumptuous ways, deny the true God and his Attributes, he 
shall be put to death. 

2. If any person shall Commit any wilful and premeditated Murder, he shall be 
put to Death. 

3. If any i)erson Slayeth another with Sword or Dagger who hath no weapon 
to defend himself; he shall be put to Death. 

4. If any person forcibly Stealeth or carrieth away any mankind ; He* shall be 
put to death. 

5. If any person shall bear false witness maliciously and on purpose to take 
away a man's life, lie shall be put to Death. 

6. If any man shall Traitorously deny his Majestyes right and titles to his 
Crownes and Dominions, or shall raise armies to resist his Authority, He shall be 
put to Death. 

7. If any man shall treacherously conspire or Publiquely attempt to invade or 
Surprise any Town or Towns, Fort or Forts, within this Government, He shall 
be put to Death. 

8. If anj"- Child or Children, above sixteen years of age, and of Sufficient under- 
standing, shall smite their natural Father or Mother, unless thereunto provoked and 
forct ibr their selfe preservation from Death or Maj'ming, at the Complaint of the 
said Father and Mother, and not otherwise, they being Sufficient witnesses 
thereof, that Child or those Children so offending shall be put to Death. 

Bond Slavery. — No Christian shall be kept in Bondslavery villenage or Cap- 
tivity, Except Such who shall be Judged thereunto by Authority, or such as wil- 
lingly have sould, or shall sell themselves, In which Case a Record of such 
Servitude shall be entered in the Court of Sessions held for that Jurisdiction 
where Such ]Matters shall Inhabit, provided that nothing in the Law Contained 
shall be to the prejudice of Master or Dame who have or shall by any Indenture 
or Covenant take Apprentices for Terme of Years, or other Servants for Term 
df years or Liie. 

Church. — Whereas the publique Worship of God is much discredited for want 
of ]iainful and able Ministers to Instruct the people in the true Religion and for 
want of Convenient places Capable to receive any Number or Assembly of people 
in a decent manner for Celebrating Gods holy Ordinances. These ensueing Lawes 
are to be observed in every parish (Viz.) 

1. That in each Parish within this Government a church be built in the most 
Convenient pai't thereof, Capable to receive and accommodate two Hundred 
Persons. 

2. To prevent Scandalous and Ignorant pretenders to the Ministry from in- 



NEW YORK. 417 

imuing themselves as Teachers ; No Minister shall be A.tlmitted to OfRciate, 
^vitlnn the Government but such as shall produce Testimonials to the Governour, 
that he hath Received Ordination either from some Protestant Bishop, or Minis- 
ter within some part of his Majesties Dominions or the Dominions of any foreign 
Prince of the Reformed Religion, upon which Testimony the Governour shall 
induce the said Minister into the parish that shall make presentation of him, as 
duely Elected by the Major part of the Inhabitants householders. 

8. That the Minister of every Parish shall Preach constantly every Sunday, 
and shall also pray for the Kinge, Queene, Duke of Yorke, and the Royall fam- 
ily. And every person affronting or disturbing any Congregation on the Lords 
Day and on such publique days of fast and Thanksgiving as are appointed to be 
observed. After the presentments thereof by the Churchwardens to the Sessions 
and due Conviction thereof he shall be punished by fine or Imprisonment accord- 
ing to the merit and Nature of the offence. And every Minister shall also Pub- 
liquely Administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once every Year at the 
least in his Parish Church not denying the private benefit thereof to Persons that 
for want of health shall require the same in their houses, under the penalty of 
Loss of preferment unless the Minister be restrained in point of Conscience. 

Fasting Bays and Days of Thanks givin To he observed. — Whereas by an Act 
of Parliament the fifth Day of November is annually to be observed for the Great 
deliverance from the Gunpowder Treason, And whereas by one other Act of 
Parliiynent The thirtyeth Day of January is annually to be observed with Fast- 
ing and Prayer in all his Majesties Dominions to shew a hearty and Serious Re- 
pentance and Detestation of that Barbarous Murther Comriiited upon the Person 
of our late King Charles the first, thereby to divert Gods heavy Judgment from 
falling upon the whole Nation, as also by another Act of Parliament we are en- 
joyned thankfully to acknowledge the providence of God upon the Nine and 
Twcntyeth Day of May for his Majesties Birth and Resturation to the Throne of 
his Royall Ancestors whereby Peace and unity is Established in all his Majesties 
Domains, Every Minister within his Severall Parish is enjoyned to pray and 
Preach on these days and all other Persons are also enjoyned to abstain from 
their Ordinary Laboure and Calling According to the true intent of both the said 
Acts. 

Every Person Licenced to keep an Ordinary shall always be provided of strong 
and wholesome Beer, of four bushels of malt, at the least to a Hoggshead which 
he shall not Sell at above two pence the quart under the penalty of twenty Shil- 
lings, for the first Offence, forty shillings for the Second, and loss of his Licence, 
It is permitted to any to Sell Beer out of Doores at a peny the Ale quart or 
under. 

No Licenced Person shall suffer any to Drink excessively or at unseasonable 
Uours after Nine of the Clock at night in or about any their houses upon penalty 
of two shillings six pence for every Offence if Complaint and proofe be made 
thereof. 

All Injurj'^es done to the Indians of what nature whatsoever ; shall upon their 
Complaint and proofe thereof in any Court have speedy redress gratis, against 
any Christian in as full and Ample manner, (with reasonable allowance for dam- 
age) as if the Case had been betwixt Christian and Christian. 

No Indian whatsoever shall at any time be Suffered to Powaw or performe ont- 
'\'ard worship to the Devil in any Towne within this Government. 

Lying and False News. — Every Person of age of discretion which shall be re- 



418 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

puted of fourteen years or upwards, who shall wittingly and willingly forge or 
Publish fals newes whereof no Certain Auther nor Authentique Letter out of any 
part of Europe can be produced, whereby the minds of People are frequently dis- 
quieted or exasperated in relation to publique Aflfairs, or particular Persons in- 
juried in their good names and Credits by such Common deceites and abuses 
Upon due proofe made by Sufficient witnesses before the Governour or any 
Court of Sessions the Person so Offending in ordinary Cases shall for the first of- 
fence be fined ten shillings, for the second off"ence twenty shillings and for the 
third off'ence forty Shillings and if the party be unable jto pay the same he shall 
be Sett in the Stocks so longe, or publiquely whipt with so many stripes as the 
Governor or any Court of Sessions shall think fitt not exceeding forty stripes : 
or four houres Sitting in the Stocks, and for the fourth offence he shall be bound 
to his good behaviour, paying Cost or Service to the Informer and witnesses, 
such as shall be judged reasonable sattisfaction, But in Cases of high nature and 
publique Concernes, the fine or punishment shall be increast according to the dis- 
cretion of the Governor and Council onely. 

If any Masters or Dames shall Tyrannically and Cruelly abuse their Servants, 
upon Complaint made by the Servant to the Constable and Overseers, they shall 
take Speedy redress therein, by Admonishing the Master or Dame not to provoke 
their Servants, And upon the Servants Second Complaint, of the like usage It 
shall be Lawful lor the Constable and Overseers to protect and Sustaine such Ser- 
vants in their Houses till due Order be taken for their Roliefe in the ensuing 
Sessions Provided that due Notice thereof be Speedily given to Such Masters or 
Dames, and the Cause why such Servants are Protected and Sustained, and in 
Case any Master or Dame by such Tyranny and Cruelty, and not casually, shall 
smite out the Eye or Tooth of any such man or maid Servant, or shall otherwise 
Maim or disfigure them such Servants after due proof made shall be sett free from 
their Service, And have a further allowance and recompence as the Court of Ses- 
sions shall judge meet. 

But in Case any Servant or Servants shall causelessly Complain against their 
Master or Dame If they cannot make proofe of a just occation for such Com- 
plaints such Servants shall by the Justices of the Court of Sessions be enjoyned 
to serve three Months time extraordinary (Gratis) for every such vndue Com- 
plaint. 

AH Servants who have served Diligently; and faithfully to the benifit of their 
Masters or Dames five or Seaven yeares, shall not be Sent empty away, and if 
any have proved unfaithful or negligent in their Service, notwithstanding the 
good usage of their Masters, They shall not be dismist, till they have made satis- 
faction according to the Judgment of the Constable and Overseers of the parish 
where they dwell. 

No man Elected into any Military Office, shall refuse to accept thereof, or dis- 
charge his trust therein under the penalty of five pounds whereof one half to bo 
paid to the Governour and the other halfe to him that is chosen in his place, and 
accepts thereof. 

No man shall be Compeld to bear Armes or wage war by sea or Land, without 
the bounds and limits of this Government, But from Defensive warrs noe man 
shall be exempted. 

At a sessions held at the City of New York, Oct. 6, 1694, in the 6th year of 
Williiiin and Mary, present the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and assistants of the 
Coimnon Council. 



NEW YORK. 419 

For the better preservation of the Lords day, no servile work to be done, or 
any goods bought or sold on the Lords day, under the penalty of ten shillings for 
the first oflFence, and double for every subsequent oifence. 

The Doors of Publick Houses, to be kept shut, no company to be entertained, 
in them, or any sort of Liquor sold in time of Divine service ; Strangers, Travel- 
lers, or such as lodge in such Houses excepted ; also no person to drink exces- 
sively, or be drunk, the penalty lOs. for every ofTence. 

No Negro or Indian servants to meet together, above the number of four, on 
the Lords Day, or any other day, -within the City liberties ; nor any slave to go 
around with Gun, Sword, Club, or any weapon, under penalty of ten lashes at 
the publick whipping post, or to be redeemed by his master or owner, at six shil- 
lings per head. 

One of the Constables in the five wards on the south side the fresh Water, by 
turns to walk the streets of the city, in time of Divine Service, to see these laws 
observed, and to have power to enter into all publick Houses to put the same in 
execution. 

The Constable to make enquiry after all strangers, and give in their names to 
the Mayor, or in his absence to the eldest Alderman, no keeper of publick house 
&c, to entertain or lodge any suspected person, or men or women of evil fame, 
both these heads under penalty of 10s. for each offence. 

No person to keep shop or sell any goods by retail or exercise any handy-craft 
trade, but such as are Freemen of the City, under penalty of 5s. every offence. 

All Jesuits, Seminary Priests, Missionaries, or other Ecclesiastical person, 
made or ordained by any power or Jurisdiction derived or pretended from the 
Pope, or see of Rome, residing or being within the Province, to depart the same, 
on or before the first of Nov. 1700. 

If any such continue, remain, or come into the Province, after the said first of 
November, he shall be deemed an Incendiary, a disturber of the publick peace, 
an Enemy to the true Christian Religion, and shall suffer perpetual imprison- 
ment. 

If any such person, being actually committed, shall break Prison and escape, 
he shall be guilty of Felony, and if retaken shall die as a Felon. 

Persons receiving, harbouring, succouring, or concealing any such person, 
and knowing him to be such, shall forfeit the sum of 200 pounds, half to the King, 
foi and towards the support of the Government, and the other half to the prose- 
cutor, shall be set in the Pillory three days, and find sureties for their behaviour, 
at the discretion of the court. 

Any Justice of peace may cause any person suspected to be of the Romish 
Clergy to be apprehended, and if he find cause, may commit him or them, in 
order to a trial. 

Any person, without warrant, may seize, apprehend, and bring before a Magis- 
trate, any person suspected of the crimes above, and the Governor, with the 
Council, may suitably reward such person as they think fit. 

OLD TIME CUSTOMS OF NEW YORK CITY. 

The Dutch kept five great festivals of peculiar notoriety, in the year : Kersiydt 
(Christmas) ; Nieuwjar (New Year) ; a great day of cake, Paas (the Passover) ; 
Pinxter (i. e. Whitsuntide) ; and San Claas (i. e. Saint Nicholas, or Christ-Kinkle 
day). The negroes on Long Island on some of those days came in great crowds 
to Brooklyn, and heldJ.heir field frolics. 



420 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

It was the general practice of families in middle life to spin, and make much 
of their domestic wear at home. Short gowns and petticoats were the general 
in-door dresses. 

^ Young women who dressed gay to go abroad to visit, or to church, never failed 
to take oflF that dress and put on their homemade, as soon as they got home ; 
"even on Sunday evenings, when they expected company, or even their beaux, it 
was their best recommendation to seem thus frugal and ready for any domestic 
avocation. The boys and young men of a family always changed their dress for 
a common dress in the same way. There vvas no custom of offering drink to 
their guests ; when punch was offered, it was in great bowls.. 

Dutch dances were very common ; the supper on such occasions was hot 
chocolate and bread. 

The negroes used to dance in the markets, using tom-toms, horns, etc., for 
music. 

None of the stores or tradesmen's shops then aimed at any rivalry as now. 
There were no glaring allurements at windows, no over-reaching signs, no big 
bulk windows ; they were content to sell things at honest profits, and to trust to 
an earned reputation for their share of business. 

Many aged persons have spoken to me of the former delightful practice of 
families sitting out on their "stoops" in the shades of the evening, and their 
saluting the passing friends, or talking across the narrow streets with neighbors. 
It was one of the grand links of unipn in the Knickerbocker social compact. It 
endeared, and made social neighbors : made intercourse on easy terms ; it w'as 
only to say. Come, sit down. It helped the young to easy introductions, and 
made courtships of readier attainment. 

1 give some facts to illustrate the above remarks, deduced from the family B. 
with which I am personally acquainted. It shows primitive Dutch manners. 
His grandfather died at the age of sixty-three, in 1782, holding the office of alder- 
man eleven years, and once chosen mayor and declined. Such a man, in easy 
circumstances in life, following the true Dutch ton, had all his family to break- 
fast, all the year round, at daylight. Before the breakfast he universally smoked 
his pipe. Ilis family always dined at twelve exactly, at that time the kettle Avas 
invariably set on the fire for tea, of Bohea, which was always as punctually fur- 
nished at three o'clock. Then the old people went abroad on purpose to visit 
relatives, changing the families each night in succession, over and over again all 
the year round. The regale at every such house was expected as matter of 
course to be chocolate supper, and soft wafliles. 

Afterwards, when green tea came in as a new luxury, loaf sugar also came 
with it ; this was broken in large lumps and laid severally by each cup, and was 
nibbled or bitten as needed ! 

The family before referred to actually continued the practice till as late as sev- 
enteen years ago, with a steady determination in the patriarch to resist the modern 
innovation of dissolved sugar while he lived. 

While they occupied the stoops in the evening, you could see every here and 
there an old Knickerbocker with his long pipe, fuming away his cares, and ready 
on any occasion to offer another for the use of any passing friend who would sit 
down and join hira. The ideal picture has every lineament of contented comfort 
ana clieerl'ul repose. Something much more composed and happy than the 
bustling anxiety of " over business" in the moderns. 

The cleanliness of Dutch housewifery was always extreme ; everything had to 



NEW YORK. 421 

submit to scrubbing and scouring ; dirt in no form could be endured by them : 
and dear as water was in the city, where it was generally sold, still it was in per- 
petual requisition. It was their honest pride to see a well-furnished dresser, 
showing copper and pewter in shining splendor, as if for ornament, rather than 
for use. 

It was common in families then to cleanse their own chimneys without the aid 
of hired sweeps ; and all tradesmen, etc., were accustomed to saw their own fuel. 
No man in middle circumstances of life ever scrupled to carry home his one 
cwt. of meal from the market ; it would have been Ms shame to have avoided it. 

Men wore three-square or cocked hats, and wigs ; coats with large cuffs, big 
skirts lined and stiffened with buckram. None ever saw a crown higher than 
the head. The coat of a beau had three or four large plaits in the skirts, wadding 
almost like a coverlet to keep them smooth ; cuffs very large, up to the elbows, 
open below and inclined down, with lead therein ; the capes were thin and low, 
so as readily to expose the close plaited neck-stock of fine linen cambric, and the 
large silver stock-buckle on the back of the neck ; shirts with hand ruffles, sleeves 
finely plaited, breeches close fitted, with silver, stone, or paste gem buckles ; shoes 
or pumps with silver buckles of various sizes and patterns ; thread, worsted, and 
silk stockings'; the poorer class wore sheep and buckskin breeches close set to 
the limbs. Gold and silver sleeve buttons, set with stones or paste of various 
colors and kinds, adorned the wrists of the shirts of all classes. TJie very boys 
often wore wigs ; and their dresses in general were similar to those of the men. 

The women wore caps (a bare head was never seen), stiff stays, hoops from six 
inches to two feet on each side ; high heeled shoes of black stuff, with white silk 
or thread stockings ; and in the miry times of the winter they wore clogs, gala 
shoes, or pattens. 

As soon as wigs were abandoned, and the natural hair was cherished, it became 
the mode to dress it by plaiting it, by queuing and clubbing, or by wearing it iu 
a black silk sack or bag, adorned with a large black rose. 

In time, the powder with which wigs and the natural hair had been severally 
adorned, was run into disrepute (about 38 or 30 years ago) by the then strange 
innovation of "Brutus heads;" not only then discarding the long-cherished 
powder and perfume, and tortured frizzle-work, but also literally becoming 
"round heads" by cropping off all the pendent graces of ties, bobs, clubs, queus, 
etc. The hardy beaux who first encountered public opinion by appearing abroad 
unpowdered and cropt, had many starers. The old men, for a time, obstinately 
persisted in adherence to the old regime ; but death thinned their ranks, and use 
and prevalence of numbers at length gave countenance to modern usage. 

From various reminiscents, we glean that laced ruffles, depending over the 
hand, was a mark of indispensable gentility. The coat and breeches were gene- 
rally desirable of the same material — of "broadcloth" for winter, and of silk 
camlet for summer. No kind of cotton fabrics were then in use, or known. 
Hose were, therefore, of thread or silk in summer, and fine worsted in winter; 
shoes were square-toed, and were often "double channelled." To these suc- 
ceeded sharp-toes, as piked as possible. When wigs were universally worn, grey 
wigs were powdered ; and for that purpose sent in a wooden box frequently to 
the barber to be dressed on his block-head. But "brown wigs," so-called, were 
exempted from the white disguise. Coats of red cloth, even by boys, were con- 
siderably worn ; and plush breeches, and plush vests of various colors, shining 
and smooth, were in common use. Everlasting, made of worsted, was a fabric 



422 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of great use for breeches, and sometimes for vests. The vest had great depend- 
ing pocket flaps, and the breeches were short above the stride, because the art, 
since devised, of suspending them by suspenders, was then unknown. It was 
then the test and even the pride of a well formed man, that he could by his natu- 
ral form readily keep his breeches above his hips, and his stockings, without gar- 
tering, above the calf of his leg. With the queues belonged frizzled side-locks 
and tout pies, formed of the natural hair, or, in defect of a long tie, a splice was 
added to it. Such was the general passion for the longest possible whip of hair, 
that sailors and boatmen, to make it grow most, used to tie theirs in eel skins. 
Nothing like surtouts were known ; but they had coating or cloth great-coats, or 
blue cloth and brown camlet cloaks, with green baize lining to the latter. In the 
time of the American war, many of the American officers introduced the use of 
Dutch blankets for great-coats. The sailors used to wear hats of glazed leather, 
or woollen thrums, called chapeaus ; and their "small clothes," as we now call 
them, were immensely wide "petticoat-breeches." The workingmen in the 
country wore the same form, having no falling-flaps, but slits in front ; and they 
were so full in girth, that they ordinarily changed the rear to the front, when the 
seat became prematurely worn out. At the same time numerous workingmen 
and boys, and all tradesmen, wore leather breeches and leather aptons. 

Some of the peculiarities of the female dress were these, to wit : Ancient ladies 
are still alive, who often had their liair tortured for hours at a sitting, in getting 
up for a dress occasion, the proper crisped curls of a hair curler. This formidable 
outfit of head-work was next succeeded by "rollers," over which the hair was 
combed above the forehead. These were again superseded by "cushions" and 
artificial curled work, which could be sent to the barber's block, like a wig, "to 
be dressed," leaving the lady at home to pursue other objects. 

When the ladies first began to lay off" their cumbrous hoops, they supplied their 
place with successive substitutes, such as these, to wit: first came " bishops," a 
thing stuff'ed or padded with horsehair ; then succeeded a smaller affair, under 
the name of Cue de Paris, also padded with horsehair. 

Among other articles of female wear, we may name the following, to wit : 
Once they wore a " skimmer-hat," made of a fabric which shone like silver tin- 
sel ; it was of a very small flat crown and big brim, not unlike the present Leg- 
horn fiats. Another hat, not unlike it in shape, was made of woven horsehair, 
wove in flowers, and called "horsehair bonnets," an article which might be 
again usefully introduced for children's wear, as an enduring hat for long service. 
I have seen what was called a bath-bonnet, made of black satin, and so con- 
structed to lay in folds that it could be set upon, like a chapeau bras ; a good 
article now for travelling ladies. The "muskmelon-bonnet," used before the 
Revolution, had numerous whalebone stiffeners in the crown, set an inch apart, 
in parallel lines, and presenting ridges to the eye between the bones. The next 
bonnet was the "whalebone-bonnet,'' having only the bones in the front as 
stiffeners. A "calash-bonnet" was always formed of green silk; it was worn 
abroad, covering the head, but when in rooms it could fall back in folds like the 
springs of a calash or gig-top ; to keep it over the head, it was drawn up by a 
cord always held in the hand of the Avearer. The "wagon-bonnet," always of 
black silk, was an article exclusively in use among the Friends, and was deemed 
to look, on the head, not unlike the top of the "Jersey wagons," and having a 
pendent piece of like silk hanging from the bonnet and covering the shoulders. 
The only straw wear was that called the "straw Cheshire bonnet," worn gene- 
rally by old people. 



NEW YORK. 423 

The ladies once wore "hollow-breasted stays," which were exploded as inju- 
rious to the health. Then came the use of straight stays. Even little girls wore 
such stays. At one time the gowns worn had no fronts ; the design was to dis- 
play a finely quilted Marseilles, silk, or satin petticoat, and a worked stomacher 
on the waist. In other dresses, a white apron was the mode ; all wore large 
pockets under their gowns. Among the caps was the " queen's nightcap," the 
same always worn by Lady Washington. The "cushion head-dress" was of 
gauze, stiifened out in cylindrical form, with white spiral wire. The border of 
the cap was called the balcony. 

Formerly there were no sideboards, and wlien they were first introduced after 
the Revolution, they were much smaller and less expensive than now. Formerly 
they had couches of worsted damask, and only in very affluent families, in lieu 
of what we call sofas, or lounges. Plain people used settees and settles, — the 
latter had a bed concealed in the seat, and by folding the top of it outwards to 
the front, it exposed the bed, and widened the place for the bed to be spread 
upon it. 

In those days, there were no Windsor chairs : and fancy chairs are still more 
modern. Their chairs of the genteelest kind were of mahogany or red walnut 
(once a great substitute for mahogany in all kinds of furniture, tables, etc.), or 
else they were of rush bottom, and made of maple posts and slats, with high 
backs and perpendicular. Instead of japanned waiters as now, they had mahog- 
any tea boards, and round tea tables, which, being turned on an axle underneath 
the centre, stood upright, like an expanded fan or palm-leaf, in the corner. An- 
other corner was occupied by a beaufet, which was a corner closet with a glass 
door, in which all tlie china of the family was intended to be displayed, for orna- 
ment as well as use. A conspicuous article in the collection was always a great 
china punchbowl, which furnished a frequent and grateful beverage, — for wine 
drinking was then much less in vogue. China teacups and saucers were then 
about half their present size ; and china teapots and coff"eepots, with silver 
nozzles, was a mark of superior finery. The sham of plated ware was not then 
known, and all who showed a silver surface had the massive metal too. This 
occurred in tlie wealthy families, in little colfee and teapots ; and a silver tank- 
ard, for good sugared toddy, was above vulgar entertainment. Where we now 
use earthenware, they then used delfware, imported from England ; and instead 
of queensware (then unknown), pewter platters and porringers, made to shine 
along a "dresser," were universal. Some, and especially the country people, 
ate their meals from wooden trenchers. Gilded looking-glasses and picture 
frames of golden glare were unknown ; and both, much smaller than now, were 
used. Small pictures painted on glass, with black mouldings for frames, with a 
scanty touch of gold leaf in the corners, was the adornment of a parlor. The 
looking-glasses in two plates, if large, had either glass frames figured with 
flowers engraved thereon, or were of scalloped mahogany — painted white or 
black, with here and there some touches of gold. Every householder in that 
day deemed it essential to his convenience and comfort to have an ample chest 
of drawers, in his parlor or sitting-room, in which the linen and clothes of the 
family were always of ready access. It was no sin to rummage them before 
company. These drawers were sometimes nearly a^ high as the ceiling. At 
other times they had a writing desk about the centre, with a falling lid to write 
upon when let down. A great high clock case, reaching to tlie ceiling, occupied 
another corner ; and a fourth corner was appropriated to the chimney place. 



424 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

They then had no carpets on their floors, and no paper on their walls. The silver 
sand on the floor was drawn into a variety of fanciful figures and twirls of the 
sweeping-brush, and much skill and even pride was displayed therein in the de- 
vices and arrangement. They had then no argand or other lamps in parlors, but 
dipt candles, in brass or copper candlesticks, was usually good enough for com- 
mon use ; and those who occasionally used mould candles, made them at home 
in little tin frames, casting four to six candles in each. A glass lantern with 
square sides furnished the entry lights in the houses of the affluent. Bedsteads 
then were made, if tine, of carved mahogany, of slender dimensions ; but, for 
common purposes, or for the families of good tradesmen, they were of poplar, 
and always painted green. It was a matter of universal concern to have them 
low enough to answer the purpose of repose for sick or dying persons — a pro- 
vision so necessary for such possible events, now so little regarded by the modern 
practice of ascending to a bed by steps, like clambering up to a haymow. 

A lady, giving me the reminiscences of her early life, thus speaks of things as 
they were before the war of Independence : Marble mantels and folding doors 
were not then known ; and well enough we enjoyed ourselves without sofas, car- 
pets, or girandoles. A white floor sprinkled with clean white sand, large tables 
and heavy high-back chairs of walnut or mahogany, decorated a parlor genteelly 
enough for anybody. Sometimes a carpet, not, however, covering the whole 
floor, was seen upon the dining room. This was a show parlor up utairs, not 
used but upon gala occasions, and then not to dine in. Pewter plates aud dishes 
were in general use. China on dinner tables was a great rarity. Plate, more or 
less, was seen in most families of easy circumstances, not indeed in all the vari- 
ous shapes that have since been invented, but in massive silver waiters, bowls, 
tankards, cans, etc. Glass tumblers were scarcely seen. Punch, the most com- 
mon beverage, was drunk by the comjiany from one large bowl of silver or china ; 
and beer from a tankard of silver. 

The use of stoves was not known in primitive times, neither in families nor 
churches. Their fireplaces were as large again as the present, with much plainer 
mantel pieces. In lieu of marble plates around the sides and top of the fireplaces, 
it was adorned with china Dutch tile, pictured with sundry Scripture pieces. Dr. 
Franklin first invented the "open stove," called also the "Franklin stove," 
after which, as fuel became scarce, the better economy of the "ten plate ctove " 
was adopted. 

The most splendid looking carriage ever exhibited among us was that used, as 
befitting the character of that chief of men, General Washington, while acting as 
President of the United States. It was very large, so as to make four horses, at 
least, an almost necessary appendage. It was occasionally drawn by six horses, 
Virginia bays. It was cream colored, globular in its shape, ornamented Avith 
cupids, supporting festoons, and wreaths of flowers, emblematically arranged 
along the panel work ; — the whole neatly covered with best watch glass. It was 
of English construction. 

Some twenty or thirty years before the period of the Revolution, the steeds most 
prized for the saddle were pacers, since so odious deemed. To this end tlie breed 
was propagated with much care. The Narraganset pacers of Rhode Island were 
in such repute that they were sent for, at much trouble and expense, by some 
few who were choice in their selections. It may amuse the present generation 
to peruse the history of one such horse, spoken of in the letter of Rip Van Dam 
of New York, in the year 1711, which I have seen. It states the fact of the 



NEW YORK. 425 

trouble he had taken to procure him such a horse. He was shipped from Rliode 
Island in a sloop, from which he jumped overboard, when under sail, and swam 
ashore to his former home. He arrived at New York in 14 days' passage, much 
reduced in flesh and spirit. He cost £33, and his freight 50 shillings. This 
writer, Rip Van Dam, was a great personage, he having been President of the 
Council in 1731 ; and on the death of Governor Montgomer}^ that yor, he was 
Governor, ex-offlcio, of New York. His mural monument is now to be seen in 
St. Paul' 8 Church. * 

THE NEGRO PLOT IN NEW YORK. 

A robbery, which had been committed at tne house of Robert Hogg, a merchant 
in New York, on the 28th of February, 1740-1, seemed to have led to the dis- 
covery of a plot, whicli was afterwards called the negro plot. One Mary Burton, 
an indentured servant to John Ilughson (a man of infamous character, and to 
whose house slaves were in tlie practice of resoiting to drink and gamble, and of 
secreting the goods they had stolen), was the instrument, in the hands of the 
magistrates, for the detection and punishment of the offenders. On the ISth of 
March, after the robbery, a fire broke out in the roof of His Majesty's house at 
Fort George, near the chapel, consuming the house, the chapel, and some other 
buildings adjacent. Most of the public records in the secretary's office, over the 
fort gate, were fortunately rescued from the flames. A week after, another fire 
broke out at the house belonging to a Captain \Yarren, near the long bridge, at 
the soutiivvch^t end of the city. Both these fires were, at first, supposed to be ac- 
cidental. But about a week after the last fire, another broke out at the store 
house of a Mr. Van Zandt, towards the east end of the town. Three days after, 
a fourth alarm was given, and it was found that some hay was on fire in a cow- 
stable near the house of a Mr Quick, or a Mr. Vergereau. The fire was soon sup- 
pressed. The people, in returning from that fire, were alarmed by a fifth cry, at 
the house of one Ben Thompson, next door west of a Captain 'Sarly's house. It 
appeared that fire had been placed between two beds, in the loft of a kitchen, 
where a negro usually slept. Tlie next morning coals were discovered under a 
haystack, near the coach house and stables of Joseph Murray, Esq., in Broadway. 
All these circumstances having occurred in quick succession, the people were in- 
duced to believe that some designing persons intended to destroy the city by fire. 
What strengthened this belief was, a seventh alarm of fire the next day, at the 
house of a Sergeant Burns, opposite the fort garden, an eighth alarm, occasioned 
by a fire breaking out the same day, in the roof of a Mr. Hilton's house, near the 
fly mai-ket ; and again, the same afternoon, and within a few hours after, a ninth 
fire occurring at Colonel Philipse's store house. This strange coincidence of 
events leaves indeed little room for doubt that some one or more of the fires oc- 
curred through design. It was soon rumored that the negroes were the perpe- 
trators. One Quacko, a negro belonging to a Mr. Walter, was said to have made 
use of some mysterious language and threats, indicating his knowledge of a plot. 
, A proclamation was issued, off"ering rewards for the discovery of the offenders. 
Quacko and several other negroes were apprehended and closely interrogated, 
but without effect. The Supreme Court, at its April term, strictly enjoined the 
grand jury to make diligent enquiries as to the late robberies and fires within the 



• Watson's Hi-storic Tales of Oldeti Time. 



426 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

city. Mary Burton, -who had been apprehended as a witness, relative to the rob- 
bery at Mr. Hogg's, gave the grand jury reason to believe that she was also privy 
to the design to set fire to the city. After some difficulty, she made a disclosure, 
which, in all probability, was greatly exaggerated, though some of its parts 
might have been true. She stated that meetings of negroes were held at her 
master's (Hughson). That their plan was to burn the fort and city. That one 
Cassar (a black) was to be Oovernor, and Hughson, her master, king! That 
Ihey were to destroy the whites. That she had known seven or eight guns, and 
some swords, in her master's house. That the meetings at her master's house 
consisted of twentj' or thirty negroes at a time. Upon this evidence, warrants 
were issued, and many negroes committed to prison. One Arthur Price, a ser- 
vant, charged with stealing goods belonging to the Lieutenant-Governor, like- 
■\vise became informer. Being in prison himself, and having access to the negroes 
there committed, he received, or pretended to have received, much information 
from them. He was afterwards employed by the magistrates, to hold private 
conferences with the negroes in prison, and to use persuasion and other means 
to gain confessions from them. In this business he was peculiarly expert, and 
received the most unqualified approbation of the magistrates. Yet many of his 
stories are of such a chivalrous and romantic description as to excite suspicion 
of their truth. But everything he related was implicitly believed. The more 
extravagant the tale, the more readily was it received and credited. A white wo- 
man, who was a common prostitute, and familiar even with negroes, of the name of 
Margaret or Peggy Salinburgh, alias Kerry, alias Sorubiero, likewise declared she 
could make great discoveries. The magistrates eagerly hastened to take her ex- 
nmination, and the consequence Avas, that fresh warrants were issued for the ap- 
prehension of many other negroes, not before implicated. Informers were now 
rapidly increasing. Arthur Price, while in prison, was making great discoveries. 
Operating on the fears and hopes of the negroes, many declared themselves ac- 
complices. The magistrates were unceasingly engaged. The grand jury were 
daily presenting bills of indictment against the parties accused. To be inculpated 
by Mary Burton, Arthur Price, or Peggy Salinburgh, was sufficient to authorize 
the indictment and conviction of any person. It is to be regretted that on proof 
of such suspicious characters so many lives were placed in the hands of the exe- 
cutioner. Not that we dispute the fact that some of the fires were designedly 
set, but that we mean to be understood as doubting the extent and nature of the 
plot ascribed to the negroes. It is evident that Mary Burton was wholly un- 
worthy of credit. Independent of the absurdity and improbability of many of 
her stories, she had, on the 22d April, in her first examination and disclosure 
under oath, declared, "that she never saw any white person in company when 
they talked of burning the town, but her master, her mistress, and Peggy ; " yet, 
on the 2oth of June following, she deposed that one John Ury, a Catholic priest 
(a white person), was often at her master's, and "that when he came to Hugh- 
son's, he (Ury) always went up stairs in the company of Hughson, his wife and 
daughter, and Peggy, with whom the negi'oes used to be, at the same time, con- 
bTilting about the plot ; " and that " the negroes talked in the presence of the said 
Ury about setting fire to the houses and killing the white people." She after- 
wards, on the 14th July following, declared, on oath, that one Corry, a dancing 
master (also a white person), used to come to Hughson's and talk with the 
negroes about the plot. Yet, on evidence of this kind, Ury, who had previously 
been committed, under the act against Jesuits and Popish priests, was indicted, 



NEW YORK. 427 

tried, convicted, and executed. At the place of execution, he solemnly denied 
the charge, and called on God to witness its falsity. But Ury was a Catholic, 
and the public prejudice was so strong that it required very little more to ensure 
his condemnation. Had not Ury been obnoxious, on account of his religion, the 
accusation against him would perhaps never have been made, or, if made, would 
have been little regarded. Mary Burton received the hundred pounds which had 
been promised as a reward for discovering the persons concerned in setting fire 
to the city. We shall now dismiss this article, after giving the number who 
were accused, tried, and suffered on this occasion, with some remarks, which 
grow out of tliis subject. 

One hundred and fifty-four nc^groes were committed to prison, of whom 14 
were burnt at the stake, 18 hanged, 71 transported, and the rest pardoned, or 
discharged for want of proof Twenty white persons were committed, of whom 
2 only, John Hughson and John Ury, were executed. At this time the city of 
New York contained a population of about 12,000 souls, of whom one-sixth were 
slaves. If a plot, in fact, existed for the destruction of the city and the massacre 
of its inhabitants ; and if that plot w'as conducted by Ury, it certainly betrayed 
greater imbecility of intellect, and want of caution and arrangement, together 
with less union of action, than could have been expected from one who was evi- 
dently, if we believe his own account, a man of classical education, and profound" 
erudition. It is worthy of remark, that Corry, the dancing master, accused by 
Mary Burton, was discharged for want of proof It seems that Mary's testi- 
mony began, at length, to be doubted. Indeed, it well might ; for had the prose- 
cutions continued much longer, she would, more than probable, have accused a 
great portion of the white citizens of New York, as being concerned in this plot. 
Daniel Horsmanden, Esq., published, at the time, a history of this conspiracy, 
and labored hard to prove its existence and extent. But it is evident that that 
hostility to Catholicism, which the British Government so industriously incul- 
cated, tinctured his mind, and gave it a bias unfriendly to the fair development 
of truth, or to the full and impartial examination of facts and circumstances. 
The negroes were without defence. All the counsel in the city were arrayed 
against them, and volunteered their services on behalf of the crown, on the trial 
of tliose unfortunate slaves. The want of education, and utter ignorance of those 
infatuated wretches, easily made them the victims of craft and imposition. The 
hopes of life, and the promise of pardon, influenced some of them to make con- 
fessions. Yet falsehood was so ingeniously and artfully blended with truth, that 
it was not an easy task to separate the one from the other. It must, however, 
be admitted, that many circumstances aided the opinion that the plot, in fact, ex- 
isted, and if the people w^ere mistaken in this, it was an error into which they 
might naturally fall at the moment of confusion and distress, and under the at- 
tending circumstances. A day of public thanksgiving for the deliverance of Plis 
Majesty's subjects from the alleged conspiracy, was appointed by the Lieutenant- 
Governor, and was devoutly and reverently observed by the inhabitants. — 
SmiWs History. 

HOW ROCHESTER WAS SAVED FROM THE BRITISH. 

In the spring of 1814 — the war between the United States and Great Britain 
being in progress — Sir James Yeo, with a fleet of 13 vessels, appeared off the 
mouth of the Genesee, threatening the destruction of the rude improvements in 



428 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

3nd around Rochester. Messengers were despatched to arouse the people in the 
surrounding country, for defence against the threatened attack. 

At this time there were but thirty-three people in Rochester capable of bearing 
arms. This little band threw up a breastwork called Fort Bender, near the Deep 
Hollow, beside the Lower Falls, and hurried. down to the junction of the Genesee 
and Lake Ontario. 5 miles north of the present city limits, where the enemy 
threatened to land ; leaving behind them two old men, with some young lads, 
to remove the women and children into the woods, in case the British should at- 
tempt to land for the capture of the provisions, and destruction of the bridge at 
Rochester, etc. Francis Brown and Elisha Ely acted as captains, and Isaac W. 
Stone as major, of the Rochester forces, which were strengthened by the addi- 
tions that could be made from this thinly settled region. Though the equipments 
and discipline of these troops would not form a brilliant picture for a warlike eye, 
their very awkwardness in those points, coupled as it was with their sagacity 
and courage, accomplished more, perhaps, than could have been effected by a 
larger force of regular troops, bedizzened with the trappings of military pomp. 
The militia thus hastily collected were marched and countermarched, disappear- 
ing in the woods at one point, and suddenly emerging elsewhere, so as to impress 
the enemy with the belief that tlie force collected for defence was far greater than 
it actually was. (The circumstances here related are substantially as mentioned 
to the writer by one who was then and is now a resident of Rocliester.) An offi- 
cer with a flag of truce was sent from the British fleet. A militia officer marched 
down with ten of the most soldierlike men to receive him on Lighthouse Point. 
Tliese militia men carried their guns upright, as might be consistent with their 
plan of being ready for action by keeping hold of the triggers. The British offi- 
cer was astonished : he "looked unutterable things." "Sir," said he, " do you 
receive a flag of truce under arms, with cocked triggers ?" — " Excuse me, excuse 
me, sir: we backwoodsmen are not well versed in military tactics," replied the 
American officer, who promptlj'- sought to rectify his error by ordering his 
men to 'ground arms." The Briton was still more astonished; and, after de- 
livering a brief message, immediately departed for the fleet, indicating by his 
countenance a suspicion that the ignorance of tactics, which he had witnessed, 
was all feigned for the occasion, so as to deceive the British Commodore into a 
snare. Shortly afterwards, on the same day, another officer came ashore with a 
flag of truce for farther parley, as the British were evidently too suspicious of 
stratagem to attempt a hostile landing, if there was any possibility of compromis- 
ing for the spoils. Captain Francis Brown was deputed with a guard to receive 
the last flag of truce. The British officer looked suspiciously upon him and upon 
his guard ; and, after some conversation, familiarly grasped the pantaloons of 
Captain Brown about the knee, remarking, as he firmly handled it, " Your cloth 
is too good to be spoiled by such a bungling tailor," alluding to the width and 
clumsy aspect of that garment. Brown was quick-witted, as well as resolute, 
and replied, jocosely, that he was prevented from dressing fashionably by his 
haste that morning, to salute such distinguished visitors. The Briton obviously 
imagined that Brown was a regular officer of the American army, whose regi- 
mentals were masked by clumsy over clothes. The proposition was then made, 
that, if the Americans would deliver up the provisions and military stores, which 
might be in and around Rochester, or Charlotte, Sir James Yeo would spare the 
settlements from destruction. "Will you comply with the offer?" — "Blood 
knee deep first," was the emphatic reply of Francis Brown. 



NEW YORK. 429 

While this parley was in progress, an American officer, witli his staff, return- 
ing from the Niagara frontier, was accidentally seen passing from one wooded 
point to another; and this, with other circumstances, afforded to the British 
"confirmation strong" that their suspicions were well founded ; that there was 
a considerable American army collected ; and that the Yankee officers pretended 
ignorance for the purpose of entrapping ashore the Commodore and his forces. 
The return of the last flag to the fleet was followed by a vigorous attack in bombs 
and balls, while the compliment was spiritedly returned, not without some effect 
on at least one of the vessels, by a rusty old six-pounder, which had been fur- 
nished and mounted on a log for the important occasion. After a few hours 
spent in this unavailing manner. Admiral Yeo ran down to Pultneyville, about 
20 miles eastward of Genesee River, where, on learning how they had been out- 
witted and deterred from landing by such a handful of militia, their mortification 
could scarcely restrain all hands from a hearty laugh at the " Yankee trick." 



27 



NEW JERSEY. 

Area, 7,'nC) Square Miles. 

Population in ISOO, C;:j,Go5 

Population in 1870, 900,096 

The State of New Jersey was one of the original colonies whicli 
formed the American Union. It is situated between 38° 56' and 
41° 21' K latitude, and between 74° and 75° 33' W. longitude. It 
is bounded on the nortli by New York, on the east by New York 
(from which the Hudson River separates it) and the Atlantic Ocean, 
on the south by Delaware Bay, and on the west by the States of 
Pennsylvania and Delaware, from which it is separated by the Dela- 
ware River. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The southern and middle parts of the State are generally low, flat, 
and sandy, especially along the coast and for some distance inland. 
The northern part is rugged and mountainous. Schooley's, Trow- 
bridge, Ramapo, and Second mountains in the northeast part are 
ridges of the Alleghany range, making their way across the State 
from Pennsylvania into New York. The Blue Mountains cross the 
extreme northwestern part of the State, running parallel with the 
Delaware River at this point. Southeast of Raritan Bay, there is a 
range of high hills, extending for a short distance along the coast, 
called the Nevesink Highlands. They are crowned with a lighthouse 
and signal station, and are the first land seen by vessels entering the 
port of New York, and the last on leaving it. 

Along the Atlantic coast, the shores are cut up with numerous in- 
lets, into some of which flow the princi|xil rivers of the State. Some 
of these furnish excellent harbors. Raritan Bay, in the northeast 
part, lies opposite the harbor of New York, and possesses m:uiv ad- 
430 



\ 



NEW JERSEY. 431 

vantages for commerce over the waters of the Great Metropolis. New- 
ark Bay is connected with it by Staten Island Sound, and is really 
little more than a broad estuary by which the Passaic River finds its 
way to the sea. It also receives the waters of the Hackensack River. 

The Delaicare River and Bay wash the entire western side of the 
State. The river rises on the western slope of the Catskill Moun- 
tains, in New York. It at first consists of two branches, which unite 
near Hancock, in Delaware county, on the southwest border of the 
State. Flowing southeast, it forms the boundary between Ncav York 
and Pennsylvania as far as the northwest corner of New Jersey, where 
its course is inflected to the southwest by the Kittatinny (or Shawan- 
gunk) Mountain. It pursues this course to near the 41st i)arallel of 
X. latitude, when it breaks through the Blue Mountains by the famous 
Delaware Water Gap, and flows southward. The "Gap" is one of 
the most celebrated places in the country. It lies in the State of 
Pennsylvania, but for convenience is mentioned here. The clifls 
rise up perpendicularly from 1000 to 1200 feet high, and the river 
rushes through it in grand style. It is much visited by tourists. 
Tiie river flows southward until it passes Easton, Pa., when it turns 
again to the southeast, which course it pursues to its mouth. Its cur- 
rent is broken by a succession of Rapids at Trenton, but below this 
city it is smooth and deep. The river is 300 miles long, and is naviga- 
ble for ships of the line to Philadelphia, about 40 miles from its 
entrance into Delaware Bay. Steamboats ascend to Trenton. A 
canal has been constructed from Bristol, below Trenton, to Easton, 
Pa., along the west side of the river. A heavy trade is carried on by 
means of it. The Delaware is bridged in several places along its 
upper course, commencing at Trenton. A canal, extending from 
Trenton to New Brunswick, connects it with the waters of theRaritan 
River and New York Bay. 

Philadelphia and Easton, on the right bank, and Trenton, Bur- 
lington, and Camden, on the left bank, are the principal towns on 
the river. 

The Hudson River washes part of the eastern shore of the State. 
The other streams are the Raritan, rising in Morris county, and flow- 
ing into Raritan Bay, navigable to New Brunswick ; the Passaic, 
rising in Morris county, and flowing into Newark Bay, navigable to 
Newark ; and the Hackensack, which rises in Bergen county, and 
flows into Newark Bay. The Passaic has a perpendicular fall of 50 
feet, at Paterson. A number of small streams flow into the inlets on 
the east coast. 



432 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Cape May, on the extreme southeastern side of Delaware Bay, is 
one of the most fashionable watering places in America. Long Branch, 
on the Atlantic coast, near New York, is another fashionable resort, 
and ranks next to Newport in the list of sea-shore resorts. There are 
several others on the Atlantic coast. 

The scenery of the State is very beautiful in many places, and very 
dreary in others. The Falls of the Passaic are noted for their beauty 
when the stream is full ; and the mountainous region of the north, 
especially the country along the upper Delaware, is wild and pictur- 
esque. The Nevesink Highlands command a fine view of the ocean, 
and of Raritan and New York bays. The country northwest of 
New York is finely cultivated, and is well built up with numerous 
pretty towns and villages. 

MINERALS. 

Central and southern New Jersey contain immense beds of marl, 
which is now growing in favor as a fertilizer. The changes in the 
agriculture of the State, caused by the introduction and general use 
of this cheap manure, are almost marvellous. These deposits seem 
to be inexhaustible, and for the most part lie very near the surfj^ce 
of the ground. Bog ore is found in the southern counties, and hema- 
tite and magnetic ores in the hilly regions of the north. Marble, 
limestone, slate, beds of peat, copperas, and a fine sand used in mak- 
ing glass are found. In Sussex county are situated the most valu- 
able zinc mines in the Union. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of the northern and northwestern parts of the State is 
severe. In the eastern and southern the winters are milder. The 
summers are hot and dry, but the spring comes early, and is pleasant. 
The southern and eastern parts are, to a great extent, marshy, and 
covered with rank, coarse vegetation. Agues and fever prevail 
along almost the entire water line of the State, and in many of the 
interior districts. The northern and northwestern portions are 
healthy. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

Along the sea coast, and in some of the interior regions, the soil con- 
sists of a fine white sand, and is worthless for agriculture. The hilly 
region of the north is devoted to dairy farming and grazing. The 
soil of the greater .portion of the State is light and sandy, and was fpr 



NEW JERSEY. 



433 




GATHERING WATERMELONS. 



a long time esteemed too poor to justify cultivation, but the liberal 
and judicious use of fertilizers has brought it to a high, and even re- 
markable state of fertility. Lying so near the great cities of New 
York and Philadelphia, unusual advantages are offered the farmers 
of this State for the raj^id sale of their crops, and as a consequence 
they are largely engaged in market-gardening. 

In 1869, there were 1,944,441 acres of improved, and 1,039,086 
acres of unimproved land in the State. The remainder of the agri- 
cultural wealth of New Jersey, for the same year, is given as follows ; 

Cash value of farms (estimated), $250,000,000 

Value of farming implements and machinery 

(estimated), $7,000,000 

Number of horses, 85,460 

" asses and mules, 6,960 

" milch cows, . 149,450 

" yomig cattle, . 99,450 

" sheep, • 140,160 

" swine, 300,540 

Value of domestic animals, $19,134,693 

Bushels of wheat, 1,646,000 



434 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of rye, 1,500,000 

" Indian corn, . 9,200,000 

" oats, 6,440,000 

" potatoes, 5,300,000 

" barley, 26,000 

" buckwheat, 800,000 

Pounds of butter, 10,714,447 

" cheese, 182,172 

" flax, 48,651 

" beeswax and liouey, 194,055 

Gallons of wine, , 22,000 

Tons of hay, 525,000 

Valueof orchard products (about), .... $1,000,000 

" .market garden products (about), . . $2,000,000 

" slaughtered animals (about), . . . $5,000,000 

COMMERCE. 

Though admirably situated for commerce, it is the misfortune of 
New Jersey to lie just between the great ports of New York and 
Philadelphia, which of course manage her commerce for her. This 
situation, however, throws an enormous internal transit trade into 
her hands, and has given to her railroads and steamboat communica- 
tions an importance they would not otherwise have attained. Some 
idea of this maybe gained from the following statistics. In 1867, 
the Canideu and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Com})any car- 
ried over their road, 539,688 tons of freight, and 40,667 tons of coal. 
The Delaware and Raritau Canal in the same year transported 1,838,- 
968 tons of coal, 2,636,738 cubic feet of timber, 20,348,288 feet of 
lumber, 2,605,012 bushels -of grain and feed, 55,630 tons of iron, and 
365,751 tons of merchandise. In 1861, the total value of the exports 
of this State was $46,067, and of the imports .$5510. In 1863, the 
imports were valued at $3616, and the exports at $56,192. lu 1863, 
the tonnage owned in the State Avas 138,046 tons. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The water power of the State is excellent, and the manufactures 
are extensive. In 1870 there were 6636 establishments in New 
Jersey, devoted to manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts, 
employing 75,552 hands, and a capital of $79,606,719, consuming 
raw material worth $103,415,245, and yielding an annual product of 
$169,237,732. The following is a list of the principal manufactures 
of the State in 1870 : 




NEW JERSEY. 435 

Value of cotton goods, $4,078,768 

" woollen goods, 1,. '•96, 825 

leather, 9,307,948 

pig iron, 1,546,965 

rolled iron, 5,297,898 

" steam engines and machinery, . . . 8,818,123 

" agricultural implements, 633,875 

" sawed and planed lumber, 3,330,769 

flour 12,593,148 

" malt and spirituous liquors, .... 3,675,208 

boots and shoes, 3,639,076 

" jewelry, silverware, etc., 3,422,109 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

This State is amply provided with raih'oad 
communication. Four great lines, the New 
Jersey, Erie, Central New Jersey, and Morris 
and Essex, afford direct and unbroken trans- 
portation to all parts of the West, and the 
Camden and Amboy extends across the State, 
from New York to Philadelphia. Five main 
THE BEUGEN TUNNEL, routes Centre in Jersey City, opposite New 
York, and four in Camden, opposite Phila- 
delphia. In 1872, there were 1265 miles of completed railroads in 
the State. 

Two canals, having an aggregate length of 147 miles, extend across 
the State, one from Bordentown (through Trenton) to New Bruns- 
wick, affording steam transportation between the Delaware and Rari- 
tan rivers, and the other extending from Jersey City and Newark to 
Easton, Pennsylvania. 

EDUCATION. 

The educational system of New Jersey is controlled by a State 
Superintendent and Board of Education, the latter consisting of 17 
persons, who are appointed for two years. Each county is in charge 
of a County Superintendent, who has immediate charge of its 
schools. 

There is a Normal School at Trenton, and a Normal Preparatory 
School at Beverly, both in flourishing condition. There is a perma- 
nent School Fund amounting to $557,115. In 1870, the State expended 
the sum of $1,562,573 on its schools. The number of children in the 
State, between the ages of five and eighteen years, in 1870, was 258,- 



436 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

227. Of these, 161,683 attended the public schools, and 32,447 at- 
tended private schools, making a total of 194,130 children receivin;^- 
instruction. A number of private schools, and several academies are 
in successful operation in the State. 

The College of New Jersey, at Princeton, is the oldest in the State, 
having been established in ] 746. It is in a flourishing condition, and 
is justly regarded as one of the principal educational establishments 
of the Union. Butger's College, at New Brunswick, is also a flourish- 
ing institution. Connected with it is the State Agricultural College, 
which is in prosperous operation. The instruction is by the example 
of the college farm, and the lectures of the Professor of Agriculture, 
delivered in all the counties of the State. There are several other 
colleges and theological seminaries in the State. 

In 1870, there 2413 libraries in New Jersey, containing 895,291 
volumes. Of these about 1300, containing over 300,000 volumes, are 
public. 

In the same year, there were published in the State 20 daily, 1 semi- 
weekly, 95 weekly and 7 monthly newspapers and magazines. Of these, 
105 were political, 2 religious, 10 literary and miscellaneous, making 
a total of 117, with an aggregate annual circulation of 18,625,740 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Prison, at Trenton, is overcrowded, and is in great need 
of more extensive buildings. The labor of the convicts is let out to 
contractors. The separate and silent systems are not in force in this 
institution, to the injury of its discipline. A library is provided for 
the prisoners. On the 1st of January, 1868, there were about 550 
convicts confined here, or nearly 200 more than the prison ^vas de- 
signed to accommodate. 

The State Lunatic Asylum, at Trenton, is a flourishing institution, 
with 450 patients on the 1st of November, 1867. The State also 
maintains a flourishing Reform ScJiool, at Jamesburg, a Home for Dis- 
abled Soldiers, at Newark, and a Home for Soldiers' Children, at Tren- 
ton, and makes a liberal provision for its deaf, dumb, and blind, in 
the establishments of Philadelphia and Hartford. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the total value of church property in the State was 
347,150. The number of churches was 1384. 



NEW JERSEY. 437 



FINANCES. 



The State debt is due entirely on account of the late war, and amounts 
to $2,500,000. Deducting a&sets it is $1,200,000. The receipts of the 
Treasury for eleven months of 1874 were $3,538,126, and the expen- 
ditures $3,265,266, leaving a balance on hand of $72,860, 

In 1868, tliere were 54 national banks, with au aggregate paid in 
capital of $11,583,450. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The Constitution of this State was adopted in 1844. By its terms, 
every white male citizen of the United States, 21 years old, having 
resided in the State one year and in the county five months, is entitled 
to vote at the elections. 

The Government is confided to a Governor, Secretary of State, 
Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney- General, and a Legislature, consist- 
ing of a Senate (of 21 members), and a House of Representatives 
(of 60 members). The Governor is elected by the people for the term 
of three years. The Senators are elected for three years, one-third 
every year; and the Representatives annually for one year. The 
Secretary of State holds office for five years, is appointed by the Gov- 
ernor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The State 
Treasurer is elected by the Legislature, on joint ballot, and holds 
office for one year. 

The Court of Chancery is held by the Chancellor. 

The, Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Asso- 
ciate Justices. The members of this court and the Chancellor are 
appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the Senate, and hold office 
for seven years. 

The Court of Errors and Appeals consists of the Chancellor, the 
Judges of the Supreme Court, and six other judges (appointed and 
confirmed in the manner stated above, for a period of six years, one 
judge going out of office each year). The State is divided into seven 
districts. A Judge of the Supreme Court is assigned to each one of 
these, and holds in his district courts of Oyer and Terminer three 
times a year in each county. He is also ex-officio judge of the court 
of Common Pleas, Orphans Court, and Court of Quarter Sessions in 
his district. 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into 21 counties. 
The seat of Government is loaited at Trenton. 



43.8 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



HISTORY. 

New Jersey was settled by the Dutch, soon after their arrival in 
New Amsterdam. They established a colony at Bergen, between the 
years 1617 and 1620. In 1630, they built a small fort on the Dela- 
ware, below the present city of Philadelj)hia. In 1634, a company 
of English settlers, under the authority of a patent from their king, 
settled on the shores of the lower Delaware; and in 1638, the same 
reirion was colonized by a party of Swedes and Finns. The Dutcli 
and Swedes <lrove out the English settlers, and in 1655, the Swedes, 
themselves, were driven out by the Dutch, and nearly all sent back 
to Europe. When the province of New York was seized by the 
English, New Jersey went with it. Soon after this, Elizabethtown, 
Newark, Middletown, and Shrewsbury were founded. A little later, 
and the district was purchased from the Duke of Y^ork, by Sir George 
Carteret and Lord Berkeley, and erected into a separate province with 
its present name. The seat of government was established at Eliza- 
beth, and some little difficnlty was experienced in inducing the in- 
habitants to submit to the new authorities. The province suiFered 
considerably from the despotic rule of Sir Edmund Andros. 

For some time, the government of the province was a condition of 
semi-anarchy, owing to the refusal of the home Government to recog- 
nize tlie claims of the proprietors. This dispute was complicated by 
the claim of Pennsylvania to the southern part of the State. It was 
settled in 1702, by the proprietors surrendering the right of govern- 
ment to the Crown. The provinces of New York and New Jersey 
were allowed separate Assemblies, but were both placed by Queen 
Anne under one Governor. In 1708, New Jersey protested against 
this arrangement, and was given a separate Governor, in the person 
of Lewis Morris. 

The colony suffered very little from tlie Indians, but bore its share 
in the wars with the French. It gave a hearty support, and played 
a conspicuous part in the great Revolution. During this war, the 
battles of Trenton, Princeton, Millstone, Red Bank, and Monmouth, 
were fought in this State, whose territory was more or less occupied 
by the two armies during the greater part of the \var. 

The first State Constitution was adopted in 1776. On the 18th of 
December, 1787, the Constitution of the LTnited States was ratified by 
New Jersey; and in 1790, the seat of government for the State was 
established at Trenton. 



NEW JERSEY. 439 

During the late war, New Jersey contributed a force of 79,348 men 
to the service of the Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns are, Trenton, the capital of the State, 
Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Camden, New Brunswick, 
Orange, Morristown, Rah way, Burlington, Hackensack, Bridgeton, 
Bloomfield, Middletown, and Bordentown. 

TEENTON, 

The capital, and fourth city of the State, is situated on the left bank 
of the Delaware River, in Mercer county, at the head of steamboat 
navigation. It is 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia, and 57 miles 
southwest of New York. The city is divided into two parts by the 
Assunpink Creek — Trenton proper and South Trenton. It is regu- 
larly laid out, and has many fine stores and handsome dwellings. It 
is built on a tolerably uneven surface. State street, which runs par- 
allel with the river, contains many elegant residences. Main street, 
which intersects it at right angles, is the principal business thorough- 
fare. The situation of the city on the Delaware is very beautiful, and 
commands extensive views of the river and the vicinity. . 

A fine, covered bridge crosses the Delaware at the lower part of the 
town, connecting Trenton with the Pennsylvania shbre of the river. 
It is used by the railway and by vehicles and pedestrians. Another 
bridge, also covered, spans the river about a mile above. The Dela- 
ware and Raritan Canal passes through the city, connecting it with 
New York and Philadelphia. There is railway communication be- 
tween Trenton and all parts of the State and country. 

There is excellent water-power at Trenton, and the city is to a con- 
siderable extent engaged in the manufacture of iron and iron-ware, 
flour, paper, locomotives, cars, etc. 

The public buildings are, the City Hall; the State Capitol, a hand- 
some edifice of stone, 100 by 60 feet, situated on State street, and 
overlooking the river ; the County Court House, built in the Grecian 
style; the State Lunatic Asylum; and the State Penitentiary, The 
State Library is also located at Trenton. 

The city possesses a system of public schools equal to any in the 
State in usefulness ; it contains over 20 churches ; and is governed by 
a Mayor and Council. The population in 1870 was 22,874. 



440 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Trenton was first settled by Phineas Pemberton and others, about 
1680. In 1720 the settlement was called Trenton, in honor of Colonel 
William Trent, speaker of the Assembly. In 1790 it became the seat 
of Government for the State of New Jersey, and in 1792 was incor- 
porated as a city. The most important event in its history is the 
battle of Trenton, which was fought within the present limits of the 
city, on the 26th of December, 1776. The Americans had lost the 
battle of Long Island, and had been forced to evacuate the City of 
New York, which was promptly occupied by the British under Sir 
Henry Clinton. A series of disasters ensued, and at the end of the 
year 1776 Washington had been driven across the Delaware, and the 
only troops that remained faithful to their colors consisted of less than 
4000 half-starved men, destitute of blankets and tents. The people 
of the country were rapidly coming to the conclusion that the Colonial 
cause was hopeless, and were beginning to make their peace with the 
Royal authorities. Washington alone was hopeful, and he alone was 
resolved to put an end to the gloom of the situation. Learning that 
a large force of Hessians had been thrown forward to Trenton, where 
they held an exposed position, he suddenly faced about, crossed the 
Delaware in open boats, despite the snow and ice, on the night of 
December 25th, 1776,'and at daybreak the next morning made a 
sharp attack on the Hessian force, surprising them and routing them 
completely. He took about 1000 prisoners, 6 brass field pieces, 1000 
stand of arms, and 4 standards, and lost but 4 of his own men. On 
the night of the 26th he recrossed the Delaware to his own camp in 
Pennsylvania. This victory was highly important, as it marks the 
close of the long series of reverses we have referred to, and the begin- 
ning of the successful resistance of the nation. From this time for- 
ward the despondent took fresh courage from the example set them by 
their great commander, and with stout hearts and strong arms fresh 
attacks were made upon the enemy, resulting finally in the nation's 
independence. Twelve years later, as Washington was returning 
from New York to Mount Vernon, he was accorded a most enthusi- 
astic and touching welcome by the citizens at Trenton Bridge. 

NEWARK, 

The largest and most important city in the State, is situated in Essex 
county, on the right bank of the Passaic River, 4 miles from its 
entrance into Newark Bay, 9 miles west of New York. The site of 
the city is chiefly a large plain, bounded on the west by a range of 



NEW JERSEY. 441 

moderate heights which extend from the northern to the southern 
limits of the town. The city is regularly laid off, and the streets are 
hroad, straight, and shaded with fine trees. Broad street is the prin- 
cipal thoroughfare, and is one of the handsomest streets in the country. 
It is 120 feet wide, and is lined with noble elms. At intervals along 
its course, are tastefully laid off parks, famous for their beautiful trees. 
These parks are surrounded by elegant residences, and constitute the 
fashionable quarters of the city. Market street intersects Broad street, 
about the centre of the city, and communicates witk the principal 
railway depot. The private streets are generally attractive. The 
more pretentious residences are of brown stone, freestone, or brick, 
but the city is, as a rule, built up with tasteful frame cottages located 
often in the midst of large grounds. Large numbers of persons doing 
business in New York have their residences in Newark. Upwards 
of 200 passenger trains go and come between the two cities every day. 

The public buildings are generally handsome. The principal are, 
the City Hall, the Custom House and Post Office, the Court House, and 
the Library Building. They are all elegant and costly edifices. In 
addition to these, there are several buildings used by banks, insurance 
companies, and merchants, which are worthy of special notice. 

The Literary and Educational Institutions are of a high character. 
Those most deserving notice are the New Jersey Historical Society, 
with a fine library of over 2000 volumes ; the Library Association, 
with an elegant building and a collection of over 14,000 volumes; the 
Newark Academy, beautifully located in the most elevated part of the 
city ; and the public schools, of which there are 12, and a high school. 

There are more than 75 churches in the city, some of which are 
very handsome. 

The city is well supplied with street railways ; it is lighted with 
gas, is supplied with pure water, has an excellent system of sewers, 
and has a police and fire alarm telegraph, a steam fire engine depart- 
ment, paid by the city, and an efficient police force. 

The Passaic River, which is navigable for steamers to the upper 
portion of the city, furnishes good water communication with New 
York and the ocean. The Morris Canal, extending from Easton, Pa., 
to Jersey City, passes through Newark. At its entrance into the 
western portion of the city is a steep inclined plain, over M^hich loaded 
boats are passed on trucks, the motive power being furnished by the 
water of the canal. There is daily steamboat communication with 
New York, with which city Newark is connected by 3 lines of rail- 



442 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

way. Railways diverge from Newark to the principal towns of the 
State. 

The city has grown with great rapidity during the last 25 years, 
and owes its prosperity chiefly to its manufacturing interests. These 
are scattered through a number of generally small establishments, but 
foot up an enormous aggregate. Tiiere are over 550 establishments 
in the city, the annual product of which is estimated at over 
5^25,000,000. It is the principal point in the Union for the manu- 
facture of jewelry. India rubber goods, carriages, omnibuses, 
machinery, castings, leather, boots, shoes, saddles, harness, trunks, 
and clothing are manufactured in large quantities. The India Rubber 
Works are very extensive, as are those for the manufacture of car- 
riages, onmibuses, machinery, castings, etc. 

Newark is a port of entry, but its commerce is almost entirely 
confined to the coasting trade. Its proximity to New York renders 
it insignificant as a port. 

The city is governed by a Mayor and Council. The population in 
IS 70 was 105,059. The foreign population is very large, and the 
city is the see of a Roman Catholic Bishop. In 1830 the population 
was 10,950; in 1840, 17,290; in 1850, 38,983; in 1^0, 71,914. 

Newark was settled in May, 1666, by a company of 30 families 
from New Haven, led by Captain Robert Treat, and the next year 
they were joined by an equal number of settlers from Guilford and 
Branford, Conn., led by their minister, the Rev. Abraham Pierson. 
Mr. Pierson had come originally from Newark, in England, and the 
new settlement was called after his old home. " Their object seems 
to have been to establish a Puritan community, to be administered 
under the laws of God, by members of the church, on strictly demo- 
cratic principles. They left Connecticut because the colony of New 
Haven, to which they belonged, had been united to the Connecticut 
colony of Hartford, a union which interfered with their independence. 
The proprietors of New Jersey had just issued their liberal proposals 
to settlers, known as ' the grants and concessions ; ' and Treat and 
Pierson, and their associates, having obtained from Philip Carteret, 
the proprietary governor, a licence to purchase land, paid to the 
Indians for the tract which now constitutes Newark, Clinton, Orange, 
Bloomfield and Belleville, £310 New England currency, 12 Indian 
blankets, and 12 Indian guns. The settlers laid out the town plat 
of Newark, with its spacious streets and parks as they now exist. 



NEW JERSEY. 



443 




'I I 

FAI>LS OF PASSAIC AT PATERSO::. 

JERSEY CITY, 

The second city in the State, is situated in Hudson county, on the 
right bank of the Hudson Rivei', at its entrance into New Yorlc Bay, 
and immediately opposite the city of New Y'ork. The city limits at 
present include Jersey City, Hoboken, Hudson City, and the otiier 
towns in Hudson county. The site of Jersey City proper is low and 
flat, as is that of Hol)oken, but Hudson City and tlie other towns noAv 
included within the corporate limits lie on a range of bold heights, 
extending back from the Hudson, which command fine views of New 
York and the surrounding country on both sides of the Hudson. 
From the highest point on these heights, New Y'ork, Brooklyn, the 
neighboring towns in Westchester county. New Y^'oi-k, Jersey City, 
Newark, Paterson, Orange, and Elizabeth, the Hudson, East Hack- 
ensack, and Passaic rivers, New York and Newark Bays, Long 
Island Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean, may all be seen. 

The streets are generally wide and straight, crossing each other at 
right angles. The appearance of the city is not prepossessing, though 
there are some handsome localities. There are no public buildings 
worthy of mention. 



444 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ELIZABETH, 

The fifth city in the State, is situated in Union county, 15 miles west- 
southwest of New York, and 5 miles south by west of Newark. It 
is pleasantly located on elevated ground, and is one of the handsomest 
cities in the State. It is mainly taken up with frame cottages and 
villas, but brown stone and brick are now coming into general use. 
Street railways connect its various parts, and the New Jersey and 
New Jersey Central Railways intersect each other here, and connect 
it with New York and the various parts of the country. It contains 
several large manufactories, a number of handsome buildings devoted 
to business, and over 20 churches, some of which are very handsome. 
Large numbers of persons doing business in New York reside here. 
Its public schools are noted for their excellence. It is lighted with 
gas ; is supplied with water ; and is jirovided with an efficient police 
force, and a steam fire department. It is governed by a Mayor and 
Council, elected by the people. In 1870 the population was 20,838. 
Elizabeth was settled in 1655, and was for a long time the capital 
and chief town of the Colony and State. It has always been noted as 
one of the most cultivated towns in the Union. 

CAMDEN, 

The sixth city of New Jersey, is situated on the left bank of the 
Delaware River, in Camden county, immediately opposite the city 
of Philadelphia, with which it is connected by means of 4 steam fer- 
ries. It is 32 miles south -south west of Trenton. It is located in a 
large plain, and is regularly laid off. It is well built, and contains 
some handsome residences and commercial buildings. It owes its 
importance to its powerful neighbor, Philadelphia. It contains some 
extensive manufacturing establishments, and is the terminus of the 
Camden and Amboy, New Jersey Southern, and West Jersey rail- 
ways. It is lighted with gas ; is supplied with water ; and has a steam 
fire department, and an effective police force. Its public schools are 
good and numerous, and it contains one or two literary institutions. 
It is governed by a Mayor and Council, chosen by the people. In 
1870, the population was 20,045. 

The city was incorporated in 1831. 

The other important towns of the State are New Brunswick, on the 
Raritan River; Rah way, between New Brunswick and Elizabeth; 
Burlington, on the Delaware River, below Trenton ; and Orange, near 



NEW JERSEY. 'i^J 




Newark. Long Branch, in Monmouth county, and Atlantic City, in 
Atlantic county, on the sea shore, and Cape May, in Cape May 
county, at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, are among the most 
fashionable watering places in the Union. 

THE BATTLE OF TRENTON. 

The Bummer and fall of 1776 was the most gloomy period of the American 
revolution. General Washington liad been obliged lo retreat from Long Island to 
New York, thence over the Hudson to New Jersey, and through New Jersey to 
Pennsylvania, vigorously pursued by an enemy flushed Avith a series of success. 
The retreat through New Jersey was attended with circumstances of a painful 
and trying nature. Washington's army, wliich had consisted of 30,000 men, 
was now diminished to scarcely 3000, and these were without supplies, without 
pay, and many of them without shoes or comfortable clothing. Their footsteps 
were stained with blood as they fled before the enemy. The affairs of the Ame- 
ricans seemed in such a desperate condition, that tho.se wlio had been most con- 
fident of success, began despairingly to givQ up all for lost. Many Americans 
joined the British, and took protections from tliem. In this season of general 
despondency, the American Congress recommended to each of the States to 
observe "a day of solemn fasting and humiliation before God." 

General Washington saw the necessity of making a desperate effort for the sal- 
vation of his country. On the night of the 25th of December, 1776, the American 
army recrossed the Delaware, which was fllled with pieces of floating ice, and 
marched to attack a division of Hessians, who had advanced to Trenton. The 
sun had just risen, as the tents of the enemy appeared in sight. No time was 
to be lost — Washington, rising on his stirrups, waved his sword towards the hos- 
tile army, and exclaimed, " There, my brave friends, are the enemies of yoxtr 
coxintry ! and noio all I have to ask of you is, to remember what you are about to 
fight for! March .'" 

The troops, animated by their commander, pressed on to the charge ; the Hes- 
sians were taken by surprise, and the contest was soon decided ; about 1000 were 
taken prisoners, and 40 killed, among whom was their commander, (a German 
ofScer,) Colonel Rahl. 

In this important expedition, Washington divided his troops into three parts, 
28 



446 OUE COUNTKY AND ITS TvESOURCES. 

Av'uch were to assemble on the banks of llie Delaware, on the night of the 25th 
of December. One of these divisions, led by General Irvine, was directe;! to cross 
the Delaware at the Trenton ferry, and secure the bridge below the town, so as 
to prevent the escape of any part of the enemy by that road. Another division, 
led by General Cadwallader, was to cross over at Bristol, and carry the post at 
Burlington. The third, which was the principal divisio'n, and consisted of about 
2100 Continental troops, commanded by General Washington in person, was to 
cross at M'Konkey's ferry, abont nine miles above Trenton, and to march 
against the enemj'' posted at that town. The night fixed on for the enter- 
prise was severly cold. A storm of snow, mingled with hail and rain, fell in 
great quantities ; and so much ice was made in the river, that the artillery could 
not be got over until three o'clock ; and before the troops could take up their 
line of marcii it was nearly four. The general, who had hoped to throw them 
all over by twelve o'clock, now despaired of surprising the town ; but knowing 
that, he could not repass the river without being discovered and harassed, he de- 
termined, at all events, to push forward. He accordingly formed his detachment 
into two divisions, one of which was to march by the lower or river road, the 
other, by the upper or Pennington road. As the distance to Trenton by these 
two roads was nearly the same, the general, supposing that his two divisions 
would arrive at the place of destination about the same time, ordered each of 
them, immediately on forcing the outguards, to push directly into the town, that 
Ihey might charge the enemy before they had time to form. The upper division, 
accompanied by the general himself, arrived at the enemy's advanced post ex- 
actly at eight o'clock, and immediately drove in the outguards. in three min- 
utes, a firing from the division that had taken the river road, gave notice to the 
general of its arrival. Colonel Raid, a very gallant Hessian officer, who com- 
manded in Trenton, soon formed his main body, to meet the assailants ; but at 
the commencement of the action he received a mortal wound. His troops, at 
once confused and hard pressed, and having already lost their artillery, attempted 
to file off by a road on the right, leading to Princeton ; but General Washington 
perceiving their intention, threw a body of troops in their front, which inter- 
cepted and assailed them. Finding themselves surrounded, they laid down 
their arms. About 20 of the enemy were killed ; and 909, including officers, 
surrendered themselves prisoners of war. The number of prisoners was soon 
increased to about 1000, by the additional capture of those who had concealed 
themselves in houses. Six field pieces, and a 1000 stand of small arms, were 
also taken. Of the Americans, two privates only were killed ; two were frozen 
to death ; one officer and three or four privates were wounded. General Irvine 
being prevented by the ice from crossing the Delaware, the lower road toward 
Bordcntown remained open: and iiJiout 500 of the enemy, stationed in the lower 
end of Trenton, crossing over the bridge in the commencement of the action, 
marched down the river to Bordentown. General Cadwallader was prevented 
by the same cause from attacking the post at Burlington. This well-judged and 
successful enterprise, revived the depressed spirits of tlie colonists, and produced 
an immediate and happy effect in recruiting the American army. 

THE MURDER OF THE REV. JAMES CALDWELL. 

The next summer, in June, Knypliausen made his sudden and apparently 
objectless inroad into New Jersey. On the night of the 24th, Mr. Caldwell slept 



NEW JKRSEY. 447 

in his own house, but was wakened early in the m.ornnig by tlic news of the ap- 
proach of the enemy. ^lounting liis horse in Iniste, he started for headquarters 
with the information. He liad proceeded but a short distance, however, when 
he began to have serious fears for his wife and family that he had left behind. 
The former, when she bade him good-bye, told him that she had no apprehen- 
sions for her own safety, for the enemy, she said, would not harm her and her 
little children. He had often left them in a similar way before, and always found 
them safe on his return, but now he was oppressed with unusual anxiety, and, 
after striving in vain to sliake it off, turned his horse and galloped back. As he 
rode up to the door, his wife came out to inquire what he wanted. He told hcv 
that he wished her and the children to accompany liim to camp, for he felt very 
uneasy about leaving them behind. But she, knowing they would encumber his 
movements, smiled at his fears, saying there was no danger at all, and declined 
entirely to leave the house. In the meantime she v.ent in and brought from the 
breakfast table a warm cup of coffee. "While he sat on his horse drinking it, the 
enemy came in sight. Handing back the cup, an 1 flinging her a hasty farewell, 
and commending her to the care and mercy of the God in whom they botli trusted, 
he struck his spurs into his horse and dashed away. 

He had not been gone long before she had cause to regret that slie had not 
yielded to his entreaties, for columns of smoke rising in the distance — the screams 
of terrified women and children running through the streets, told her that the 
enemy was on a raid, and murder and devastation were marking their passage. 
She saw at once that she was surrounded with deadly perils, but calm as became 
the wife of a hero as well as clergyman, she took her infant and retired into u 
private room to commit herself and cliildren in prayer to God. Arising from licr 
devotions, she sat down upon the bed, and was pondering on her desolate condi- 
tion, when the maid, who had accompanred her with the other children, stepped 
to the window to look out. As she did so, she saw a " red coat " jump over the 
fence into the yard. Alarmed, she turned quickly and told Mrs. Caldwell. Tlie 
latter knew at once that evil was intended her, and arose from the bed either to 
watch the man's actions or to pass out of the room, when the villain caught a 
glimpse of her through the window. He knew her at a glance, and, having 
come on purpose to kill her, he raised his musket and fired at her through the 
Avindow, when she fell amid her terrified children, pierced by two balls. In the 
midst of the alarm and confusion that followed, the torch was applied to the 
house, and soon the little parsonage was wrapped in tlames. It was with great 
difficulty that some of the neighbors, whom the maid informed of the murder, 
were enabled to drag the body out of the burning building. But, having ac- 
complished this, they were compelled to flee, leaving it exposed in the hot sun 
in the public street, w"here it lay for hours with no one humane enough to throw 
a covering over the pale and ghastly face. At length some of her friends ob- 
tained permission from the enemy to remove it into the only hcmse left standing 
near by. 

Mr. Caldwell Avas at the "Short Hills," Avith the army, while this murderous 
scene was being enacted at his quiet home. That evening passing by chance tAvo 
soldiers who were talking in whispers, he heard the name of "Mrs. Caldwell" 
repeated two or three times. Suspecting at once that something was wrong, he 
asked them what they were talking about — if anything had happened to Mrs. 
Caldwell. They at first hesitated to reply, unwilling tn break to him tlie painful 
^ntelligence, but he besonght tliem so eanu'slly to kt him know the Avorst tliat 



448 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUICES. 

tliey finally told him nil. The good man staggered like a smitten ox under the 
Budden blow, and turned pale as death. Rallying, however, he murmured a 
broken prayer and turned away to weep alone. That was a painful night to the 
noble patriot, lor not only did he mourn deeply over the tragical end of his wife, 
whom he loved tenderly, but he was filled with apprehension respecting his or- 
phaned children, one of whom was an infant — now in possession of the enemy. 
In the morning he procured a flag of truce and went over to " Connecticut 
Farms." The quiet little village was a heap of smoking ruins, Avith only hero 
and there a solitary building standing as monuments to mark tiie desolation. In 
one of these lay the lifeless body of his wife, and in an adjoining apartment were 
grouped his weeping children. 

The enemy, after burning Connecticut Farms, kept on towards Springfield, 
with the intention of committing the same barbarous cruelties there. !Mr. Cald- 
well, after seeing his wife buried and his children placed in the care of one of his 
parishioners, hastened forward to join the army. At Springfield, a sharp en- 
gagement took place between the enemy and the American troops, and though 
the former were compelled to beat a hasty retreat, it was not till they had burned 
the village to the ground. Mr. Caldwell was in the hottest of the fight, and see- 
ing tlie fire of one of the companies slackening for want of wadding, he galloped 
to the Presbyterian meeting house near by, and, rushing in, ran from pew to 
pew, filling his arms with hj'mn books. Hastening back with these into the 
battle, he sc;\ttered them about in every direction, saying, as he pitched one here 
and another there, "Now, put Watts into them, boys." With a laugh and a 
cheer, they pulled out the leaves, and ramming home the cliarges did give the 
JBiitish Watts with a will. 

The next year this patriotic, gifted man met the tragical fate of his wife, and 
sealed his devotion to his country with his blood. 

New Jersey remained comparatively tranquil after the raid of Knyphausen, 
and flags of truce were constantly passing to and fro to New York, and only sol- 
diers enough were left in the State to act as sentinels at main points. At this 
time there lived in New York a family by the name of Murray, who had rela- 
tives residing in Elizabethtown, and who were much beloved by the people in 
the vicinity for their kindness to Jersey prisoners confined in the city. One of 
the family, Miss Murray, wishing to visit Elizabethtown, came to Elizabethtown 
Point on the 24th of November, under a flag of truce. Mr. Caldwell went down 
in a carriage to meet her, and accompany her to the town. The details of the 
events that followed, I will let Dr. Murray tell in his own language. "A sentry 
was kept up at that time at the fort. Tying his horse outside the sentinel, Mr. 
Caldwell proceeded to the wharf, and taking with him Miss Murray, placed^ her 
in his carriage, and then returned to the boat for a small bundle that belonged to 
her. Thus he passed three times the man who was keeping guard. With a 
small package he was returning a second time to his carriage, when the sentinel 
ordered him to stop, thinking, probably, that there was something contraband in 
the bundle. He replied that the bundle belonged to the young lady in his car- 
riage. The sentinel said that it must be examined. Mr. Caldwell turned quickly 
about to carry it back to the boat, tliat it might be opened there, when the fatal 
ball struck him. Tlie captain of the guard, hearing the report of a gun, looked 
around, and saw Mr. Caldwell staggering before -him. He ran and caught him 
in his arms and laid him on the ground, and without speaking a word he almost 
instantly expired, the ball having passed through his heart. 



NEW JERSEY. 449 

" The man who shot him was James Morgan, belonging to the Jersey militia — 
an Irishman by birth, and a man of the most debased and profligate character. 
He T\ as always drunk when he could be ; and liquor turned him into a savage. 
His family resided near a well in Elizabethtown, into which a child of his fell one 
day and was drowned. When he returned, he found his child dead, and taking 
it by the arms he beat the broken-hearted mother with the dead body of her own 
child until her cries brought some of the neighbors to her rescue." 

"Whether Morgan was on duty as a sentinel when he shot Caldwell is at least 
questionable. It is said that on his trial it was proved that he had just been re- 
lieved. Different motives are assigned for the murder. Some say that Morgan 
was angry because he had not received his regular wages, and, inasmuch as 
Caldwell was commissary, supposed " he was responsible for the iieglect ; " 
others, again, say that he was bribed by the British, or Tories. Whatever the 
motives might have been that influenced him, he was, after a fair trial, convicted 
of murder, and hung the next January. The body of Mr. Caldwell was placed 
on some straw in the bottom of a wagon, and taken up to town, and the next 
Tuesday buried. 

A MUTINY IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY. 

The situation of General Washington was often, during the war, embarrassing, 
for want of proper supplies for the army. It was peculiarly so while at Morris- 
town, in 1780, where he had encamped during the winter. The cold was un- 
commonly severe, and the army suffered extremely. The following account of 
the state of the American army is taken from " Grimshaw's History of the United 
States: " 

" The distress 8uff"ered by the American army did not arrive at its highest pitch 
until the present season. The officers of the Jersej' line now addressed a memo- 
rial to their State Legislature, complaining, that four months' pay for a private 
would not procure for his family' a single bushel of wheat ; that the pay of a 
colonel would not purchase oats for his horse ; and that a common laborer re- 
ceived four times as much as an American officer. They urged, that unless an 
immediate remedy was provided, the total dissolution of their line was inevitable; 
and concluded by saying, that their pay should be realized, either by Mexican 
dollars, or something equivalent. Nor was the insufliciency of their support the 
only motive to complaint. Other causes of discontent prevailed. The original 
idea of a continental army, to be raised, paid, and regulated upon an equal and 
uniform principle, had been, in a great measure, exchanged for that of State es- 
tablishments ; a pernicious measure, partly originating from necessity, because 
State credit was not quite so much depreciated as continental. Some States, 
from their superior ability, furnished their troops not only with clothing, but 
with many articles of convenience. Others supplied them with mere necessaries ; 
whilst a few, from their particular situation, could give little or perhaps nothing. 
The officers and men, in a routine of duty, daily intermixed and made compari- 
sons. Those who fared worse tlian others were dissatisfied with a service that 
allowed such injurious distinctions. Mutiny began to spread, and at length 
broke out among the soldiers at Fort Sciiuyler. Thirty-one privates of the gar- 
rison went off" in a body. They were overtaken, and 13 of their number instantly 
killed. About the same time, two regiments of Connecticut troops mutinied, and 
got under arms, determined to return home, or gain subsistence by the bayonet. 



450 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Their officers reasoned with them, and used every argument that could iniert ht. 
tlieir passions or their pride. They at first answered, 'Our suiferings are too 
great, we want present relief;' but military feelings were, in the end, trium- 
p!uint ; after much expostulation, they returned to tiic encampment. 

'It is natural to suppose tliat tlie British commander would not lose so favor- 
able an Ojiportnait}' of severing the discontented from their companions, and 
attracting them to his own standard. He circulated a printed paper in the Ameri- 
can camp ; tending to heighten the disorders by exaggeration, and create desertion 
by promises of bounty and caresses. But, so great was the firmness of the sol- 
diery, and so strong their attachment to their country, tliat on the arrival of only 
a scanty suppl}' of meat, for tlieir immediate subsistence, military duty was 
cheerfully performed, and the rolls were- seldom dishonored by desertion. 

"The necessities of the American army grew so pressing that Washington was 
constrained to call on the magistrates of the adjacent counties for specified quan- 
tities of provisions, to be suppHed in a given number of da3's ; and was compelled 
even to send out detachments to collect subsistence at the point of the bayonet. 
ICven this expedient at length failed ; the country in the vicinity of tlie army 
being soon exhausted. His situation was painfully embarrassing. The army 
looked to him for provisions ; the inhabitants for protection. To supply the one, 
and not offend the other, seemed impossible. To preserve order and subordina- 
tion, in an army of republicans, even when well fed, regularly paid, and com- 
fortably clothed, is not an easy task ; but to retain them in service, and subject 
tliem to the rules of discipline, wlien wanting not only the comforts but often 
the necessaries of life, requires such address and abilities as are rarely found in 
human nature. These were, however, combined in Washington. lie not only 
kept his army in the field, but opposed those difficulties with so much discretion 
as to command the approbation of both soldiers and people. 

"To obviate these evils, Congress sent a committee of its own members to tlic 
encampment of the main army. They confirmed the representations previously 
made of the distresses and the disorders arising from commissaiial mismanage- 
ment, which everywhere prevailed. In particular, they stated that tlie main 
army was unpaid for five months ; that it seldom had more than six days' ])ro- 
vision in advance ; and was on different occasions, for several successive days, 
without meat ; that the horses were destitute of forage ; that the medical depart- 
ment had no sugar, tea, chocolate, wine, or spirituous liquors of any kind ; tl.;;t 
every department was without money and without credit ; and that the patience 
of the soldiers, worn down by the pressure of complicated sufierings, was on the 
point of being exhausted. 

"Misfortunes, from every quarter, were at this time pouring in upon the 
United States. But they seemed to rise in the midst of their distresses, and gain 
strength from the pressure of calamities. When Congress could obtain iieitlier 
money nor credit for the subsistence of their army, the inhabitants of Philadelphia 
gave ;i;300,000 to procure a supply of necessary provisions for the suffeiing 
troops ; and the ladies of that city, at the same time, contributed largely to their 
immediate relief. Their example Avas generally followed. Tlie patriotic fiame 
wliich blazed forth in the beginning of the war was rekindled. The different 
States Avere ardently excited ; and it was arranged that the regular army should 
be raised to 35,000 effective men." 




P E NN S Y L V A N I A. 

Area, 46,000 Square iviiles. 

Population in ISGO 2,906,115 

Popiilation in 1870, 3,521,951 

The State of Pennsylvania, one of the original members of the 
Union, lies between 39° 43' and 42° 15' N. latitude, and between 
74° 42' and 80° 35' W. longitude. Its extreme length is about 310 
iv.iles, and its extreme widtli, from north to south, about 160 miles. 
It is bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie, on the easl: 
by New York and New Jersey, from Avhich it is separated by the 
Delaware River, on the south by Delaware, Maryland, and West 
Virginia, and on the west by VV'est Virginia and Ohio. 

TOPOGRAPHS. 

"No State in the Union presents a greater variety of surface than 
Pennsyh^ania. Though they do not rise to any great elevation (sel- 
dom above 2000 feet), its mountains spread over about one-fourth of 
the State in parallel ridges, in a direction generally from northeast to 
southwest, and occupy the southern, central, and eastern counties. 
Though all forming parts of the great Appalachian chain, they are 
known by various local appellations. Commencing below Easton, 
on the Delaware, we have the South Mountain ; then in order, pro- 
ceeding west or northwest, the Blue or Kittatinny Mountains (both 
entering the State from New Jersey, and passing southwest into 
Maryland), and the Broad Mountain, which lies south of the North 
Branch of the Susquehanna. We now cross the river just mentioned, 
but still have with us the Broad Mountain, under the name of the 
Tuscarora; passing which, we come upon another ridge, lyino: mostly 

* 451 



452 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

goiith of the Juniata River, known as Sideling Hill ; which is suc- 
ceeded in turn by the Alleghany Mountains proper, the dividing 
ridge between the Atlantic slope and the Mississippi Valley. De- 
scending the very gi'adual Ohio slope, we cross two inferior but well- 
defined chains, known as Laurel and Chestnut Ridges. As before 
stated, these mountains do not rise to a great height ; the South Moun- 
tain is within 1000, and the Blue Mountain within 1500 feet. Broad 
Mountain is said to rise higher above its immediate base than the 
Alleghany range, but to be inferior to them in elevation above the 
sea. These different ridges are separated by valleys, now contracted 
within nari'ow limits, and now spreading out to a width of from 15 
to 30 miles. The entire belt in Pennsylvania spreads over a space 
of 200 miles — the greatest breadth the Alleghany range attains in its 
whole course from Maine to Alabama. In the northern part of the 
State the mountains become high and rugged hills ; the west is also 
hilly, and the southeast and northwest moderately so, but occasionally 
level. The rivers of the western part of the State, cutting their way 
through the table-land, present sometimes precipitous shores of several 
hundred feet in height, and many valleys bear evident marks of their 
having been formed by running water." * 

The Delaware River washes the eastern shore of the State, and fur- 
nishes the principal means of access to the sea. The city of Philadel- 
})hia, the second in size in the Union, is situated on this stream, about 
40 miles from its entrance into Delaware Bay. 

The Susquehanna is the principal river of the State. It is formed 
by two branches, the eastern rising in Otsego Lake, in central New 
York, and the western in western Pennsylvania. They unite and 
form the main stream at Northumberland, 60 miles above Harris- 
burg. Then flowing in a southeasterly direction, it enters the State 
of Maryland, and empties into Chesapeake Bay. The East, which is 
also called the North, Branch is 250 miles long, and the West Branch 
200 miles. The length of the main stream is about 150 miles. They 
all flow through a very beautiful and fertile country, which is also 
rich in mineral resources. A series of canals extends from the mouth 
of the river to Northumberland, and the navigation of its branches is 
improved in several places. The principal tributary of the Susque- 
hanna is the Juniata, which enters it above Harrisburg, and which is 
famous for its beautiful and picturesque scenery. 



Lippiucott's Gazetteer, p. 1453. 



PENXSYLYANIA. 



4j3 




VIEW ON THE JUNIATA RIVER. 

The Alleghany River is the principal stream in the western part of 
the State. It rises in Potter county, and flows northward into New 
York, after which it sweeps back into Pennsylvania, and pursuing a 
southwesterly course, unites at Pittsburg with the Monongahela (which 
rises in West Virginia and flows northward to Pittsburg), and forms 
the Ohio. It is navigable for small steamers for about 200 miles 
above Pittsburg. The Ohio lies in this State for the first fifty miles 
of its course. 

The Schuylkill is a beautiful river in the eastern part of the State. 
It empties into the Delaware at Philadelphia, and supplies that city 
with fresh water. The Lehigh flows into the Delaware at Easton. 

Lake Erie, already described in another chapter, is the only lake 
lying in the State. It washes the northwest part of Pennsylvania for 
about 50 miles. 



MINERALS. 

" Pennsylvania stands first among the United States in the abun- 
dance of her coal and iron. Though not possessing a great variety 



454 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





'"-■^j^ 




lilt bCIlLlLKILL ABOVE PHILADELPHIA. 



of rare minerals, and none of the precious metals, she has those which 
have made England the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the 
globe, while Spain and Portugal, with their gold, silver, and diamond 
mines, have become poor in national wealth, and have sunk to a low 
degree of political influence. Owing no doubt to her homely, but 
useful minerals, Pennsylvania has advanced, between 1840 and 1850, 
in a greater ratio in population than even the Em])ire State (New 
York), or that vigorous and youthful giant of the West, Ohio. The 
vast anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania lie mostly between the Dela- 
ware and Susquehanna rivers, about the head-waters of the Lehigh, 
Schuylkill, and Lackawana. In 1854 this region sent to market, 
5,919,555 tons of coal ; in 1864, the product had increased to 10,564,- 
926. Nearly half of this came from Schuylkill county. At BIoss- 
burg, in Tioga county, and in Clinton county, are mines of bituminous 
coal, said to be equal, if not superior, to the Newcastle coal of Eng- 
land ; while the region around Pittsburg, the commencement of the 
coal field of the Mississippi Valley, abounds in coal of the same kind, 
but little inferior in purity. Cannel coal of fine quality is found in 
Beaver county. The bituminous coal mined in western Pennsylvania, 
in 1864, was estimated at 3,000,000 tons. Petroleum abounds in 




MAUCH CHUNK AND MOITNT TISGAH. 

The "Switzerlanrl'" of America. 



PENNSYLYAXIA. 



437 





>IOL'NT PISGAII AN"I) THE COAL KKGION. 



the western part of the State. The best evidences of the quantity and 
excellence of the iron of Pennsylvania is the fact, according to the 
census report of 1850, that nearly half of the i)io:, cast, and wrought 
iron manufactured in the Union was from her forges and furnaces. 
This State also abounds in lime, marble, slate, and stones suitable for 
building. Marble is particularly abundant in Chester and Mont- 
gomery counties. The most important copper mines in Pennsylvania 
are in the same counties. Zinc is mined in the vicinity of Bethlehem 
plumbago in Bucks county, and lead in Chester and Montgomery 
counties. A bed of this mineral, of great richness, is reported to have 
been discovered recently in Blair county. Chromium occurs in Ches- 
ter and Lancaster counties. Scattered over the State are some of the 
following minerals: titanium, plumbago, magnetic iron ore, iron 
pyrites, magnesia, talc, asbestos, barytes, zircon, tourmalin, marl, etc. 
Salt springs exist on the Monongahela, Kiskeminitas, and Beaver 
rivers, and in other parts of the State. Nearly 12,000,000 bushels 
of salt were manufactured here in 18G0. Nitre or saltpetre has re- 
cently been discovered in an extensive deposit, and of great richness, 



458 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in the central part of the State. There are several medicinal springs, 
generally chalybeate, the most noted of which are Bedford, in the 
county of the same name ; York, in Adams county ; Doubling Gap, 
in Cumberland; Yellow Springs, in Chester; and Ephrata, in Lan- 
caster county." * 

CLIMATE. 

The southern and eastern portions of Pennsylvania have a milder 
climate than the western part. In the latter, the winters are long 
and severe. The summers are very hot all over the State, and all 
parts are liable to sudden changes from heat to cold. The spring 
comes early in the southern counties, but is late in the others. As a 
whole the State is one of the healthiest in the Union. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

As a general rule the soil of the State is good. That of the lime- 
stone regions, and along the river valleys is excellent, and there arc 
some fine lands in the mountain valleys. Pennsylvania is largely 
engaged in agriculture, being one of the first States in the Union, 
with respect to its productions. The system of fiirming is enlightened 
and progressive, and the people are amongst the most industrious in 
the world. 

In 1870 there were 11,515,965 acres of improved land in the State, 
and 5,740,864 acres of unimproved land. The remainder of the agri- 
cultural wealth of the State for the same year was as follows : 

Cash value of farms, $1,043,481,582 

Value of farming implements and machinery, $35,658,196 

Number of horses, . ' 460,339 

" milch cows, 706,437 

" working oxen, 30,048 

sheep, 1,794,301 

swine, 867,548' 

Yalue of all live stock, $115,647,075 

Bushels of wheat, 19,672,967 

rye, 3,577,641 

" Indian corn, 34,702,006 

oats, 36,478,585 

barley, 529,562 

" Irish potatoes, 12,889,367 

buckwheat, 2,532,173 

Tons of hay, 2,848,219 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1454. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 459 

Pounds of maple sugar, . 1,545,917 

" tobacco, 3,407,530 

" beeswax and honey, 824,022 

" wool, ....." 6,561,722 

" butter, 60,834,644 

" cheese, 1,145,209 

Gallons of milk sold, 14,411,729 

Value of orchard products, $4,208,094 

" market garden products, .... $1,810,016 

" slaughtered animals, $28,412,903 

" forest products, $2,570,370 

COMMERCE. 

The returns of the port of Philadelpliia do not fairly exhibit the 
foreign trade of this State, since a large portion of its commerce passes 
through the port of New York. The railroads and canals of the 
State transport immense quantities of freight every year, and the trade 
with the South and West, by the Ohio River, is enormous. The dis- 
covery of petroleum has greatly increased the foreign and domestic 
trades of the State. The export of this article from Philadelphia in 
1868 was 40,505,620 gallons. In the same year the petroleum trade 
of Pittsburg amounted to about $13,000,000. In 1860 the State pro- 
duced $21,266,906 worth of coal, which amount has been greatly 
increased since then. In 1863, the tonnage of the State was 300,741, 
of which 94,305 was steam tonnage. In 1861, the total imports of 
the State amounted to $12,628,348, and the exports to $10,013,097. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Pennsylvania is largely engaged in manufactures, ranking in this 
respect amongst the most important States in the Union. In 1870, 
there were 37,200 establishments in the State devoted to manufactures, 
mining, and the mechanic arts, employing 319,487 hands, a capital 
of $406,821,845;* consuming raw material worth $421,197,673, and 
yielding an annual product of $711,894,344. There were 153 cotton 
mills, employing a capital of $12,575,821, and 3881 male and 6105 
female hands, consuming raw material worth $10,749,472, paying 
$3,510,534 for labor, and yielding an annual product of $17,565,028. 
There were 403 woollen factories, employing 5699 male and 5032 
female hands, and a capital of $14,066,785; consuming raw material 
worth $17,325,849; paying $4,340,066 for labor; and yielding an 

*The largest amount so invested in any State. 



•i^j^ OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

annual product of $27,36], 897. The other manufactures for the 
same year were valued as follows : 

Leather, $28,899,396 

Pig iron, 32,636,410 

Eolled iron, 57,976,471 

Steam engines and machinery, 29,248,153 

Agricultural implements, 3,6-')2,295 

Sawed and planed lumber, 35,254,590 

Flour 49.476,245 

Malt and spirituous liquors, 11.692,528 

Boots and shoes, 16,864,310 

Furniture, 7,981,560 

Jewelry, silverware, etc., 2,011,431 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Pennsylvania was one of the first states in the task of providing 
means of rapid and direct communication between her various jioint;-. 
The first great work ever undertaken in this country was the turnpike 
from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, which until the completion of tiic 
Erie Canal of New York, was the great highway between the East 
and the West. In 1825, the State began an extensive system of 
canals. Tliis undertaking was badly managed, however, and slie 
did not at once derive the great advantages from them she had 
expected. Many of these works were injudiciously located in parts 
of the State where there was no need for them. The consequence was 
that the profits of the paying lines had to be used to defray the 
expenses of these unprofitable routes, and in the course of time the 
State was burdened with a heavy debt on their account. Tiic railroads 
have taken away the greater part of their business, and have thus 
greatly increased the burden to the State. 

The railroads of Pennsylvania are amongst the most important in 
the country. Philadelphia has direct railroad communication with 
all the important towns of the State, with New York, Baltimore, and 
ail parts of the Union. Seven or eight main lines centre in this city, 
and three or four in Camden, New Jersey, immediately opposite. 
These bring through freights and passengers froui all parts of the 
Union to Philadelphia. 

In 1872, there were about 1100 miles of canal navigation in Penn- 
sylvania, constructed at a cost of over $40,000,000. In the same year 
there were 5113 miles of completed railroads \n the State. The cost of 
construction was about .'t|>250,000,000. This makes Pennsylvania tlie 
first State in the Union with respect to the length and cost of her 
railroad system. 



PENNSYLYANIA. 461 

EDUCATION. 

The State has always been noted for the excellence of its schools. 
One of the first efforts of tlie original settlers was to provide for public 
education, and we find that the plan of Government drawn up by 
AVilliani Penn in 1682, provided for the cstal)lishment of public 
S'-hools, and their control by the Governor and Provincial Council. 
The first Constitution of the State (1776) required the establishment 
of at least one such school in each county, and in 1786, the State made 
a donation of 60,000 acres of the public lands for the support of the 
public schools. In 1836, a permanent school fund was established. 

The educational system is under the control of a State Superintend- 
ent of Public Instruction, who is appointed by the Governor. The 
State is divided into 2002 school districts, each of which is immediately 
controlled by six school directors, two of them being elected each 
year. They hold office for three years. They manage all the business 
affairs of the schools, appoint the teachers, select the text-books, and 
make an annual report to the county superintendent. This officer is 
required to be an experienced teacher, and is elected for three years by 
the school directors of the county. It is his duty to make a thorough 
inspection of the schools in his county, to satisfy himself of the com- 
petency of the teachers and the proficiency of the pupils, and to make 
an annual report of his observations to the State Superintendent. 
The Public Schools of the city of Philadelphia are distinct from those 
of the State, and are supported by the municipal authorities. Includ- 
ing these, there were 14,212 public schools in Pennsylvania in 1870. 
The number of teachers was 17,612, of pupils, 828,981. The whole 
amount expended during the year for public instruction was $7,771,- 
761.20. 

In Philadelphia, in the year 1867, there were 374 schools, with a 
tbrce of 1314 teachers. The total number of pupils was 129,226, tJie 
average attendance, 66,333. 

There are five normal schools ; at Millers ville, Mansfield, Edinboro, 
and Kutztown. The city of Philadelphia has a fine normal school 
of its own. The law provides for the establishment of twelve such 
schools in the State, whenever they may become necessary. The 
present number of pupils is 2675. 

There are 13 colleges in Pennsylvania. One of these, the College 
of Agriculture, is a State institution. It is in vigorous operation, and 
is meeting with great success. The Medical School of the University 



462 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of Pennsylvania, and the Jefferson Medical College, the former founded 
in 1765, and the latter in 1824, are amongst the best schools of their 
kind in the world. Besides these are 6 other Medical Colleges. 
There are 7 Theological Seminaries, 1 Law School, and 9 Colleges of 
Literature and Science in the State. The University of Pennsylvania 
and Girard College at Philadelphia; Dickinson College at Carlisle ; 
Washington College at Washington ; the Lewisburg University at 
Lewisburg; Franklin and Marshal College at Lancaster; and the 
Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, are the principal institutions in 
the State. 

In 1870, there were 601 academies, seminaries, and private schools 
in the State, with 848 teachers, and 24,815 pupils. 

In 1860, there were 1416 libraries in Pennsylvania, containing 1,- 
344,924 volumes. Of these, 529, with 761,299 volumes were public. 

In the same year, the number of newspapers and periodicals pub- 
lished in the State was as follows : daily 29, semi- weekly 3, tri- weekly 
1, weekly 297, monthly 28, quarterly 6, annual 3, — total 367. Of 
these 277 were political, 43 religious,- 25 literary, and 22 miscellaneous. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The public institutions of this State have long been noted for their 
extent and excellence. 

The Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, at Philadelphia, the 
State Lunatic Hospital, at Harrisburg, and the Western Pennsylvania 
Hospital, near Pittsburg, are among the best establishments of their 
kind in the world. Besides these there are three incorporated hospi- 
tals, and several private establishments. 

The Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dimib, established in 
1820^ and the Institution for the Blind, established in 1833, both at 
Philadelphia, are open to pupils from New Jersey and Delaware. 
Tliose States, consequently, contribute to the support of these esta- 
blishments. 

The Training School for Feeble-minded Children is at Media. It is 
supported in part by the State. 

There are two Houses of Refuge. One, for Western Pennsylvania 
and located at Pittsburg, is maintained entirely, and the other, at 
Philadelphia, in part, by the State, which also maintains 39 schools 
and homes for the support and instruction of soldiers' orphans. 

There are two great Penitentiaries in Pennsylvania — one at Phila- 
delphia, and the other at Alleghany City. The Philadelphia peni- 



PENNSYLVANIA. 463 

tentiary is one of the most complete establishments of its kind in the 
country. Both prisons are conducted on the silent system, and the 
prisoners are kept separate from each other. The discipline is mild 
but firm, and every effort is made to reform as well as punish the 
prisoner. In 1866 there were 569 convicts in the Philadelphia prison, 
and 418 in the Alleghany prison. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in Pennsylvania was 
$52,758,384. The number of churches was 5668. 

FINANCES. 

The total debt of the State in December, 1874, was $24,568,635. 
The funded debt was $24,371,884, and the unfunded debt $196,- 
751. The receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending 
November 30, 1874, amounted to $7,697,119, and the expenditures 
to $6,642,567. A large part of the debt was discharged in the same 
year. 

In September, 1874, there were 199 National Banks in operation 
in the State, with a capital of $52,000,000. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male freeman, twenty-one years old, who has paid a State or 
County tax, within two years, (except in cases of male freemen between 
21 and 22 years, who are not required to pay tax as a condition to this 
right,) and has resided in the State for one year, and in his election 
district ten days, is entitled to vote at the elections. 

The State Government is conducted by a Governor, Auditor-Gen- 
eral, and Surveyor-General, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate 
(of 33 members, elected for 3 years, one-third retiring annually), and 
a House of Representatives (of 100 members, elected annually), all 
chosen by the people. There are, also, a State Treasurer, elected 
annually by the Legislature, and a Secretary of State, Attorney-Gen- 
eral, and Adjutant-General, and several other executive officers, 
appointed by the Governor. 

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania consists of a Chief Justice and 
four Associate Judges, elected by the people for fifteen years. The 
Judge who has the shortest term to serve, is Chief Justice. This is 
the High Court of Errors and Appeals. 
29 



464 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The District Courts are two in number, and are established at 
Philadelphia (for the City and County of Philadelphia) and at Pitts- 
burg (for the County of Alleghany). Their jurisdiction extends over 
all civil suits in which the claim exceeds $1000, and in certain other 
cases prescribed bylaw. They are the principal commercial courts 
Ibr the cities in which they are held. 

The Courts of Common Pleas are each presided over by one Judge, 
elected for ten years, and one or more Associate Judges, elected for five 
years. There is a court in every county. They are also Judges of 
Oyer and Terminer and general jail delivery in their respective counties. 

Besides these, there are police courts in the cities. 

For purposes of government, Pennsylvania is divided into 65 coun- 
ties. Harrisburg is the capital of the State. 

HISTORY. 

In 1627, a colony of Swedes and Finns, well provided with means 
from Europe, settled along the lower part of the western shore of the 
Delaware, and in a short time spread their settlements to the mouth 
of the Schuylkill River. In 1655 they were compelled by the Dutch 
to submit to the authorities of New Amsterdam, and in 1664 passed 
under the rule of the English. In 1681, Charles II. granted the 
territory west of the Delaware to William Penn, in payment of a debt 
due by the British Government to Penn's grandfather. Penn colo- 
nized his grant at once with members of his own faith (Friends or 
Quakers), and in 1682 founded the City of Philadelphia. His grant 
included the present State of Delaware, which was then known as the 
"lower counties." In 1699, Pennsylvania granted these counties a 
separate Assembly, but they continued subject to the authority of her 
Governor until 1776, when, upon the breaking out of the Revolution, 
they formed an independent establishment. Penn's charter failed to 
define with exactness the boundaries of his grant, and this led to 
considerable unpleasantness with the neighboring provinces, which was 
not settled until 1767, when the surveys of Mason and Dixon defin- 
itely established the boundaries of the province. 

The first years of the colony were passed in peace with the Indians, 
whose friendship was won and retained by the wise and just policy 
pursued towards them. Upon the outbreak of the war of the Revo- 
lution, however, they waged upon the colonists a cruel and extermin- 
ating warfare, the character of which is well shown by the terrible 
massacre at Wyoming. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



465 




DEEP CUT, PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD 



ally and If . "i ''' ™ '"''^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ -%-- 

all}, and after ti.em by the Friends or Quakers. These thrifty nefnJe 

soon brought the colony to a flourishing condition, JZle^Zt 

Iiaps, the most successful of all. They were joined in 1 tTk i^ 

and west of Thiladelphia, in the southern part of the SHfp f. i • u 

they gave the peo.,Ii„ oharaeteH.ties which' d^^lX^otf' 

The colo„,sts contributed their full share to th! wa,^ with France 

IPeZ'^Vi-^lTr '° "" ""''""'' '- securing aI^^::' 
inclepeudenoe. Pliiladelph.a was at tjiis time the largest and n,o,t 

c:~ T.r™ert"i-™r ^^ "' '-'-"'' ''"--• 

„„t;f r eontiimed to be the seat of Government 

u.>t,l the „ceupat,o„ of the city by the British in 1777 compiled 
Congress to w.thdraw to York. The battles of Brandywine' „d 
Germantown were fought in this State about the same t me The 
n^ssacres of Wyoming and Paoli, in the same year, anTt rmenTor 



466 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Convention which adopted the Constitution of the United 
States held its sessions in the city of Philadelphia, which had already- 
been made memorable by the adoption of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence. 

The Whiskey Insurrection, to which we have already alluded, 
occurred during Washington's administration. 

The State bore its share of the burdens of the war of 1812, and 
has since always maintained its position as one of the wealthiest, most 
progressive, and influential members of the Union. 

During the late Rebellion, it contributed (exclusive of militia) a 
force of 362,284 men to the army and navy of the United States. 

The southern counties suffered very much from the incursions of 
the Confederates. In one of these raids the town of Chambersburg 
was burned. In June, 1863, the State was invaded by the Confede- 
rate army under General Lee. This force was defeated at Gettysburg, 
in Adams county, on the 3d of July, in one of the most memorable 
and decisive battles of the war. In consequence of this defeat, Gen- 
eral Lee retreated into Maryland, and recrossed the Potomac. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns are, Philadel- 
phia, Pittsburg, Alleghany City, Scranton, Reading, Lancaster, Erie, 
Easton, Norristown, Pottsville, York, Allentown, Danville, Carlisle, 
Williarasport, Chambersburg, West Chester, Oil City, Wilkesbarre, 
Johnstown, and Altoona. 

HARRISBURG, 

The capital, and sixth city of the State, is situated in Dauphin county, 
on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 106 miles west by north 
of Philadelphia, and 110 miles north of Washington. Latitude 40° 
16' N.; longitude 76° 50' W. The city is beautifully located, and 
its elevated points command fine views of river and mountain scenery. 
It lies in the midst of a fertile and healthy country, and is regularly 
laid off. The business of the place is extensive, owing to the fact 
that it is one of the principal railroad centres of the State, and has 
canal transportation to the tide- waters of Pennsylvania and Maryland. 
Its proximity to the great coal and iron regions of the State also adds 
to its importance. It is already engaged in manufacturing enterprises 
to a considerable extent. Several extensive iron furnaces, rolling mills, 
a cotton factory, a manufactory of railway cars, and other works are 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



467 




SUSQUEHANNA ABOVE IIARRISBURG, 



carried on. The city is rapidly growing in size and population, and 
promises to be a large and important inland city. 

The streets are wide and well paved, and the city is substantially 
built. In its general appearance it resembles Philadelphia, the build- 
ings being generally of red brick trimmed with white marble. Front 
street, a handsome avenue, overlooks the Susquehanna, and contains 
many of the handsomest residences in the city. 

The Public Buildings are few in number. The State House is an 
imposing edifice, and occupies a picturesque and commanding position 
upon a natural eminence, a little north of the centre of the city; and 
from its dome a fine view may be obtained of the broad and tortuous 
river, its beautiful islands, its bridges, and the adjacent ranges of the 
Kittatinny Mountains. The Land Office, a brick building, stands on 
the right of the State House; and the State Department, also of brick 
on the left. To the south of the Land Office, is the State Arsenal 
The Court House, on Market street, is a stately structure, built of 
brick and surmounted by a dome. The State House contains a large 
and valuable library. 

There are 9 public schools in the city, and 19 churches. There are 



468 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

also an efficient police force, and a steam fire department. The city 
is lighted with gas, and supplied with pure water from the river. It 
is governed by a Mayor and Council, elected by the people. In 1870, 
the population was 23,109. 

The first white settlement made at Harrisburg was in 1719, by an 
Englishman named John Harris. He purchased from the proprieta- 
ries of Pennsylvania a grant of 300 acres of land near his residence, 
and bought of other grantees 500 acres adjoining. He carried on a 
considerable trade with the neighboring Indians, In 1753, the Penns 
granted to his son, John Harris, jr., the right to establish a ferry 
across the Susquehanna at this point, and the settlement became 
known as Harris' Ferry. In 1784, the town was laid out. It was 
made the seat of justice of the new county formed from Lancaster 
and called Dauphin, in honor of the heir to the Crown of France. 
The town itself was called Louisburg, in honor of Louis XVI. In 
1791, it was incorporated as a town, and its name changed to Harris- 
burg. In 1812, it became the capital of the State; and in 1860, it 
was incorporated as a city, and divided into six wards. 

PHILADELPHIA, 

In the county of Philadelphia, the largest and most important city 
of the State, and the second city of the United States, lies between the 
Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, 5 miles from their junction and nearly 
100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, following the course of the Dela- 
ware River and Bay. It is 136 miles northeast of Washington City, 
and 87 miles southwest of New York. The city proper is located in 
a perfectly level plain; but the recent additions, especially those on 
the northwest, are built on a fine rolling country, which abounds in 
picturesque views which offer a striking contrast to the uniform flat- 
ness of the old city. As originally laid out in 1701, the city was 
bounded by the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and by Vine and 
Cedar streets. In 1854, the adjoining districts of Spring Garden, 
Penn, Northern Liberties, Kensington, and Richmond on the north. 
West Philadelphia on the west, and Southwark, Moyamensing and 
Passyunk on the south, were consolidated with the city in one muni- 
cipal government. These constitute, with old Philadelphia, the city 
proper; but by a recent Act of the Legislature, the limits of the city 
of Philadelphia have been made coextensive with those of the county, 
which include an area of 120 square miles. The entire length of the 
city, from north to south, is 20 miles ; and its greatest breadth, from 





I 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



471 




VIEW OF PHILADELPHIA FROM FAIRMOUNT PARK. 



east to west, 8 miles. The suburbs are verv beautiful, and are 
thickly built up with handsome country seats, villas, cottages, etc. They 
abound in exquisite scenery, especially in the vicinity of the Wissa- 
hickon. The most densely settled portion of the city is the southern 
part, between the two rivers, where the peninsula is only about 2 miles 
in width. From this point it widens to the northward. Unlike New 
York, the population is not crowded into a few houses. The dwel- 
lings contain one family as a rule, and rarely more than two. They 
are small as a general thing, large mansions being the exception, save 
in the richer portions of the city. The densely inhabited portion 
-covers an area of about 9 square miles, extending for about 5 
miles along the Delaware, and 2 miles along the Schuylkill. The 
largest part of the business of the city is transacted between Vine and 
Spruce streets, east of 12th street. The wealthiest private section, 
that inhabited by the "fashion," is south of Walnut, and west of 7th 
street, Walnut being considered the radst desirable street in the citv. 
Business is making considerable inroads upon this section. Here arc 
to be found some of the most beautiful and elegant residences in tlio 
Union. Arch street, north of Market, and Broad street towards its 
northern end, are among the handsomest and most desirable thorough- 
fares. Market street, which is entirely devoted to bnsinecs, c-^iiiids 



472 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




THE WISSAHICKON AT CHESTNUT HILL. 

throuo-hout the city from east to west, beginning at the Delaware and 
crossing the Schuylkill. It is 100 feet in width, and is lined with 
large warehouses, usually of" brick. Broad street, 113 feet wide, 
extends from the northern to the southern limit of the city. Its 
nortliern i)ortion is lined with elegant residences. The central and 
southern portions are devoted to business, and contain some of the 
handsomest buildings in the place. 

Philadelphia is laid out with great regularity. The original plan 
of Penn contemplated a city with 10 streets running from river to 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



473 




PHILADELPHIA SMALL HOMES. 



river, and crossed by 25 other streets at right angles to them. Broad 
and Market streets were to divide this city into four nearly equal por- 
tions, a considerable area being reserved at the intersection of those 
streets for four large squares. These constituted the famous Penn 
Square, which has been recently stripped of its magnificent trees and 
shrubbery to make way for the new municipal buildings which are to 
occupy its four divisions. The streets are usually from 50 to QQ feet 
in width, with a few of greater breadth. Those running from north 
to south are numbered, beginning at the Delaware or eastern side ; 
those extending from east to west are named. In the old sections of 
the city, the sewerage is defective, in consequence of the flatness of the 
land, but the higher portions have nothing to complain of in this 
respect. Considering its size and importance, Philadelphia is remark- 
ably deficient in good pavements. The streets are generally paved 
with cobble stones, but Belgian and wooden pavements are now begin- 
ning to make their appearance. The general aspect of the city is bright 
and pleasing, mingled with a certain primness, however, due to its 
Quaker origin. Except in those portions along the water, it is 
very clean, and is healthy. Market street divides it into two 



474 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



THE LEDGER BUILDING. 

portions, called north and south. The houses are numbered according 
to the streets between which they are located, 100 to a block. Thus 
740 would be located between 7th and 8th streets. This system 
renders it comparatively easy to find a building in any part of the city. 
That portion of the city lying east of the Schuylkill is called Philadel- 
phia, and all west of that river West Philadelphia. 

As a rule the city is built of brick, but of late years many edifices 
of brown and free stone, iron and marble, have been erected. Market 
street is the principal business thoroughfare, and is lined with immense 
stores, generally devoted to the wholesale trade. Chestnut street 
corresponds to Broadway in New York, and is the handsomest business 
street. It is quite narrow, but contains the most elegant buildings in 
the city, and is one of the handsomest and most attractive streets in 
the Union. It contains the principal hotels ; Independence Hall ; the 
Custom House ; and the Post-Office. Third street is the great money 
centre, and is occupied for a considerable distance with the offices of 
bankers and brokers, many of which are handsome buildings. 

Now that Penn Square has been destroyed, there are 7 public 
squares in the city. These are Independence, Washington, Ritten- 
house, Logan, Franklin, Jeffi^rson, and Norris Squares. They cover 
each from 6 to 8 acres, are enclosed with tasteful iron railings, and are 
ornamented with magnificent trees, shrubbery, fountains, etc. They 
are surrounded with large and elegant residences. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



475 




The principal pleasure ground is Fairmount Park, in the northwest 
portion of the city. This magnificent pleasure ground lies on both 
sides of the Schuylkill Eiver, from the Fairmount water- works to the 
mouth of the Wissahickon, and along both banks of the latter stream' 
to Chestnut Hill, a distance of 7i miles along the Schuylkill and 6 
miles along the Wissahickon, making in all, a distance of ISJ miles. 
The entire park comprises nearly 3000 acres, making it the most 
extensive pleasure ground in the world. Its great length enables it to 
include the most beautiful portions of the Schuylkill and the far-famed 



476 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




THE WISSAHICKON. 



Wissahickon, and it abounds in views of landscape and river scenery 
unsurpassed in any portion of the world. It is rich in forest trees, on 
which the white man's hand has never been laid. It is still in its 
infancy as a park, the work of improvement having been scarcely 
begun : but what has been accomplished gives promise of a judicious 
and tasteful assistance of nature. In its primeval state, this park 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



477 




THE UNION LEAGUE, BROAD STREET. 



constituted one of the loveliest regions in America. When art and 
wealth have done their part, it will be indeed worthy of the pride of 
the people of Philadelphia. 

The Park contains the Fairraount water- works, and a number of 
interesting and historical localities. Small steamers ply on the Schuyl- 
kill from Fairmount water-works to the Falls, and carriages supplied 
by the Commissioners convey visitors to the principal points at a 
moderate rate of fares. From the high grounds in the northern por- 
tion a fine view of the city and the surrounding country is obtained. 

The public buildings are numerous and handsome. Girard College, 
in the northern portion of the city, is the finest specimen of Grecian 
architecture in the United States. It is built of white marble, and is 
entirely fire-proof. There are two additional buildings on each side 
•of the main building, all of which are of marble. The U. S. Custom 
House, on Chestnut street, also of white marble, is a magnificent struc- 
ture in the Doric style. It is built on a raised platform, and both 
fronts are ornamented with noble colonnades of fluted Doric columns. 
The U. 8. Mint, on Chestnut street, extends back to Olive street, 220 
feet. It is built of marble, and is the principal establishment of the 
Federal Government for the coining of money. The Merchants' Ex~ 
-change, at the intersection of Walnut, Third, and Dock streets, is a 
handsome building of white marble. The State House, or as it is 



478 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




NEW MASONIC TEMPLE, ON BROAD STREET. 

better known, Independence Hall, is a plain edifice of brick, remark- 
able only for its venerable appearance and its interesting history. It 
was in this building that the early sessions of the Continental Congress 
were held, and here was adopted the famous Declaration of Independ- 
ence, on the 4th of July, 1776. The Union League House on Broad 
street, is a handsome edifice of brick, used as a club house by the 
Union League of Philadelphia. The Masonic Te»ip?e, just completed, 
on Broad street between Market and Arch, opposite to the new city 
buildings, is one of the most magnificent structures in the city. Many 
(rfthe churches are elegant and imposing. 

The theatres are about 6 in number, and besides these there are a 
number of inferior places of amusement. The Academy of Music on 
Broad street, is one of the largest and finest halls in the country ; but 
the other theatres, though handsome, are not equal to those of the 
other large cities of America. 

The hotels are large, elegant, and well kept. The principal are the 
Continental, the La Pierre, the Girard, the Merchants', the American, 
and Colonnade Hotel. The Continental is a splendid building, and in its 
internal arrangements is equal to any house of the kind in the Union. 

The city is well supplied with provisions by means of its excellent 
markets, of which there are 24. Some of these are handsome struc- 
tures of brick and iron ; others are less pretentious ; but the display 
of edibles of all kinds to be seen in them is perhaps the finest in the 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



479 



world . The great market garden regions of the Middle States lie so close 
to Philadelphia, that but a few hours intervene between the gathering 
of the articles and their delivery to the purchaser in the market. 

The Educational, Literary, and Scientific Institutions are numerous 
and of a very high order. The Public Schools have long been noted 
for their excellence. They are distinct from the State Schools of this 
kind, and are conducted by the city. There are about 375 free schools 
within the corporate limits, including two high schools. The average 
attendance of pupils is about 
67,000. There are numerous 
private schools and academies, 
which are well attended. Phi- 
ladelphia has always been 
famous for the care bestowed 
by its people upon the educa- 
tion of the young, and no 
doubt owes a large share of 
its prosperity to this care. 

The University of Pennsyl- 
vania, 9th street, between 
Chestnut and Market, em- 
braces four departments, viz. : 
the Academical, the Collegiate, 
the Medical, and the Law. 
It ranks among the first in- 
stitutions of its kind in Amer- 
ica, and its Medical College is 
the oldest in the Union. The 
Jefferson Medical College is 
also a famous and flourishing 
institution, l^he Female Medi- 
cal College is devoted to the 

object indicated by its name. The others are an Eclectic and Homoeo- 
pathic Medical College, a College of Pharmacy for the education of 
druggists and chemists, a College of Dental Surgery, a College of Phy- 
sicians, which is one of the principal sources of the American Phar- 
macopoeia, and a Polytechnic College, organized on the plans of the 
Industrial Colleges of France and Germany. The Wagner Free 
Institute, the gift of Professor Wagner, is a fine institution. Girard 
College, in the northwest portion of the city, about two miles from the 
8iate House, was founded by Stephen Girard, a native of France and 




HEMLOCK GLEN ON THE WISSAHICKON. 



480 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

I. 




NEW ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 

a merchant of Philadelphia, who died in 1831. He bequeathed 
$2,000,000 for this purpose. The buildings were completed in 1847, 
and the institution was opened January 1, 1848. It is devoted to the 
"gratuitous instruction and support of destitute orphans." The build- 
ings, 6 in number, are of white marble. 

The American Philosophical Society has a valuable library and 
collection of minerals, fossils, and. ancient relics. The Franklin 
Institute is a flourishing society composed of manufacturers, artists, 
mechanics, and persons friendly to the mechanic arts. It possesses a 
library of over 8000 volumes, and holds an annual exhibition in 
October. The Academy of Natural Sciences is one of the best insti- 
tutions of its kind in the Union. It possesses a library of 26,000 
volumes, and a remarkably fine collection of specimens, embracing 
over 200,000 subjects. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania was 
founded for the purpose of diffusing a knowledge of local history, 
especially in relation to the State of Pennsylvania. It has published 
a number of valuable works on this subject. It possesses a library of 
18,000 volumes, and a valuable collection of contemporary documents 
and relics. 

The Philadelphia Library was founded in 1731 through the influ- 
ence of Benjamin Franklin. It numbers about 90,000 volumes, and 
is free to all who wish to use it. The Mercantile Library is supported 
by the subscriptions of its members. It contains over 40,000 volumes. 
The AtJianaum Library numbers about 25,000 volumes. Connected 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



481 



with it are a news and reading room and a chess room. The Appren- 
tices' Library contains 22,000 volumes; the Friends' Library 7000 
volumes ; and the Law Association Library 7500 volumes. 

The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts possesses a valuable per- 
manent collection of paintings, and holds an annual exhibition of new 
works. The Artists' Fund Society, the Numismatic Society of Phila- 
delphia, and the School of Design for Women are the other art 
societies. 

The Benevolent and Charitable Institutions number more than IQO. 
We can mention but a few of the most jJrominent. In respect to her 
institutions of this kind, 
Philadelphia is second to 
no city in the land. The 
Pennsylvania Hospital is a 
noble institution, founded 
in 1751. It possesses an 
anatomical museum, and a 
library of more than 10,000 
volumes. The County Alms 
House is-an immense struc- 
ture, situated in the midst 
of large grounds in West 
Philadelphia. Connected 
with it is a hospital with 
600 beds. The Pennsyl- 
vania Insane Asylum is in 
West Philadelphia. It is ^ 
one of the best institutions 
of its kind in existence. 

Its grounds cover an area of 114* acres. The main building is 
430 teet long. The United States Naval Hospital, on the east 
bank of the Schuylkill, below South street, is for the use of 
invalid officers and seamen of the U. S. Navy. The Pennsylvania 
Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, the Pennsylvania Institution for the 
Blind, the Preston Retreat, the House of Refuge, the House of Correc- 
tion, and Wills Hospital are noble charities. 

The Prisons are Avell conducted. The Eastern State Penitentiary 

occupies an area of 11 acres, enclosed by a stone wall, 30 feet high. 

It is built of stone, and consists of an octagonal building in the centre, 

from Avhich radiate wings, with rows of cells on each side, and a 
30 




ON THE WrSSAIIICKOX DRIVE. 



482 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SCHUYLKILL RIVER, FROM THE FALLS. 



passage way extending tlie entire length of each wing. It is a model 
institution in every respect. The Philadelphia County Prison is a 
massive building of stone. It is used for the purposes of a peniten- 
tiary as well as a county jail and work-house. 

There are about 375 churches in the city. As a rule they are 
handsome and substantially built. The meeting-houses of the Friends 
'are generally plain brick structures, remarkable for their absence of 
display. They are 14 in number. 

The Cemeteries are, Laurel Jrlill, Glenwood, Mount Vernon, Monu- 
ment, Woodlands, Ronaldson\s, Odd Fellows', and 3Iouni3Ioriah. They 
are noted for their beauty. Laurel Hill is considered by many persons 
the most beautiful cemetery in the Union. It is located on the banks 
of the Schuylkill, in a lovely countiy, and contains many handsome 
tombs. 

Philadelpliia is lighted with gas of an excellent quality, which is 
supplied at a reasonable rate to the citizens. The gas works are con- 
ducted by the city, and the consumers are secured the best quality of 
gas that can be made, and are protected from the extortions of private 
companies. The total length of street mains is about 500 miles. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



483 




CHESTNUT STREET BEIDGE, OVER THE SCHUYLKILL, PHILADELPHIA. 



The city is supplied with water from the S<-huylicill River. In 
1812 the Fairmount Water Works were begun, and in 1827 M-ater 
was introdnccd into tlie city. Since then the city has constructed 
additional reservoirs. The Fairmount Water Works, on the Schuyl- 
kill River, in the northwest part of the city, arc very interesting and 
constitute one of the chief attractions to visitors. The average amount 
used per diem exceeds 25,000,000 gallons. 

Philadelphia is connected with the Jersey shore on the opposite 
side of the Delaware by six lines of steam ferries. Numerous steamers 
ply on the Delaware between Pliiladolphia and the towns on that river. 

The street railway lines are 22 in number. They constitute the best 
system of street transportation in the Union. By the use of transfer 
tickets almost any point within the city limits can be reached at a 
uniform fare of seven cents. 

There are 9 bridges in and near Philadelphia. Some of these are 
used exclusively by the railway lines entering the city. The bridge 
over the Schuylkill at Chestnut street is a beautiful structure of iron, 
390 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 40 feet above high water. It cost 
$500,000. 

The city is provided witii a strong and efficient police force, a fire 



484 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



alarm telegraph, and a steam fire department, with more than 30 
steam engines. It is divided into 24 wards, and -is governed by a 
Mayor and Council elected by the people. 

There are 10 daily, and 40 weekly newspapers, and about 50 peri- 
odicals, weekly and monthly, published in Philadelphia. A large 
share of the book publishing trade of the Union is carried on here. 

Philadelphia is largely engaged in manufactures. The district of 
Manayunk is almost wholly engaged in these enterprises, devoting 
itself principally to cotton and woollen goods, and carpets. Sugar 
refining is carried on extensively in the city. Large quantities of 
shoes, chemicals, medicines, paints, umbrellas, parasols, carts, wheel- 
barrows, household furni- 
ture, jewelry, iron manu- 
factures of every descrip- 
tion, steam engines, water 
and gas pipes, military 
goods, flour, soap, ale and 
beer, glass, clothing, can- 
dles, hosiery, etc., etc., are 
ma n u factured ann ual ly . — 
The total capital invested 
in manufactures in Phila- 
delphia is estimated at 
nearly $100,000,000. Shij) 
building is also carried on 
to a limited extent. 

The commerce of Phi- 
ladelphia is large, and is 
growing rapidly. Its for- 
eign trade passed principally through the port of New York. There 
is now direct communication between Philadelphia and Europe with 
American iron steamships. In 1865, there were 541 arrivals from 
foreign ports. The city carries on an immense coasting trade, and its 
harbor is usually crowded with vessels. In 1865, there were 31,705 
arrivals from American ports. The total value of exports from the 
port of Philadelphia in 1865 was, $11,278,603. The imports in the 
same year amounted to $7,164,744. The city also conducts a large 
trade with all parts of the country, and especially with the West, by 
means of its railroads. Immense quantities of coal and petroleum 
annually pass through Philadelphia, thus adding to its wealth. 




PUBLIC FOUNTAIN. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 485 

Philadelphia is at present the fourth city in the Union in commercial 
importance, but it is making rapid progress towards a higher position. 

The U. S. Navy Yard is located on the Delaware E,iver in tlie 
southeastern j^art of the city. It covers an area of 12 acres, and 
contains 2 large ship-houses, and all the necessary Avorks. Some of 
the best vessels in the Navy have been constructed here. It also con- 
tains a sectional floating dock. 

In 1870, the population of Philadelphia was 674,022. In 16S4, it 
had 2500 inhabitants, in 1778, 42,520 ; in 1820 (up to Svhich time it 
was the largest city in the Union), 167,325 ; and in 1860, 565,529. 

The city of Philadelphia was founded by William Penn immediately 
upon taking possession of the grant of a province by Charges II. He 
sent out a body of colonists in August 1681, and in 1682, came over 
himself, and superintended the surveys of the new city. During the 
latter year, a large number of colonists arrived, the majority of whom 
were Friends or Quakers, and persons of respectability and wealth. 
Penn's deliberate intention was to found a large city, and the general 
})]an of the present city differs very slightly from his original design. 
The new settlement Avas named by him Philadelphia, partly from the 
city of that name in Asia Minor, but principally because of the signi- 
ficance of the term. Penn's first care was to make an equitable treaty 
with the Indians, who, on their part, carefully abstained from molest- 
ing the new city, which jirospered in a marked degree, and became the 
largest and most important place on the continent, which preeminence 
it held until about 30 years after the opening of the Revolution. 
Philadelphia bore its full share in the events of the early wars of the 
country with the French and Indians, though it was itself never 
assailed. 

"In 1741, the city was divided into 10 wards. In December 1719, 
a printing press was set up, and Andrew Bradford began to publish 
the AmeriGan Weekly Mercury, which was continued until 1746, In 

1728, the Gazette was begun, which fell to Franklin to conduct in 

1 729. In the latter year, the building of a State House was author- 
ized, the site was selected in 1730, and the building begun in 1732, 
and completed in 1735. The bell tower was not erected till 1750; 
and on June 7th, 1753, the new ' great bell,^ cast here, weighing 2080 
pounds, with the motto, 'Proclaim liberty,' etc., was raised to its 
place; this is the bell celebrated in connection with the Declaration of 
Independence, and now in Independence Hall. The first Colonial 
Congress met in Philadelphia at Carpenters' Hall, a building still in 



486 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





INDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIA. 



use as a hall, on September 4, 1774. Congress held its sessions at the 
State House in 1776, and here adopted and signed the Declaration of 
Independence. The British forces occupied the city from September, 
1777 to June, 1778. A census was then taken by General Corn- 
walli's, and the're were found to be 21,767 inhabitants and 5470 houses, 
but the people were then much scattered. Congress resumed its 



PENNSYLVANIA. 487 

sessions at Philadelphia after the British left it, and continued to make 
this the national capital until the removal to ^Yashington City in 1800. 
The battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777, was fought within the 
present chartered limits of the city, 7 miles northwest of the centre of 
the old city proper. The State Legislature removed its sessions to 
Harrisburg in 1800, simultaneously with the removal of tlie seat of 
the General Government to Washington. The foreign commerce and 
general trade of Philadelphia increased rapidly after the close of the 
Revolution. At the war of 1812 this commerce almost wholly ceased ; 
iu 1816, business and speculation revived, but the results were not 
fortunate, and direct external trade never recovered its former import- 
ance. Previous to 1839, the banking capital of Philadelphia was 
large, and for most of the period previous to 1836, it was the monetary 
centre of the country. The First Bank of the United States, established 
by Act of Congress, in 1791, with a capital of $10,000,000, was located 
here ; and the Second Bank of the United States was established here 
in 1816, with a capital of $35,000,000. The subsequent failure of 
the bank under its State charter in 1839, and the loss of its large 
capital, greatly weakened the financial strength of the city, and the 
monetary centre was permanently transferred to New York. The re- 
vulsion of 1837, and the subsequent financial depression, fell heavily 
on the city and State, the recovery from them not being apparent until 
1844. In 1793, the yellow fever made terrible ravages, nearly deci- 
mating the population, and driving numbers into the country; and 
again in 1798, it was epidemic. In 1832, the Asiatic cholera was 
very destructive, the Victims numbering 770. More recently, there 
have been milder forms of epidemic cholera and yellow fever, but as 
a whole the city has from its foundation been conspicuously healthy " 
The separate municipalities proved for many years the source of 
considerable trouble, and in 1854, they were all consolidated into one 
city, under the general name of Philadelphia. By the same enact- 
ment, the corporate limits of the city were made to embrace the entire 
county. 

PITTSBUEG, 

The second city in the State, is situated in Alleghany county, at the 
junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers, Mdiich here form 
the Ohio River. It is 357 miles west of Philadelphia, and 223 north- 
west of Ayasliin'2:ton ciity. The city is located on the triangular plain 
enclosed by. the Monongahela and Alleghany rivers, and by Grant's Hill 



488 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and the other eminences at the eastern side of the plain. " The general 
outline and many other features of this city bear a striking resemblance 
to the lower part of New York. Along the Monongahela the streets 
were laid out at right angles to each other, and extend either parallel or 
perpendicular to the river. The same plan was also adopted on the Alle- 
ghany side, by which arrangement the cross streets meet obliquely a few 
squares south of the latter stream. Tiie space included within these 
limits was found insufficient to meet the requirements of the rapidly 
increasing population, which soon extended itself to the opposite shores. 
Here have sprung up several large and flourishing towns, the most 
important of which are Alleghany City and Manchester, situated 
directly opposite the junction of the Alleghany River with the Ohio, 
and Birmingham, on the left bank of the Monongahela. In commer- 
cial and social interests, all these are identical with the city proper, 
and we should do Pittsburg injustice, not to consider them as a part 
of the same community." 

The situation of Pittsburg is exceedingly beautiful. The city lies 
in a plain surrounded by hills from 400 to 500 feet in height. At 
the base of these flow the three rivers we have named. The hills are 
very rich in coal, iron, and limestone. The soil is fertile to the very 
summit of the hills, which are covered with picturesque forests, 
orchards, and gardens, thus giving an additional beauty to the land- 
scape. An English traveller writes of the scenery as follows : 

" As regards scenery it is beautifully situated, being at the foot of 
the Alleghany Mountains, and at the junction of the two rivers 
Monongahela and AUegliany. Here, at the town, they come together, 
and form the River Ohio. Nothing can be more picturesque than 
the site, for the spurs of the mountains come down close round the 
town, and the rivers are broad and swift, and can be seen for miles 
from heights which may be reached in a short walk. Even the filth 
and wondrous blackness of the place are picturesque when looked 
down upon from above. The tops of the churches are visible, and 
some of the larger buildings may be partially traced through the thick, 
brown, settled smoke. But the city itself is buried in a dense cloud. 
The atmosphere was especially heavy when I was there, and the effect 
was probably increased by the general darkness of the weather. The 
Monongahela is crossed by a fine bridge, and on the other side the 
ground rises at once, almost with the rapidity of a precipice; so that a 
commanding view is obtained down upon the town and the two rivers 
and the different bridges, from a height immediately above them. I 



PENNSYLVANIA. 491 

was never more in love with smoke and dirt than when I stood here 
and watched the darkness of night close in upon the floating soot 
which hovered over the house-tops of the city. I cannot say that I 
saw the sun set, for there was no sun. I should say that the sun never 
shone at Pittsburg, as foreigners who visit London in November 
declare that the sun never shines there." 

The city is handsomely built, brick and stone being the principal 
materials used ; but the dense smoke soon defaces the handsomest 
structure. In consequence of this the place has a black grimy 
appearance, which effectually mars the work of taste and wealth. 
There are many handsome residences in the eastern section. The 
suburbs are preferred for purposes of residence however. They are 
very picturesque in themselves, and are beautifully built up, and 
present a very marked contrast to the city in cleanliness. 

The Public Buildings are among the handsomest in America. The 
Court House is situated on the summit of Grant's Hill, and is a hand- 
some edifice of granite, of the Grecian Doric order, with a noble por- 
tico. The summit of the dome is 148 feet from the ground. The 
new Custom House is built of freestone in the Grecian style. It con- 
tains the Post Office. Besides these are several others which are 
worthy of notice. Some of the churches and commercial buildings 
are among the principal ornaments of the city. There are also 2 fine 
market houses, one of which contains a large public hall. 

The Educational Institutions are in a flourishing condition. The 
public schools are numerous, and are attended by about 20,000 pupils. 
Besides these the city contains a number of private schools. 

The Benevolent Institutions are the Mercy Hospital, under the 
charge of the Sisters of Mercy, the United States Marine Hospital, 
the Home for the Friendless, the Church Home, designed chiefly as a 
home for children of all denominations, the Pittsburg Infirmary, the 
Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum and a House of Refuge. In addition 
to these are the Western Pennsylvania Hospital (which has a depart- 
ment for the insane at Dixmont, 8 miles from the city), and the House 
of Industry, situated in Alleghany City, but really to be regarded as 
among the institutions of Pittsburg. 

The Western Penitentiary of Pennsylvania is located in Alleghany 
City. It is an immense stone building in the Norman style. 

There are about 110 churches in the city of Pittsburg, and about 
30 in Alleghany City. Some of them are imposing structures and 
are admirably located. 



492 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Pittsburg is supplied with pure water from the Alleghany River, 
and is lighted with gas of an excellent quality. It is divided into 9 
wards, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. It is well provided 
with street railways, which also connect its business centres with the 
suburbs on both rivers. Four fine bridges connect it with Alleghany 
City, and two extend across the Monongahela to Birmingham. 

Alleghany City is simply an extensive suburb of Pittsburg, and is 
divided from it by the Alleghany River. It is well built in the 
main, and contains many handsome residences, being a favorite resi- 
dence of the people of the greater city, as it is very much cleaner. 
It contains a large number of manufacturing establishments, and is a 
place of considerable importance. Here are located the Western 
Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church ; the Theological 
Seminary of the Associate Reformed Church; and the Alleghany 
Theological Institute. In 1870 the population of Alleghany City was 
53,181. The manufactures, etc., of the city will be treated of in con- 
nection with those of Pittsburg. Alleghany is a distinct corporation, 
and is governed by its own Mayor and Council. 

Birmingham and 3fanchester are considerable suburbs. The former 
is situated on the south side of the Monongehela River, immediately 
opposite Pittsburg, and the latter is on the Ohio, 2 miles below the 
city. Mr. Geo. II. Thurston, in his Quarterly Circular, thus describes 
manufacturing Pittsburg : 

'' Pittsburgh is not to be seen in a day, nor yet in a week ; and while 
the simple fact that it is. a great manufacturing city is generally 
acknowledged, yet the details of- that greatness are but little under- 
stood. Many years ago, before the iron horse had crossed the Alle- 
ghanies, while yet the transportation of the merchandise for the West 
was made in the old six-horse Conestoga wagons, the City of Wheeling 
claimed importance and coming greatness, inasmuch as that forty of 
those wagons had arrived in that city in one day. Since then Wheel- 
ing has grown into an active little competitor of Pittsburgh, the great 
parent of all western manufactures, and of which it, as well as a dozen 
other manufacturing towns, are off-shoots, the natural outspringing 
and colonization of Pittsburgh's growth. That growth has been so 
marked and so continuous that we have often, in the past few years, 
been tempted to remodel the language of AVheeling, and say : Forty 
miles of mills and factories every day in operation in Pittsburgh. This 
is no brag, but almost literally a reality, although no doubt a terse 
explanation of ' what Pittsburgh really is like ' is rather startling to her 



PENNSYLVANIA. 49] 

own citizens. The real fa,cfc is tliat actual measurement shows that in 
the limits of what is known throughout the country as Pittsburgh there 
are thirty-five miles of manufactories of iron, of glass, of steel, of 
copper, of oil, of wools, of cottou, of brass, alone, not to include 
manufactories in other materials, nor including any of less grade than 
manufactories of iron chains in iron, or plows in wood. A measure- 
ment of the ground also shows that these 35 miles of factories are so 
closely contiguous that were they placed in a single row each factory 
would have but about 400 feet of front space for its workings. 

" The statistics of this statement of the extent of Pittsburgh manu- 
facturing power are these : From the point up the south bank of the 
Alleghany River to the Sharpsburg bridge is 5 miles; in that dis- 
tance, between the river bank and Penn street, there are 115 factories 
of the classes designated. From Sharpsburg bridge down the north 
bank of the Alleghany River to Wood's Run is 8 miles, and in that 
distance there are 67 manufactories. From Temperanceville to 
Brownstown, up the west bank of the Monongahela River, is 4 miles, 
and in that distance there are 70 factories, between the river and 
Carson street. From the Monongahela bridge up the course of the 
Monongahela River, to a point beyond Brownstown, is 3| miles, and 
in that distance, between Carson street and the hill, there are 43 
manufactories. From the Point to the Copper WorlvS, on the east 
bank of the Monongahela, is 3 J miles, and in that distance there are 
65 factories. From Federal street out Ohio street to Duquesne 
Borough is 1|^ miles, and in that distance there are 15 factories. On 
Butcher's Run, in a distance of 2 miles, there are 32 factories. Along 
Liberty street, from the Point to the Outer Depot, there are 19 fac- 
tories in a distance of 2 miles. On 2d and 3d avenues, from Liljerty 
to Try streets, a distance of 1 mile, there are 18 factories. Along 
Pennsylvania avenue to Soho street, a distance of 1 J miles, there are 
17 factories. Between Ohio street and the base of the hill there are, 
in a distance of 3 miles, 24 factories. 

"Thus in a distance of 35J miles of streets, there are 475 manu- 
factories of iron, of steel, of cottxin, of oil, of glass, of copper, occupy- 
ing an average of less than 400 feet front each. 

"Were these factories placed in a single row, it will be easily seen 
Jiow compactly they would be crowded, each occupying no more terri- 
tory than was actually needed. They would be a continuous row, 
witiiout interval, and show' that in reality there are in Pittsburgh ab- 
solutely over 35 continuous miles of n)aj>iifacturea ia daily ojieration. 



494 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" Pittsburghers, then, in answer to the question, what is Pittsburgh 
like? can readily answer — Like a row 35 miles long of factories 
twisted up into a compact tangle all belching forth smoke, all glow- 
ing with fires, all swarming with workmen, all echoing with the clank 
of machinery. The territory over and around which this immense 
chain of machinery is strung, though all popularly known as Pitts- 
burgh, is composed of the citv' of Pittsburgh and the city of Alleghany, 
the boroughs of Tempcranceville, West Pittsburgh, Monongahela, 
South Pittsburgh, Birmingham, and East Birmingham. The whole 
ibrms, however, one compact city, in effect, divided only by the two 
rivers, which, running through the district, are spanned by numerous 
bridges, over several of which street railroads link, with their almost 
continuous lines of cars, in one mass, a population in this hive of in- 
dustry nTimbering 200,000 souls. Although the name of Pittsburgh, 
and the term Pittsburgh manufactures, haVe been 'as household 
words ' throughout the West, since the days of the earlier Western 
settlements, still its growth has been so equable "with that of the West 
that but few-realize the real magnitude of the community. 

" Called into existence by no sudden s|>ecalative rush of emigra- 
tion, drawn primarily by some adventitious circumstances, Pittsburgh 
has accumulated its population througii the course of years from the 
solid advantages each passing year rendere but more apparent. In all 
past years Pittsburgh has been a 2>oint of departure for much of the 
emigration to the West, a position the city still maintains. Thus 
iiaturally Pittsburgh became a supply point for the West, and the 
West the chief market for her productions. The increase of the popu- 
lation of the West has told with unerring certainty upon the business 
and the population of Pittsburgh. 

" In 1800, the population of the States through and along which 
Pittsburgh enjoys river navigation, Avas 385,667, and that of Pitts- 
burgh was 1565, or a little over -^'^^ per cent., while the vaUie of her 
business was, in 1803, but $350,000, or equal to 92^*0 per cent, of 
the ])opnIation of the AYest. 

"In 1810, there were in the same western ten-itory 1,057,531 in- 
habitants, and in Pittsburgh 4876, or ^o per cent., being o'o over the 
necessar}' increase to preserve the ratio of our increase in the city's 
population, in proportion to that of the West. The amount of busi- 
ness of the city was then estimated at $1,000,000, equal to 93 per 
cent, on the |X)pnlation of the territoiy indicated. 

"In 1830, there were 3,331,298 inhabitants in the section of the 



PENNSYLVANIA. 49") 

Union before indicated, and in Pittsburgh there were 16,988, still 
showing the growth of the city was not in the same ratio of increase 
as the West, as in past periods, but a gain of xo over what was neces- 
sary. 

"In 1840, there were 5,173,949 inhabitants in the western and 
southwestern States, and the population of Pittsburgh was 38,931, 
being ^§ per cent., showing not only the maintenance of the progres- 
sive ratio, but a gain over it of ^q per cent. 

"In 1836, the business of the city was estimated at $31,146,550, 
being something over 600 per cent., showing the business of the city 
had not only kept pace with the population of the West, as shown in 
previous ratios, but had compounded thereon 500 per cent. 

"In 1860, the population of the Mississippi basin and the western 
lake slopes (Pittsburgh's market), was shown by the census of that 
year to be in round numbers 17,000,000. At that date the business 
of Pittsburgh was estimated at over $100,000,000, showing the ratio 
of business on the population of the West, attained in 1836 and 1840, 
was still maintained. 

"The population of the district considered and claimed as Pitts- 
burgh, being the compact mass of population between and on both 
sides of the rivers to the city limits, was estimated at 140,000 in that 
year, showing that in population as well as business the ratio of Pitts- 
burgh's prosperity with the wealth of the West continues to be main- 
tained. What the population of the West may be as shown by the 
census of 1870 we know not, but those who know the great growth 
of Pittsburgh in the last nine years, the vast increase in her rolling- 
mills and in her workshops, cannot doubt that the ratio of increfise is 
still maintained. In the groat swell of the population of the West, 
Pittsburgh seems not only to keep pace and to hold her trade, but 
that trade, like her population, seems to increase in arithmetical pro- 
portion with the growth of the country. Considering the competitors 
which have arisen for the market Pittsburgh supplies with her staples, 
this is worthy especial note as indicative of a natural force in her 
position and her resources not to be lost sight of in contemplating 
her future. 

" The force of Pittsburgh's position is seen at a glance. Distant 
only 300 to 400 miles from three of the greatest sea- board cities of 
the Union ; but 200 miles from the great chain of inland seas, and 
reaching in all directions by continuous river navigation an area of 
country 1200 by 960 geographical miles, she is at the same time the 



196 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

key point of a railway route nearer by 40 miles from New York t(? 
tlie West than any now constrncted. Situated in the heart of a bitu- 
minous coal formation of the Appalachian field, and equally advan- 
tageously located as to deposits of iron ore, her geographical relations 
to the staples for manufacturing are unequalled. She stands in a geo- 
graphical centre from which a circle with a radius of 400 miles em- 
braces Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecti- 
cut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, 
North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Canada, 
parts of Illinois and South Carolina. This circle embraces every 
variety of climate, and nearly, if not quite all the staples of the United 
States and its valuable manuficturing minerals, over which she holds 
the magician's wand in her unequalled supply of fuel. For 'coal,' 
says Vischcrs, ' is the indispensable aliment of industry. It is to in- 
dustry Avhat oxygen is to the lungs — water to the plant — nourishment 
to the animal.' 

" The statistics of the coal by wdn'ch Pittsburgh is surrounded sliovvs 
how inexhaustible is this element of her force and her progress. The 
extent of the bituminous coal fields by which Pittsburgh is surrounded 
is equal to 8,600,000 square acres. The amount of coal contained in 
that area it is difficult to estimate. It has been stated that the upper 
soam, i-ating it at 8 feet, contains 53,516,430,000 tons, which at $2 j)er 
ton, or a little over 7 cents ])er bushel, would bo worth $107,032,- 
860,000 — a sum which, could it be realized, would pay the national 
debt thirty times. Of course although centuries will not see it taken 
from the earth, the figures show what a mine of wealth Pittsburgh 
has to draw from ; and how mighty is the magnet she possesses to 
attract to her boundaries minerals and staples of all the States, popu- 
lation and wealth. At the present tim^ the coal trade of the city 
amounts to about $10,000,000 annually, and there are in the vicinity 
of Pittsburgh 103 collieries; the value of lands, houses, improve- 
ments, cars, etc., amounts to about $11,000,000. The amount of coal 
mined from these collieries in 1864 was 48,462,966 bushels, of which 
nearly 30,000,000 bushels were exported down the Ohio River alone. 

"But not in coal alone is her strength shown. In those things 
which coal enables her busy artizans to produce, is her power equally 
apparent. As nearly as can be ascertained, oue-half of the glass fac- 
tories in the United States are located at Pittsburgh, where there are 
40 firms engaged in the manufacture of glass, who run 60 factories 
producing the various descriptions of green, window, flint, and lime 



PENNSYLVANIA. 497 

glass, employing over 4000 workmen, and producing between four 
and five millions worth of glass. 

" In iron and steel, Pittsburgh claims and maintains to be the great 
market of the country. Tiie exact money value of this great trade 
has always been difficult to arrive at. Much of the iron is shipped 
by rail to various points, and much by river. By figures we have at 
command of the shipments of ])late, bar, sheet, and rod iron and steel 
from Pittsburgh in the year 1865, it would seem that there were ex- 
ported, by rail aloiie, to 24 diiFerent States, over 143,000 tons, and 
180,()00 kegs of nails to 20 different States. These railroad exporta- 
tions, it must not be forgotten, are not probably half the manufacture. 
That of castings there were shipped by rail alone 5,143,008 pounds 
in 1864, to 22 different States; and that by one railroad alone there 
were received in 1864, into the city, 107,000 tons of pig-iron and 
blooms, exclusive of the yield of 6 or 8 furnaces running in the city 
of Pittsburgh, or the imports by river and other railroads. It is esti- 
mated that of shipments made from Pittsburgh, at least as much is 
sent by river as by rail. There are over 30 iron rolling-mills in 
Pittsburgh, 6 steel mills, and between 50 and 60 iron founderies. 
These figures but feebly indicate the full extent of the great iron and 
steel trade of the city, of which the sales alone of articles made of iron 
.subject to tax, made and returned to the city, was from March, 1865, 
to March, 1866, over $27,000,000. 

" Oil is another great staple, and there are in Pittsburgh 58 re- 
fineries, in which is invested a capital of nearly $8,000,000 in buildings 
and machinery ; and in the tanks and barges necessary to the carrying 
on of the business, nearly $6,000,000 more. The oil trade of the city 
for the 5 years from January, 1863, to January, 1868, amounted to 
about $56,000,000, or an average of about $11,000,000 annually. 

" Other branches of Pittsburgh manufactures might be cited to show 
its force and solidity, but enough has been stated to partially show 
what Pittsburgh is like. To show that she is like a great city of 
nearly 200,000 population ; that she is a great arsenal for the supply 
of manufactured articles ; that she grows with the growth, and in- 
creases in wealth with the prosperity of the West. Although she has 
apparently grown but slowly, yet she has grown like the oak, and but 
counts her infancy in the years in which other cities spring and ma- 
ture ; and she stands like a sooty giant astride the head waters of the 
Ohio, rejoicing in the lusty strength of her fresh youth, while her 
powerful servant, the mighty Geni of the Mine, throughout the waters 



498 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of the Ohio, along the shores of the Father of Waters, around the 
borders of the great lakes, on either hand of the pathway of the iron 
horse, athwart the Western prairies, proclaims her the dusky Queen 
of Industry, and commands homage to her iron sceptre in three- 
fourths of the States of the Union." 

Its very location has placed an enormous trade in the hands of 
Pittsburg. Lying at the head of the Ohio River, it has water com- 
munication with every town on the navigable portion of the Ohio, 
.the Mississippi, and the Missouri rivers and their tributaries. Being 
one of the principal railway centres of the West,'it has railway con- 
nections with all parts of the Union. The principal harbor is fur- 
nished by the Monongahela River, which has a greater depth of water 
than the Alleghany. The Ohio is navigable to the confluence of those 
streams for boats of light draught, except at infrequent periods of 
very great dryness. The boats are generally built in such a manner 
as to adapt them to the lowest stages of water. Large side-wheel 
steamers also navigate the Ohio during the season of high water. By 
means of these steamers, a heavy trade is maintained with the States 
along the rivers we have mentioned. Pittsburg thus controls about 
12,000 miles of water transportation, and can deliver its products 
without breaking bulk in over 400 counties of 17 States. In 1865, 
there were 159 steamboats owned in the city. The number is much 
greater at present. Besides these, hundreds of steamers, owned in 
other States, trade with Pittsburg. 

In 1870, the population of Pittsburg was 86,235. 

In February, 1754, a party of English settlers built a stockade and 
established a trading post on the point of land lying between the 
Monongahela and Alleghany rivers at their confluence, on the site of 
the present city of Pittsburg. In April, they were attacked and 
driven away by the French, who claimed the country. The con- 
querors erected a fort on the spot, and called it Duquesne, in honor 
of the Governor of Canada. This fort at once became the centre of 
all the military operations of the French in this part of the country. 
To the French claim, which was based upon their discovery of the 
region, the English advanced a counter claim based upon a charter 
from the Crown, strengthened by a treaty with the Iroquois. The 
importance attached to the position by the French made it a matter 
of the greatest moment to the English to obtain possession of it. 
General Braddock was sent, in 1755, at the head of the largest force 
that had ever crossed the mountains, to recapture it. He was attacked 



PENNSYLVANIA. 499 

and defeated by the French and Indians, on the 9th of July of that 
year, at a point on the Monongahela, about 12 miles above the fort. 
On the 15th of October, 1758, a force of 800 men, under Major Grant, 
advancing to attack the fort, was defeated with terrible loss. On the 
25th of November, 1758, the fort fell into the hands of a force of 6000 
men under General Forbes. The French and their Indian allies 
vainly endeavored to check Forbes' advance, and failing in this, set 
the fort on fire and retreated on the 24th, the day before the arrival 
of the English. General Forbes rebuilt and strengthened the fort. 
It was completed in January, 1759, and was called Fort Pitt, in honor 
of the great English Minister. The French made several efforts to 
recapture it, but without success. In 1764, the settlement of the 
town began, the houses being erected in the vicinity of the fort. In 
1772, the fort was abandoned by the English, who had no further 
use for it as a military post. The site was claimed by Virginia under 
a charter from James I. Pennsylvania also claimed it under a char- 
ter from Charles II. Virginia prepared to assert her claim by force, 
and on the 11th of August, 1775, threw a company of soldiers into 
Fort Pitt. The Revolution made this a minor question, however, 
and in August, 1779, Commissioners, appointed by the two provinces, 
met in Baltimore, and agreed upon the existing boundary which was 
ratified by their respective Legislatures. The excise troubles of 1 79 1-4, 
made Pittsburg the scene of considerable violence. In 1845, a fire 
destroyed the entire business portion of the city, causing a loss of 
$5,000,000. Pittsburg was incorporated as a borough in 1804, and 
as a city in 1816. 

SCRANTON, 

The fourth city in population in the State, is situated in Luzerne 
county, on the left bank of the Lackawanna River, 137 miles north- 
east of Harrisburg. It is the terminus of several railway lines lead- 
ing direct to Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and New York, and the centre 
of an immense coal trade. Iron ore is found in large quantities in 
the vicinity, and the city is largely engaged in the manufacture of 
iron wares of various kinds. The principal sources of its prosperity, 
however, are the rich coal mines which lie near the town. These 
mines are worked by the Pennsylvania and other companies, and em- 
ploy large numbers of miners of all nationalities. 

Scranton is a well built town, containing about 4 public schools, 

11 churches, and 2 newspaper offices. It is prettily situated, and is 
31 



.300 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 








SCR ANTON. 

improving in its architectural pretensions. During the last few years, 
the population has increased with unprecedented rapidity. In 1860, 
the city contained 9223 inhabitants. In 1870, the population was 
35,762. If Pittsburg and Alleghany are regarded as one city, 
Scranton is the third city in Pennsylvania. 



READING, 

The fifth city of the State, is situated in Berks county, on the left 
or east bank of the Schuylkill River, 52 miles east of Harrisburg, 
and 52 miles northwest of Philadelphia, with both of which places 
it is connected by railways. It has railway connections with other 
parts of the State. The Schuylkill Canal brings it in direct commu- 
nication with the entire Schuylkill region. The river is here crossed 
by two bridges, one of which is 600 feet long. 

The city is beautifully situated on a sloping plain, which rises from 
the river, and is terminated on the east by an eminence called Penn's 
Mount. The city is well built, brick being the principal material. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



501 




EASTON. 



E ASTON, 

In Xorthamj3ton county, on the right bank of the Delaware River, at 
the junction Avith that stream of the Lehigh River and Bushkill 
Creek, is a flourishing city. It is regularly laid out in rectangular 
blocks, is well built, and is lighted with gas and supplied with pure 
water. It is finely situated in the midst of some of the most beauti- 
ful scenery of the State, and is in many respects one of the most pic- 
turesque cities in America. The Lehigh and Delaware are here 
crossed by fine bridges. The city possesses good water-power, and is 
largely engaged in manufactures. Flour, oil, iron, lumber, cotton 
goods, and fire-arms are the principal articles pro<luced. The city is 
connected with Xew York, Philadelphia, and all parts of the State, 
by railway. By means of these and the Delaware, I^ehigh, and Mor- 
ris Canals, large quantities of coal, lumber, and grain are received 
and shipped to the principal markets of the country. Easton is one 
of the most enterprising places in Pennsylvania, and is growing rap- 
idly in })opulation and importance. It contains the county buildings, 
several handsome churches, and several excellent schools. It is the 
neat of Lafayette College, a flourishing institution. Five newspapers 



502 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

are published here. The city is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
In 1870 the population was 10,987. 

Easton was laid out in 1738, and was incorporated as a town in 
1789. The surrounding country is very beautiful, and is rich in iron 
ore and limestone. 

MISCELLANIES. 

OLD TIME CUSTOMS IN PHILADELPHIA. 

Mr. Watson, in his "Historic Tales of tlie Olden Time," gives some interest- 
ing accounts of the customs of the people of Philadelphia prior to the Revolution. 
He says : 

They were distinguished for a frank and generous hospitality. They made 
many entertainments, but they were devoid of glare and show, and always abun- 
dant and good. 

Dr. Franklin, describing the state of the people about the year 1752, says they 
were all loyal, and submitted willingly to the government of the Crown, or paid 
for defence cheerfully. "They were led by a thread. They not only had a re- 
spect, but an affection, for Great Britain, for its laws, its customs, and its man- 
ners, and even a fondness for its fashions, — not yet subsided. Natives of Great 
Britain were always treated with particular regard ; and to be 'an Old England 
man ' gave a kind of rank and respect among us." 

The old people all testify that the young of their youth were much more re- 
served, and held under much more restraint in the presence of their elders and 
parents, than now. Bashfulness and modesty in the young were then regarded 
as virtues ; and the present freedom before the aged was not then countenanced. 
Young lovers then listened and took sidelong glances, when before their parents 
or elders. 

It was the custom for the younger part of the family, and especially of the fe- 
male part, to dress up neatly towards the close of the day, and sit in the street 
porch. Sometimes they would go from porch to porch in neighborhoods, and sit 
and converse. Tea was such a rarity that it was measured out for the teapots in 
small hand-scales. Afternoon visits were not made, as now, at nighty but at so 
early an hour as to permit matrons to go home and see their children put 
to bed. 

Before the Revolution, no hired man or woman wore any shoes so fine as calf- 
skin ; coarse neats leather was their every day wear. Men and women then 
hired by the year — men got £16 to £20, and a servant woman £8 to £10. Out of 
that it was their custom to lay up money, to buy before their marriage a bed and 
bedding, silver teaspoons, and a spinning wheel, etc. 

Among the rough amusements of men might be mentioned shooting, fishing, 
and sailing parties. These were frequent, as also mutton clubs, fishing, house 
and country parties were much indulged in by respectable citizens. Great so- 
ciability prevailed among all classes of citizens, until the strife with Great Britain 
sent 'every man to his own ways ; " then discord and acrimony ensued, and the 
previously general friendly intercourse never returned. We afterwards grew an- 
other and enlarged people. 

Our girls in the daytime used to attend the work of the family, and in the even- 



PENNSYLVANIA. 50] 

ing paraded in their porch at the door. Some of them, however, even then, read 
novels, and walked without business abroad. Those who had not housework 
employed themselves in their accomplishments, such as making shell-work, cor- 
nucopias, working of pocket books, with a close, strong-stitched needlework. 

The ladies, seventy years ago, were much accustomed to lide on horseback 
for recreation. It was quite common to see genteel ladies riding, with jockey 
caps. 

Boarding schools for girls were not known in Philadelphia until about the 
time of the Revolution, nor had they any separate schools for wi-iting and cipher- 
ing, but were taught in common with boys. The ornamental parts of female 
education were bestowed, but geography and grammar were never regarded for 
them, until a certain Mr. Horton — thanks to his name — proposed to teach those 
sciences to young ladies. Similar institutions afterwards grew into favor. 

It was usual, in the gazettes of 1760 to 1770, to announce marriages in words 
like these, to wit: "Miss Betsey Lawrence, or Miss Elizabeth Caton, a most 
agreeable lady, with a large or a handsome fortune." 

In still earlier times, marriages had to be promulged by affixing the intentions 
of the parties on the court house or meeting house door ; and when the act was 
solemnized, they should have at least twelve subscribing witnesses. The act 
which imposed it was passed in 1700. 

The wedding entertainments of olden times were very expensive and harassing 
to the wedded. The house of the parent would be filled with company to dine ; 
the same company would stay to tea and to supper. For two days, punch was 
dealt out in profusion. The gentlemen saw the groom on the first floor, and 
then ascended to the second, where they saw the bride ; there every gentleman, 
even to 100 in a day, kissed her. Even the plain Friends submitted to these 
things. I have known rich families Avhich had 120 persons to dine — the same 
who had signed their certificate of marriage at the monthly meeting ; these also 
partook of tea and supper. As they formally passed the meeting twice, the same 
entertainment was repeated. Two days the male friends would call and take 
punch, and all would kiss the bride. Besides this, the married pair, for two en- 
tire weeks, saw large tea parties at their home, having in attendance every night 
the groomsman and bridesmaids. To avoid expense and trouble, Friends have 
since made it sufficient to pass but one meeting. When these marriage enter- 
tainments were made, it was expected also that punch, cakes, and meats should 
be sent out very generally in the neighborhood, even to those who were not visi- 
tors in the family. 

Of articles and rules of diet, so far as it dififered from ours, in the earliest time, 
we may mention cofiee, as a beverage, was used but rarely ; chocolate for morn- 
ing and evening, or thickened milk for children. Cookery in general was plainer 
than now. In the country, morning and evening repasts were generally made 
of milk, having bread boiled therein, or else thickened with pop-robins — things 
made up of flour and eggs into a batter, and so dropped in with the boiling 
milk. 

A lady of my acquaintance thus describes the recollections of her early days, 
preceding the Avar of Independence : Dress was discriminate and appropriate, 
both as regarded the season and the character of the wearer. Lailies never wore 
the same dresses at work and on visits ; they sat at home, or went out in the 
morning, in chintz ; brocades, satins, and mantuas were reserved for evening or 
dinner parties. Robes or negligees, as they were called, were always worn in 



504 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

full dress. Muslins were not worn at all. Little Misses at a dancing school 
ball (for these were almost the only letes that fell to their share in the days of 
discrimination) were dressed in frocks of lawn or camhric. Worsted was then 
thought dress enough for common days. 

As a universal fact, it may be remarked, that no other color than black was 
ever made for ladies' bonnets, when formed of silk or satin. Fancy colors were 
unknown, and white bonnets of silk fabric had never been seen. The first inno- 
vation remembered was the bringing in of blue bonnets. 

The time was when the plainest woman among the Friends (now so averse to 
fancy colors) wore their colored silk aprons, say, of green, or blue, etc. Tiiis 
was at a time when the gay wore white aprons. In time, white aprons were dis- 
used by the gentry, and then the Friends left off' their colored ones and used the 
white, Tiie same old ladies among Friends, whom we can remember as wearers 
of the white aprons, wore also large white beaver hats, with scarcely the sign of 
a crown, and which was indeed confined to the head by silk cords tied under the 
chin. Eight dollars would buy such a hat, when beaver fur was more plentiful. 
They lasted such ladies almost a whole life of wear. They showed no fur. 

Very decent women went abroad and to churches with check aprons. I have 
seen those who kept their coach in my time to bear them to church, who told irie 
they went on foot, with a check apron, to the Arch street Presbyterian meeti ng 
in their youth. Then all hired women wore short gowns and petticoats of 
domestic fabric, and could be instantly known as such whenever seen abroad. 

In the former days, it was not uncommon to see aged persons with large sil rer 
buttons to their coats and vests — it was a mark of wealth. Some had the initials 
of their names engraved on each button. Sometimes they were made out of real 
quarter dollars, with the coinage impression still retained — these were used for 
the coats, and the elevenpenny-bits for vests and breeches. My father wore an 
entire suit decorated with conclj-shell buttons, silver mounted. 

The articles of dress in those early times would at the present day not be re- 
cognized by their names. The following is an advertisement for the year 1745 : 

" For sale. Tandems, isinghams, nuns, bag and gulix (these all mean sliirt- 
ing), huckabacks (a figured worsted for women's gowns), quilted humhums, 
turketees, grassets, single allopeens, children's stays, jumps and bodice, wliale- 
bone and iron busks, men's new market caps, silk and worsted wove patterns 
for breeches, allibanes, dickmansoy, cushloes, chuckloes, cuttanees, crimson 
dannador, chain'd soosees, lemonees, byrampauts, moree, naffermamy, saxling- 
ham, prunelloe, barragons, druggets, fiorettas," etc., etc. 

It was very common for children and working women to wear beads made of 
Job's tears, a berry of a shrub. They used them for economy, and said it pre- 
vented several diseases. 

Until the period of the Revolution, every person who wore a fur hat, had it 
always of entire beaver. Every apprentice, at receiving his "freedom," received 
a real beavei- at a cost of six dollars. Their every day hats were of wool, called 
felts. What were called roram hats, being fur faced upon wool felts, came into 
use directly after the peace, and excited much surprise, as to the invention. Gen- 
tlemen's hats, of entire beaver, universally cost eight dollars. 

The use of lace veils to ladies' faces is but a modern fashion, not of more than 
twenty to thirty years standing. Now they wear black, white, and green— the 
last only lately introduced as a summer veil. In olden time, none wore a veil 
but as a mark and badge of mourning, and then, as now, of crape in preference 
to lace. 



I 



PENNSYLVANIA. 505 

Ancient ladies remembered a time, in tlieir early life, when the ladies wore 
blue stockings and party-colored clocks of very striking appearance. May not 
that fashion, as an extreme ton of the upper circle in life, explain the adoption 
of the term, "Blue-stocking Club?" 1 have seen, in possession of Samuel 
Coates, Esq., the wedding silk stockings of his grandmother, of a lively green, 
and great red clocks. My grandmother wore, in winter, very fine worsted green 
stockings, with a gay clock surmounted with a bunch of tulips. 

The late President, Thomas Jefferson, when in Philadelphia, on his first mis- 
sion abroad, was dressed in the garb of his day after this manner, to wit : he 
wore a long vvaisted white cloth coat, scarlet breeches and vest, a cocked hat, 
with a black cockade. 

Even spectacles, permanently useful as they are, have been subject to the ca- 
price of fashion. Now they are occasionally seen of gold — a thing I never saw 
in my youth ; neither did I ever see one young man with spectacles — now so nu- 
merous. A purblind or half-sighted youth then deemed it his positive disparage- 
ment to be so regarded. Such would have rather run against a street post six 
times a day than have been seen with them. Indeed, in early olden time they 
had not the art of using temple spectacles. Old Mrs. Shoemaker, who died in 
1835, at the age of 95, said she had lived many years in Philadelphia before she 
ever saw temple spectacles — a name then given as a new discovery, but now so 
common as to have lost its distinctive character. In her early years, the only 
spectacles she ever saw were called "bridge spectacles," without any side sup- 
porters, and held on the nose solely by nipping the bridge of the nose. 

My grandmother wore a black velvet mask in winter, with a silver mouth-piece 
to keep it on, by retaining' it in the mouth. I have been told that green ones 
have been used in summer for some few ladies, for riding in the sun on horse- 
back. 

Ladies formerly wore cloaks as their chief overcoats ; they were used with 
some changes of form under the successive names of roquelaurs, capuchins, and 
cardinals. 

In Mrs. Shoemaker's time, above named, they had no knowledge of umbrellas 
to keep off rain, but she had seen some few use kitisol§ — an article as small as 
present parasols now. They were entirely to keep off rain from ladies. They 
were of oiled muslin, and of various colors. They were imported from India by 
way of England. They must, however, have been but rare, as they never ap- 
pear in any advertisements. 

Dr. Chancellor and the Rev. Mr. Duche were the first persons in Philadelphia 
who were seen to wear umbrellas to keep off the rain. They we.re of oiled linen, 
very coarse and clumsy, Avith ratan sticks. Before their time, some doctors and 
ministers used an oiled linen cape, hooked round tlieir shoulders, looking not 
unlike the big coat capes now in use, and then called a roquelaur. It was only 
used for severe storms. 

About the year 1771, the first efforts Avere made in Philadelphia to introduce 
the use of umbrellas in summer, as a defence from the sun. They Avcre then 
scouted in the public gazettes as a ridiculous effeminacy. On the other hand, the 
physicians recommended them, to keep of vertigoes, epilepsies, sore eyes, fevers, 
etc. Finally, as the doctors Avere the chief patrons, Doctor Chancellor and Doc- 
tor Morgan, with the Rev. Parson Duche, Avere the first persons who had the 
hardihood to be so singular as to wear umbrellas in sunshine. Mr. Bingham, 
when he returned from the West Indies, Avhere he had amassed a great fortune 



506 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in the Revolution, appeared abroad in the streets attended by a mulatto boy 
bearing his umbrella. But his example did not take, and he desisted from its use. 

now GENERAL BRADDOCK WAS KILLED. 

There had long existed a tradition that Braddock was killed by one of his own 
men, and more recent developments leave little or no doubt of the fact. A recent 
writer says : 

" When my father was removing with his family to the west, one of the Fau- 
setts kept a public house to the eastward from, and near where Uniontown now 
stands, as the county seat of Fayette, Pa. This man's house we lodged in about 
the 10th of October, 1781, twenty-six years and a few months after Braddock's 
defeat, and there it was made anything but a secret that one of the family dealt 
the dcatli-blow to the British general. 

" Thirteen years afterwards I met Thomas Fausett in Fayette county, then, 
as he told he, in his 70th year. To him I put the plain question, and received a 
plain reply, ' / did shoot him ! ' He then went on to insist, that, by doing so, 
he contributed to save what was left of the army. In brief, in my 3'outh, I never 
heard the fact either doubted or blamed, that Fausett shot Braddock." 

Hon. Andrew Stewart, of Uniontown, says he knew, and often conversed with 
Tom Fausett, who did not hesitate to avow, in the presence of his friends, that he 
shot General Braddock. Fausett was a man of gigantic frame, of uncivilized half- 
savage propensities, and spent most of his life among the mountains, as a hermit, 
living on the game which he killed. He would occasionally come into town, and 
get drunk. Sonietimes lie would repel inquiries into the affair of Braddock's 
death, by putting his fingers to his lips and uttering a sort of buzzing sound ; at 
others, he would burst into tears, and appear greatly agitated by conflicting 
passions. 

In spite of Braddock's silly order, that the troops should not protect themselves 
behind trees, Joseph Fausett had taken such a position, when Braddock rode up, 
in a passion, and struck him down with his sword. Tom Fausett, who was but a 
short distance from his brother, saw the whole transaction, and immediately drew 
up his ritie and shot Braddock through the lungs, partly in revenge for the outrage 
upon his brother, and partly, as he always alleged, to get the general out of the 
way, and thus save the remainder of the gallant band, who had been sacrificed to 
his obstinacy and want of experience in frontier warfare. 

THE MASSACRE OF WYOMING. 

The year 1776 commenced a new era in the history of the American 
colonies, and in some measure gave peace to Wyoming in the midst of war, 
by removing from Pennsylvania the authority of the proprietaries, and royal 
governors. During this interval of comparative repose, three companies of troops 
were enlisted at Wj'oming for the service of the united colonies. They were 
attached to the Connecticut line, and made part of the troops of that colony. At 
this time, a full enumeration of the population at Wyoming was made, and the 
settlements were found to contain 5000 souls. Their militia at the same time 
amounted to 1100 men, capable of bearing arms ; and of this force about 300 en- 
listed to serve against the common enemy. After their march, the settlers con- 
tinued to guard themselves with increased vigilance. Regular garrison duty was 



PENJs^SYLVANIA. 507 

performed iu the several fortifications by classes of the miliiia in successive order ; 
in addition to which, a patrol called the "Scout," was established through the 
valley, which was on duty night and day iu succession, exploring all thickets and 
unfrequented grounds, in search of any lurking enemy which might have come 
to disturb their peace, or spy out the land. 

The frontier settlements of the different colonies were at this time continually 
harassed by incursive parties of British troops and Indians from Canada ; and 
the surrender of General Burgoyne, which took place in October, 1777, did not 
produce an abandonment of the system. Early in the spring of 1778, a force 
consisting of about 800 men, and composed of British regulars, tories, and In- 
dians, under the command of Colonel John Butler, assembled at Niagara, and 
marched to the reduction of Wyoming. The Indians were in number about 400, 
and were commanded by Brandt, a warlike chief of mixed blood. At Tioga 
Point, these troops procured boats and rafts of wood, upon which they floated 
down the Susquehanna until they arrived about 20 miles above Wyoming Fort. 
Here they landed, the latter part of June. On the evening of the 2d of July, they 
took possession of a fort which the settlers liad built on tlie bank of the river, 
about a mile below the head of the valley, called Fort Wintermoot. From this 
fort, which the British conmiander made his headquarters, were sent small scout- 
ing parties in search of plunder and provisions, as well as to ascertain the situa- 
tion and strength of the force which remained for the defence of the settlement. 

Upon the arrival of these troops, the settlers collected their principal forces in 
a fortification situated on tlie west bank of the river, at a large eddy in the stream 
below Monockonock Island, and about 3 miles above Wyoming Fort. This fort 
had been built and defended by 40 of the settlers in that vicinity, and had thence 
obtained the name of "Forty Fort." The garrison, now assembled here, con- 
sisted of the most active of the settlers, and amounted to 368 men, a small party 
being left in the other forts for the protection of the settlement in their immediate 
vicinity. About a month previous, messengers had been sent from the settlers 
to the continental army, to inform the commander-in-chief of their situation, and 
to request that a detachment might be sent to their assistance. 

On the morning of the 3d of July, the ofiicers of the garrison at Forty Fort 
held a council to determine on the propriety of marching from the fort, and 
attacking the enemy wherever found. The debates in this council of war are 
said to have been conducted with much warmth and animation. The ultimate 
determination was. one on which depended the lives of the garrison, and the safety 
of the settlements. On one side it was contended that their enemies were daily 
increasing in numbers — that they would plunder the settlements of all kinds of 
property, and would accumulate the means of carrying on the war, while they 
themselves would become weaker ; that the harvest would soon be ripe, and 
would be gathered or destroyed by their enemies, and all their means of suste- 
nance during the succeeding winter would fail ; that probably all their messengers 
were killed, and as there had been more than sufficient time, and no assistance 
arrived, they would probably receive none, and consequently now was the proper 
time to make the attack. On the other side it was argued, that probably some or 
all of the messengers may have arrived at headquarters, but that the absence of 
the commander-in-chief may have produced delay ; that one or two weeks more 
may bring the desired assistance, and that to attack the enemj% superior as they 
were in number, out of the limits of their own fort, would produce almost certain 
destruction to the settlement and themselves, and captivity and slavery — perhaps 



508 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

torture, to their wives aud children. While these debates were progressing, five 
men belonging to Wyoming, but, who, at that time, held commissions in the con- 
tinental army, arrived at the fort. They had received information that a force 
from Niagara had marched to destroy the settlements on the Susquehanna, and 
being unable to bring with them any reinforcements, they resigned their appoint- 
ments and hastened immediately to the protection of their families. They had 
heard nothing of the messengers, neither could they give any certain informatiou 
as to the probability of relief. 

The prospects of receiving assistance became now extremely uncertain. The 
advocates for the attack prevailed in the council ; and at dawn of day, on the 
morning of the 3d of July, the garrison left the fort, aud began their march up 
the river, under the command of Colonel Zebulon Butler. Having proceeded 
about 2 miles, the troops hailed for the purpose of detaching a recounoitering 
party to ascertain the situation of the enemy. Colonel Butler rode along the flank 
of the column to invite volunteers for this service. Abraham Pike and an Irish 
companion offered their services, and the}' being the only volunteers, were 
accepted. The scout found the enemy in possession of Fort Wintermoot, and 
occupying huts immediately around it, carousing in supjiosed security ; but on 
their return to the advancing column, they met two strolling Indians, by whom 
they were fired upon, and upon whom they immediately returned the fire without 
effect. The settlers hastened their march for tlie attack, but tlie Indians had 
given the alarm, and the advancing troops found the enemy already formed in 
order'of battle a small distance from their fort, with their right flank covered by 
a swamp, and their left resting upon the bank of the river. The settlers imme- 
diately displayed their column, and formed in corresponding order ; but as the 
enemy was much superior in numbers, their line was much more extensive. Pine 
woods and bushes covered the battle-ground ; in consequence of wliich, the move- 
ments of the troops could not be .so quickly discovered, nor so well ascertained. 
Colonel Zebulon Butler had command of the right, and was opposed by Colonel 
John Butler at the head of the British troops on the left. Colonel Nathan Deni- 
son commanded the left, opposed by Brandt at the head of his Indians on the 
enemy's right. The battle commenced at about 40 rods distant, and continued 
about 15 minutes through the woods and brush without much execution. At this 
time, Brandt, with his Indians, having penetrated the swamp, turned the left 
flank of the settlers' line, and with a terrible war-whoop and savage yell, made 
a desperate charge upon the troops composing that wing, whicli fell very fast, 
and were immediately cut to pieces with the tomahawk. Colonel Denison having 
ascertained that the savages were gaining the rear of the left, gave orders for tliat 
wing to fall back, in order to prevent being surrounded by the enemy. At the 
same time. Colonel John Butler finding that the line of the settlers did not ex- 
tend as far towards the river as his own, doubled that end of his line, which was 
protected by a thick growth of brushwood, and having brought a party of his 
British regulars to act in column upon that wing, threw Colonel Zebulon Butler's 
troops into some confusion. 

The orders of Colonel Denison for his troops to fall hack having been under- 
stood by many to mean a retreat, the troops began to retire in much disorder. 
The savages considered this as a flight, and commenced a most hideous yell, 
rushed forward with their rifles and tomahawks, and cut the retiring line to 
pieces. In this situation, it was found impossible to rally and form the troops, 
and the rout became general throughout the line. The settlers fled in every direc- 



PENNSYLVANIA. 509 

tion, and were instantly followed by tke savages, who killed or took prisoners 
whoever came within tlieir reach. Some succeeded in reaching the river, and 
escaiJed by swimming across ; others fled to the mountains ; and the savages, 
too much occupied witii plunder, gave up the pursuit. When the first intelli- 
gence was received in the village of Wilkesbarre that the battle was lost, the 
women fled with tljeir children to the mountains, on their way to the settlements 
on the Delaware, where many of them at length arrived after suflering extreme 
hardships. Many of the men who escaped the battle, together with their women 
and children, who were unable to travel on foot, took refuge in Wyoniing Fort, 
and on the following day, July 4th, Butler and Brandt, at the head of their combined 
forces, apiieared before the fort and demanded its surrender. The garrison being 
without any eflicient means of defence, surrendered the lort on articles of capitu- 
lation, by which the settlers, uixjii giving up their fortifications, prisoners, and 
military stores, were to remain in the country unmolested, provided they did not 
again take up arms. 

In this battle, about 300 of the settlers were killed or missing, and from a great 
part of whom no intelligence was ever afterwards received. The oflicers killed 
were, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 10 captains, 6 lieutenants, and 2 ensigns. 

A considerable number <»f the inhabitants of the different settlements on the 
Susquehanna, who, frctm their attachment to the British cause, were denominated 
tortus, joined the British and savage troops previous to the battle, and exhibited 
instances of tlie most savage barbarity in the manner in which they carried on 
the war against their former neighbors and friends. One instance may serve to 
show the desperate feelings which those times produced. A short distance below 
the battle-ground, there is a large island in the river called " Monockonock 
Island." Several of the settlers, while the battle and pursuit continued, suc- 
ceeded in swimming to this island, where they concealed themselves among the 
logs and brushwood upon it. ' Their arms liad been thrown away in their flight, 
previous to their entering the river, so that they were in a manner defenceless. 
Two of them in particular were concealed near and in sight of each otlier. While 
in this situation, they observed several of the enemy who had pursued and tired 
at them while they were swimming the river, preparing to follow them to the 
island with their guns. On reaching the island they immediately wiped their 
guns and loaded them. One of them with his loaded gun soon passed close by 
one of these men who lay concealed from his view, and was immediately recog- 
nized by him to be the brother of his companion who was concealed near him, 
but who, being a tory, had joined the enemy. He passed slowly along, carefully 
examining every covert, and directly perceived his brother in his place of con- 
cealment. He suddenly stopped and said, "so it is you, is it?" His brother 
finding that he was discovered, immediately came forward a few steps, and falling 
on his knees, begged him to spare his life, promising to live with him and serve 
him, and even to be his slave as long as he lived, if he would only spare his life. 
"J.W this is mighty good,'''' replied the savage-hearted brother of tiie supplicating 
man, " but you are a d — d rebel ; " and deliberately presenting his rifle, shot him 
dead upon the spot. The other settler made his escape from the island, and 
naving related this fact, the tory brother thought it prudent to accompany the 
British troops on their return to Canada. 

The conditions of the capitulation were entirely disregarded by the British and 
savage forces, and after the fort was delivered up, all kinds of barbarities were 
committed by them. The village of Wilkesbarre, consisting of 23 houses, was 



510 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

burnt ; men and their wives were separated from each other and carried into 
captivity ; their property was plundered and the settlement laid waste. The 
remainder of the inhabitants were driven from the Valley, and compelled to 
proceed on foot 60 miles through the great swamp almost without food or cloth- 
ing. A number perished in the journey, principally women and children — some 
died of their wounds, others wandered from the path in search of food and were 
lost, and those who survived, called the wilderness thi'ough Avhich they passed, 
'•'•The SJiades of Death ;'''' an appellation which it has since retained. On their 
way through the swamp, the unhappy fugitives met a detachment of regular 
troops from the continental army under the command of Captain Spalding, 
which, in consequence of the representations made by the messengers had been 
sent to the relief of the inliabitants at Wyoming ; but as all was now lost, they 
returned to the Delaware, and the remnant of the inhabitants proceeded to their 
former homes in Connecticut. 

THE SERMON BEFORE THE BR ANDY WINE. 

There are contradictory opinions about the Ibllowing sennou, said to be deliv- 
ered on the eve of the battle of Braudywiue. Hence I give it without comments, 
just as I find it. The name of the chaplain is said to have been Trout. ^ 

" TJiey ih<tt take the sword &hall per-Mi by the sicardP'' — Matt. xxvi. 53. 

•'Soldiers akd Countkymen ! We have met this evening, perhaps for the 
last time. We have shared the toil of the marcli, the peril of the fight, the dismay 
of the retreat — alike we have endured cold and hunger, the contumely of the 
internal foe, and outrage of the foreign oppressor. We liave sat night alter 
night, beside the same t~amp fire, shared the same rough soldiers' fare ;— we have 
togetlier heard the roll of the reveille which called us to duty, or the beat of the 
tattoo which gave the signal for the haitly sleep of the soldier, with the earth for 
his bed, and his knapsack for a pillow. And now, soldiers and brethren, we have 
met in the peacelul valley, on the eve of the battle, while the sunlight is dying 
away tehind yonder heights, the sunlight that to-morrow morn will glimmer on 
scenes of blood. We have met amid the whitening tents of our encampment ; in 
times of terror and gloom have we gathered together. God grant it may not be 
for the last time. 

" It is a solemn moment. Brethren, does not the solemn voice of nature seem 
to echo the sympathies of the town ? The flag of our country droops heavily 
from yonder staff. The breeze has died away along the green plain of Chadd's 
Fonl — the plain that spreads before us glistening in sunlight— the heights of the 
Brandy wine arise dark and glooniy l>cyond tlie waters of yonder stream, and all 
nature holds a pause of solemn silence on the eve of the uproar of the bloodshed 
and strife of to-morrow. 

'"They that take the sword shall perish by the sword;' and have they not 
taken the sword ? 

" Let the blood-stained valley — the desolated homes — the burned farm house — 
the murdered farmer — let the whitening bones of our own countrymen answer ! 
Let the starving mother with the babe clinging to her witheved breast, let her 
answer — with the dealli rattle mingling with the murmuring tones that mark the 
last struggle for life ; let the dying mother and her babe answer I 

" It was but a day past, and our land slept in the light of peace. War was not 



PENNSYLVANIA. 511 

here, wrong was not here. Fraud, aud woe, and misery and want dwelt not 
among us. From the eternal solitude of the green woods, arose the blue smoke 
of the settler's cabin ; and golden fields of corn looked forth from amid the waste 
of the wilderness, and the glad music of human voices awoke the silence of the 
forest. 

" Now ! God of mercy ! Behold the change. Under the shadow of a pretext, 
under the sanctity of the name of God — invoking the Redeemer to their aid, do 
these foreign hirelings slay our people. Thej' throng our towns, thej' darken 
our plains, and now they encompass our posts on the lonely plain of Chadd's 
Ford. 

"'The}' that take the sword shall perish by the sword.' Brethren ! think me 
not unworthy of belief, when I tell you that the doom of the Britisher is near ! 
Tliink me not v.iin when I tell you that beyond the cloud which now enslirouds 
us, I see gathering thick and fast, the darker cloud and the blacker storm of 
Divine Retribution ! They may conquer us on the morrow ! — might and wrong 
may prevail, and we may be driven from the field — but the hour of God's ven- 
geance will come ! Aye, if in the vast solitudes of eternal space, if in the heart 
of the boundless universe, there throbs the being of an aAvful God, quick to 
revenge and sure to punish guilt, there will the man, George of Brunswick, 
called king, feel in his brain and in his heart the vengeance of the eternal Jeho- 
vah ! a blight will be upon his life — a withered brain, an accursed intellect ; a 
blight will be upon his children, and his people. Great God ! how dread the 
punishment ! 

" Soldiers ! I look around upon your familiar faces with a strange interest. 
To-morrow we will all go forth to battle — for need I tell you that your unworthy 
minister will march with you, invoking God's aid in the fight. We will march 
forth to battle. Need I exhort 3-ou to fight the good fight for your homesteads, 
your wives, and your children ? 

" And in the hour of battle w'hen all around is darkness, lit by the lurid cannon 
glare, and the piercing musket flash, when the wounded strew the ground and 
the dead litter j'our path ; then remember, soldiers, that God is with you. The 
eternal God is with 3'ou, and fights for you. God ! the awful, the infinite, fights 
for you, and 3M)u will triumph. 

'"They that take the sword shall perish by the sword.' 

"You have taken the sword; but not in the spirit of wrong and revenge. 
You have taken the sword for your homes, for your wives, and for your little 
ones. You have taken the sword for truth, for justice, and for right, and to you 
the promise is, be of good cheer, for j'our foes have taken the sword in defiance 
of all man holds dear. They shall perish hy tJie sword. 

" And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid you all farewell. Many of us may 
fall in the fight of to-morrow. God rest the souls of the fallen — many of us viay 
live to tell the story of the fight of to-morrow, and in the memory of all will rest 
the quiet scenes of this autumnal night. 

" 'Solemn twilight advances over the valley ; the woods on the opposite heights 
fling their long shadows over the green of the meadow — around us are the tents 
of the continental host — the suppressed bustle of the camp, the hurried tread of 
the soldiers to and fro among the tents, the stillness that marks the eve. or battle. 

" When we meet again, may the long shadows of twilight be flung over a 
peaceful land. God in hcavea grant it ! Amen." 



512 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



THE BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINE, Sept. 11th, 1777. 

The American army, in order to enconrage the partisans of independence and 
overawe the disaffected, marched through the city of Philadelphia ; it afterwards 
advanced towards the enemy, and encamped behind White Clay Creek. A little 
after, leaving only the riflemen in the camp, "Washington retired with the main 
lioily of his army behind the Red Clay Creek, occupying with Lis right wing the 
town of Newport, situated near the Christiana, antl upon the great road to Phila- 
delphia ; his left was at Hockesen. But tliis line was little capable of defence. 

The enemy, reinforced by the rear guard under General Grant, threatened with 
liis right the centre of the Americans, extended his left as if with the intention 
of turning their right flank. "Washington saw the danger, and retired with his 
troops behind the Brandy wine ; he encamped on the rising grounds which extend 
from Chadsford, in the direction of northwest to southeast. The riflemen of Max- 
well scoured the right bank of the Brandywine, in order to harass and retard 
the enemy. The militia under the command of General Armstrong, guarded a 
passage below the principal encampment of "Washington, and the right wing 
lined the banks of the river higher up, where the passages were more difficult. 
The passage of Chadsford, as the most practicable of all, was defended hy the 
chief force of the anny. The troops being thus disposed, the American general 
"Waited the approach of the English. Although the Brandywine, being fordable 
almost everywhere, could not serve as a sufficient defence agyinst the impetuosity 
of the enemy, yet Washington had taken post upon its banks, from a conviction 
that a battle was now inevitable, and that Philadelphia could only be saved by a 
victory. General Howe displayed the front of his army, but not however with- 
out great circumspection. Being arrived at Kennen Square, a short distance 
from the river, he detached. his light-horse to the right upon Wilmington, to tlie 
left upon Lancaster road, and in front towards Chadsford. The two armies found 
themselves Avithin 7 miles of each other, the Brandywine flowing between them. 

Early in the morning of the llth of Septemlwr, the British army marched to 
the enemy. Howe had formed his army in two columns ; the right commanded 
hy General Knyphausen, the left by Lord Comwallis. ITis plan was, that 
while the first should make repeated feints to attempt the passage of Chadsford, 
in order to occupy the attention of the republicans, the second should take a long- 
circuit to the upper part of the river, and cross at a place where it is divided into 
two shallow streams. The English marksmen fell in witli those of Maxwell, and 
a smart skirmish was immediately engaged. Tlie latter were at first repulsed ; 
but being reinforced from the camp, they compelled the English to retire in their 
turn. But at length, they also were reinforced, and Maxwell was constrained to 
withdraw his detachment behind the river. Meanwhile, Knj'phausen* advanced 
with his column, and commenced a furious cannonade upon the passage of Chads- 
ford, making all his dispositions as if he intended to force it. The Americans 
defended themselves with gallantry, and even passed several detachments of 
light troops to the other side, in order to harass the enemy's flanks. But after a 
course of skirmishes, sometimes advancing, and at others obliged to retire, 
they were finally, with an eager pursuit, driven over the river. Knyphausen 
then appeared more than ever determined to pass the ford ; he stormed and kept 
up an incredible noise. In this manner the attention of the Americans was fully 
occupied in the neighborhood of Chadsford. • Meanwhile, Lord Comwallis, at 



PENNSYLVANIA. 513 

the head of the second column, took a circuitous march to the left, and gained 
unperceived the forks of the Brandywine. By this rapid movement, he passed 
both branches of the river at Trimble's and at JefiFery's fords, without opposition, 
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and then turning short down the river took the 
road to Dilworth, in order to fall upon the right flank of the American army. 
The republican general, however, received intelligence of this movement about 
noon, and, as it usually happens in similar cases, the reports exaggerated its im- 
portance exceedingly ; it being represented that General Howe commanded this 
division in person. Washington therefore decided immediately for the most Judi- 
cious, though boldest measure ; this was, to pass tlie river with the centre and 
left wing of his army, and overwhelm Knyphausen by the most furious attack. 
He justly reflected that the advantage he should obtain upon the enemy's right 
would amply compensate the loss that his own might sustain at the same time. 
Accordingly he ordered General Sullivan to pass the Brandywine with his division 
at an upper ford, and attack the left of Jvnyphausen, while he, in person, should 
cross lower down and fall upon the right of the general. 

They were both already in motion in order to execute this design, when a 
second report arrived, which represented what had really taken place as false, 
or in other words, that the enemy liad not crossed the two branches of the river, 
and that he had not made his appearance upon the right flank of the American 
troops. Deceived by tliis false intelligence, Washington desisted ; and Greene, 
who had already passed with the vanguard, was ordered back. In the midst of 
these uncertainties, the commander-in-chief at length received positive assur- 
ance, not only that the English had appeared upon the left bank, but also that 
they were about to fall in great force upon the right wing. It was composed of 
the brigades of generals Stephens, Sterling, and Sullivan ; the first was the most 
advanced, and consequently nearest to the English ; the two others were posted 
in the order of their rank, that of Sullivan being next to the centre. This gene- 
ral was immediately detached from the main body, to support the former brigades, 
and being the senior officer, took the command of the whole wing. Washington 
himself, followed by General Greene, approached with two strong divisions to- 
wards this wing, and posted himself between it and the corps he had left at Chads- 
ford, under General Wayne, to oppose the passage of Knyphausen. These two 
divisions, under the immediate orders of the commander-in-chief, served as a 
corps of reserve, ready to march, according to circumstances, to the succor of 
Sullivan or of Wayne. 

But the column of Cornwallis was aready in sight of the Americans. Sullivan 
drew up his troops on the commanding ground above Birmingham meeting- 
house, with his left extending towards the Brandywine, and both his flanks 
covered with very thick woods. His artillery was advantageously planted upon 
the neighboring hills ; but it appears that Sullivan's own brigade, having taken a 
long circuit, arrived too late upon the field of battle, and had not yet occupied 
the position assigned it, when the action commenced. The English having recon- 
noitred the dispositions of the Americans, immediately formed, and fell upon them 
with the utmost impetuosity. The engagement became equally fierce on both 
sides about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. For some length of time the Americans 
defended themselves with great valor, and the carnage was terrible. But such w:as 
the emulation which invigorated the efforts of the English and Hessians, that neither 
the advantages of the situation, ixor a heavy and well supported fire of small arms 
and artillery, nor the unshaken courage of the Americans, were able to resist their 



514 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

impetuosity. The light infantry, chasseurs, grenadiers, and guards threw tliem- 
selves with such fury into the midst of the republican battalions, that they were 
forced to give way. Their left flank was tirst thrown into confusion, but the 
rout soon became general. The vanquished fled into the woods in their rear ; the 
Tictors pursued, and advanced by the great road towards Dilworth. On the first 
fire of the artillery, Washington, having no doubt of what was passing, had 
pushed forward the reserve to the succor of Sullivan. But this corps, on ap- 
proaching the field of battle, fell in with the flying soldiers of Sullivan and per- 
ceived that no hope remained of retrieving the fortune of the day. General 
Greene, by a judicious manoeuvre, opened his ranks to receive the fugitives, and 
after their passage having closed them anew, he retired in good order ; checking 
the pursuit of the enemy by a continual fire of the artillery which covered his 
rear. Having come to a defile, covered on both sides by the wooas, he drew up 
hi3 men there, and again faced the enemy. His corps was composed of Vir- 
ginians and Pennsylvanians ; they defended themselves with gallantry ; the 
former especially, commanded by Colonel Stephens, made a heroic stand. 

Knyphausen finding the Americans to be fully engaged on their right, and ob- 
serving that the corps opposed to him at Chadsford was enfeebled by the troops 
which had been detached to the succor of Sullivan, began to make dispositions 
for crossing the river in reality. The passage at Chadsford was defended by an 
intrenchment and battery. The republicans stood firm at first ; but upon intelli- 
gence of the defeat of their right, and seeing some of the British troops who 
had penetrated through the woods, come out upon their flank, they retired in 
disorder, abandoning their artillery and munitions to the German general. In 
their retreat, or rather flight, they passed behind the position of General Greene, 
who still defended himself, and was the last to quit the field of battle. Finall}', 
it being already dark, after a long and obstinate conflict, he also retired. Tlie 
whole army retreated that night to Chester, and the day following to Philadelphia. 

There the fugitives arrived incessantly, having efl'ected their escape through 
by-ways and circuitous routes. The victors passed the night on the field of battle. 
If darkness had not arrived seasonably, it is very probable that the whole Ameri- 
can army would have been destroyed. The loss of the republicans was com- 
puted at about 300 killed, 600 wounded, and near 400 taken prisoners. They also 
lost ten field-pieces and a howitzer. The loss in the royal army was not in pro- 
portion, being something under 500, of which the slain did not amount to one-fifth. 



ADAM FOE'S FIGHT WITH THE INDIANS. 

A REMINISCENCE OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF PITTSBURG. 

About the year 1782, six or seven Wyandotte Indians crossed over to the south 
side of the Ohio River, 50 miles below Pittsburg, and in their hostile excursions 
among our early settlers killed an old man, whom they found alone in one of the 
houses which they plundered. The news soon spread among the white people, 
seven or eight of whom seized their rifles and pursued the marauders. In this 
party were two brothers named Adam and Andrew Poe, strong and active men, 
and much respected in the settlement. The Indians had frequently been over 
before, had sometimes penetrated 20 miles into the country, and had always suc- 
ceeded in recrossing the river without being overtaken by our people. The Poes 
and their companions were, therefore, particularly anxious not to let them escape 



PENNSYLVANIA. 51j 

on this occasion. They pursued them ail niglit, and in the morning found them- 
selves, as they expected, upon the right track. The Indians could now be easily 
followed by the traces left upon the dew. The print of one very large foot was 
seen, and it was thus known that a famous Indian of uncommon size and strength 
must be of the party. The track led to the river. Our people followed it di- 
rectly, Adam Poe excepted, who feared that they might be taken by surprise, and 
broke off from the rest to go along on the edge of the bank, under the cover of 
trees and bushes, and to fall upon the savages suddenly that he might get them 
between his own fire and that of his companions. At the point where he sus- 
pected they were, he saw the rafts, which they were accustomed to push before 
them when they swam the river, and on which they placed their blankets, toma- 
hawks, and guns. The Indians themselves he could not see, and was obliged to 
go partly down the bank to get a shot at them. As he descended, with his rifle 
cocked, he discovered two, the celebrated large Indian and a smaller one, sepa- 
rated from the others, holding their rifles also cocked in their hands. He took 
aim at the large one, but his rifle snapped without giving the intended fire. Tl;e 
Indians turned instantly at the sound. Poe was too near them to retreat, and 
had not time to cock and take aim again. Suddenly he leaped down upon them, 
and caught the large Indian by the clothes on his breast, and the small one by 
throwing an arm round his neck. They all fell together, but Poe was uppermost. 
While he was struggling to keep down the large Indian, the small one, at a word 
spoken by his fellow savage, slipped his neck out of Poe's embrace, and ran to 
the raft foe a tomahawk. The large Indian at this moment threw his arms about 
Poe's body, and held him fast that the other might come and kill him. Poo 
watched the approach and the descending arm of the small Indian so well tiuit at 
the instant of the intended stroke he raised his foot, and by a vigorous and skillul 
blow knocked the tomahawk from the assailant's hand. At this the large Indian 
cried out with an exclamation of contempt for the small one. The latter, how- 
ever, caught his tomahawk again, and approached more cautiously, waving hi>v 
arm up and down with mock blows to deceive Poe as to the stroke which was 
intended to be real and fatal. Poe, however, was so vigilant and active that he 
averted the tomahawk from his head, and received it upon his wrist, with a con- 
siderable wound, deep enough to cripjde, but not entirely to destroy the use of 
his hand. In this crisis of peril, he made a violent effort, and broke loose from 
the large Indian. He snatched a rifle and shot the small one through the breast 
as he ran up a third time with his lifted tomahawk. The large Indian was now 
on his feet, and, grasping Poe by the shoulder and the leg, hurled him in the air 
heels over head upon the shore. Poe instantly rose, and a new and more despe- 
rate struggle ensued. The bank was slippery, and they fell into the water, where 
each strove to drown the other. Their efforts were long and doubtful, each al- 
ternately under and half strangled, till Poe fortunately grasped, with his un- 
wounded hand, the tuft of hair upon the scalp of the Indian, and forced his hc.-ul 
into the water ; this appeared to be decisive of his fate, for soon he manifested all 
the symptoms of a drowning man bewildered in the moment of death. Poe re- 
laxed his hold, and discovered too late the stratagem. The Indian was instantly 
upon his feet again, and engaged anew in the fierce contest for life and victor}-. 
They were naturally carried further into the stream, and the current, becoming 
stronger, bore them beyond their depth. They were now compelled to loosen 
their hold upon each other, and to swim for mutual safety. Both sought Iho 
shore to seize a gun, but the Indian was the best swimmer, and gained it first. 
32 



516 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Poe then turned immediately back into the water to avoid a greater danger, 
meaning to dive, if possible, to escape the fire. Fortunately for him, the Indian 
caught up the rifle -which had been discharged into the breast of his smaller com- 
panion. At this critical juncture, Andrew, his brother, returned in haste, having 
left the party who had been in pursuit of the other Indians, and who had killed 
all but one of them, at the expense of three of their own lives. He heard that 
Adam was in great peril, and alone in the fight with two against him. One of 
our people, following not far in the rear of Andrew, mistook Adam in the water 
with his bloody hand for a wounded Indian, and fired a bullet into his shoulder. 
Adam cried out to his brother to kill the big Indian on the shore, but Andrew's 
gun had been discharged and was not again loaded. The contest was now be- 
tween the savage and Andrew. Each labored to load his rifle first. The Indian, 
after putting in his powder, and hurrying his motions to force down the ball 
drew out his ramrod with such violence as to throw it some yards into the water. 
While he ran to pick it up, Andrew gained an advantage, and shot the Indian 
just as he was raising his gun to his eye for a deadly aim. Andrew then jumped 
into the river to assist his wounded brother to the shore ; but Adam, thinking 
more of carrying the big Indian home as a trophy than of his own wounds, urged 
Andrew to go back and prevent the struggling savage from rolling himself into 
the current and escaping. Andrew, however, was too solicitous for the fate of 
Adam to allow him to obey, and the Indian, jealous of his honor as a warrior 
even in death, and knowing well the intention of his white conquerors, succeeded 
iu retaining life and action long enough to reach the current, by which his dead 
body was carried down beyond the chance of pursuit. 

This native was the most distinguished among five celebrated brothers belong- 
ing to the royal family of the tribe of Wyandottes. Notwithstanding he was 'en- 
gaged iu this predatory expedition, he was acknowledged by all to be peculiarly 
magnanimous for an Indian, and had contributed, more than any other individual, 
to preserve and extend the practice which was known to prevail in his tribe, thiU 
of not taking the lives of prisoners, and of not suffering them to be treated ill. 
This practice was an honorable distinction for the Wyandottes, as was well un- 
derstood by the white people who were traders with the Indians, and by those 
of our early settlers and brethren who had been made prisoners in war. It was 
a common remark among them, " If we become the prisoners of the Wyandottes, 
we shall be fortunate." The death of this large Indian and of his four brothers, 
who were all in the party, was more deeply lamented by the tribe, as was after- 
ward learned, than all the other losses sustained during the hostilities carried on 
between them and us. There -was a universal, solemn, and distressing mourning. 

Adam Poe recovered from his wounds, and gave this account in person to 
James Morrison, Esq., from whom we have received it, and by whom we are 
assnred that it is correct. The courage and enterprise, the suffering and forti- 
tude, the decision and perseverance of the early settlers of this western country, 
by whose labors we are now so peaceful and happy, ought not to be forgotten, 
but may well be related from time to time to excite in us the spirit of similar 
virtues, and to teach us how to consider the slight privations which we are, or 
may be, called to meet. Gratitude is more appropriate to our condition than 
discontent. 



DELAWARE. 

Area, 2,120 Square Milci^. 

Population in 1860, 112,216 

Population in 1870, 125,015 

The State of Delaware, one of the original members of the Union, 
is situated between 38° 28' and 39° 50' N. latitude, and 75° and 
75° 45' .W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, 
on the east by Delaware River and Bay (by which it is separated from 
New Jersey) and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south and west by 
Maryland. It is about 96 miles long, from north to south, and 37 
miles wide, from east to west. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the State is a fine rolling country, healthy and 
beautiful ; but the southern and central counties are low and generally 
sandy. The lower part of the State is occupied by a large cypress 
swamp. Just north of this swamp, is a slight elevation running north 
and south. It is occupied with swamps, in which rise the waters 
flowing into the Delaware Bay. This State and the eastern shore of 
Maryland, lying between the Delaware and Chesapeake bays, form 
a low peninsula, over which the salt air sweeps Avith but little to 
interrupt it. 

The Delaware River, which washes the eastern shore of the State, 
has been described. It is the principal stream. The Brandywine, 
which enters the State from Pennsylvania, on the north, and flows 
into the Delaware at Wilmington, is a fine mill stream. Indian River, 
which flows into the Atlantic in the southern part of the State, is the 
largest stream lying wholly within the limits of Delaware. A num- 

* 517 



518 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ber of creeks flow into Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, and the Nanti- 
coke and Choptauk rivers of Maryland rise in the southwestern part 
of the State. 

Delaware Bay is a large arm of the sea, separating the States of 
Delaware and New Jersey. It is 13 miles wide at its mouth. Cape 
Henlopen, on the southwestern side, is in Delaware ; and Cape May, 
on tlie northeast side, in New Jersey. The bay is 60 miles long, 
from the capes to the mouth of the Delaware River, and is 25 miles 
wide at its broadest part. It is considerably obstructed with shoals, 
which make its navigation difficult in many places. It offers the only 
harbor between New York and the Chesapeake ; And for the purpose of 
protecting it, the Government has erected, at a cost of over $2,000,000, 
a magnificent breakwater consisting of two sides, extending out from 
the Delaware shore at Cape Henlopen. The upper side protects the 
harbor thus formed from floating ice, and the lower side guards it 
from the violence of the waves of the sea. The breakwater is built 
of massive stone, and is one of the best in the world. 

MINERALS. 

Delaware is almost without mineral resources. Bog iron ore exists 
in the southern swamps ; and a fine white sand, used in making glass, 
is found near the head of Delaware Bay. Large quantities of it are 
shipped to New England. 

CLIMATE. 

The sea breeze, which sweeps over the entire State, renders the 
climate mild and pleasant, as a general rule; but the winters are 
sometimes severe and trying. The southern and central portions are 
afflicted with ague and fever, and are consequently unhealthy. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil in the southern portion of the State is sandy; in the centre 
it consists of a mixture of clay and sand ; and in the northern part 
it is a fine, fertile loam. Since the census of 1860, the State has 
made great progress in agriculture, and the cultivation of fruit has 
increased beyond the most sanguine expectations. The" abolition of 
slavery has drawn into the State a considerable emigration of small 
farmers from New England, and it is becoming one of the most pro- 
ductive sections of the Union. The peach crop is rarely a failure in 



DELAWARE. 519 

this State, and its small fruits, melons, and sweet potatoes have made 
it famous throughout the country. 

In 1869, there were 637,065 acres of improved, and 367,230 acres 
of unimproved land in Delaware. The other products for the same 
year were as follows : 

Cash value of farms (estimated), $31,426,357 

Value of farming implements and machinery 

(estimated), $820,000 

dumber of liorses, 25,160 

" asses and mules, 4,112 

" milch cows, 24,198 

" young cattle, 35,340 

" sheep, . . .• 19,540 

" swine, 51,360 

Value of domestic animals, $5,144,706 

Bushels of wheat, 830,000 

rye, 35,000 

" Indian com, 3,200,000 

" oats, 1,723,000 

'■' peas and beans, 8,438 

" potatoes, 200,000 

" barley, 6,000 

" buckwheat, 12,000 

Poimds of butter, , 1,430,502 

" cheese, ........... 6,579 

" beeswax and honey, 68,130 

Tons of hay, 30,000 

COMMERCE. 

Delaware has but little direct foreign trade, almost the entire busi- 
ness of the State passing through the ports of Philadelphia and Balti- 
more. In 1863, the tonnage owned in the State amounted to 25,963. 
Delaware exports large quantities of fruit to the northern States, 
together with a considerable quantity of lumber from her swamps. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The only manufacturing town in Delaware is Wilmington; but 
manufacturing establishments are located in various parts of the State. 
In 1870, the State contained 800 establishments devoted to manufac«« 
tures. They employed 9710 hands and a capital of $10,839,093, 
oxjusumed raw material worth $10,206,397, and yielded an annual 
product of $16,791,382. The following is a detailed statement of the 
value of the principal manufactures in 1870: 



520 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Cotton goods, $1,060,898 

Woollen goods, 569,721 

Leather, 2,050,846 

Steam engines and machinery, 839,428 

Agricultural implements 41,325 

Sawed and planed Lumber, 466,941 

Flour, 2,037,401 

Boots and shoes, 490,698 

Carriages, 842,176 

The railroad cars and gunpowder of Wihningtou rank high 
amongst the products of the State, but no estimates of them are 
at hand. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The principal public work in the State is the Canal, extending en- 
tirely across the State and connecting Delaware and Chesapeake bays. 
It is 16 miles long, 66 feet wide at the surface, 10 feet deep, and is pro- 
vided with two lift and two tide locks, 100 feet long by 22 feet wide. 
It was completed in 1829, cost $2,750,000, and affords /nland steam 
communication between Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. 
Near the eastern end of the canal, is the famous " deep cut," an ex- 
cavation 90 feet deep, and 6 miles long, through which the canal 
passes. 

A railroad from Philadelphia to Baltimore, the main line of the 
through travel between the North and the South, extends across the 
northern part of the State. The Delaware Railroad extends from 
Wilmington through the centre of the State to the lower part of the 
eastern shore of Maryland. A branch road leads off from the main 
stem to Easton, Md., and another into the eastern part of Sussex 
county. Owing to the extreme narrowness of the State, the Delaware 
road brings every part of it below Wilmington within direct rail- 
road communication with all parts of the Union. In 1872, the State 
contained 227 miles of completed railroads, constructed at a cost of 
about $7,000,000. The Delaware road, it should be added, connects 
with steamers for Norfolk at Crisfield, Md., and thus forms the most 
direct route from Norfolk to Philadelphia and New York. 

EDUCATION. 

There is no regular public school system in Delaware, as in the 
other Middle States. The counties and towns are left to themselves 
in their efforts to provide public instruction. The State makes an 



DELAWARE. 521 

annual appropriation for tli'm purpose, of 50 cents for each pupil in 
Sussex and Kent counties, and 20 cents for each pupil in Newcastle 
county. In 1870, there were 326 public schools in the State, with 
17,835 pupils. The number is about the same at present. 

A State Normal School was established in 1866. Besides tiiis, 
there are two colleges in the State with about 90 students. Delaware 
College is located at Newark, and St. Mary^s College at Wilmington. 
The schools being closed to colored children, about 24 colored schools 
have been opened in various parts of the State. 

In 1870, the State contained 473 libraries, of which over 200 were 
public. There were 14 political papers — 1 daily, 10 weekly, and 3 
semi-weekly — and 1 literary paper (a weekly) published in Delaware. 
They had a total annual circulation of 1,607,840 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

Delaware maintains its insane, deaf, dumb, and blind, in the insti- 
tutions of other States, and has no such establishments of its own. 
The State is also without a penitentiary. Criminals are confined in 
the county jails. Until within a year or two, many offences were 
punished by whipping at the public whipping-post, and standing in 
the pillory. As late as the 5th of December, 1868, a scene of this 
kind occurred at Newcastle. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in Delaware was $1,823,950. 
The number of churches was 252. 

FINANCES. 

At the beginning of the year 1871, the aggregate indebtedness of 
the State of Delaware amounted to $1,632,000, an increase of $1 76,000 
in two years. The State has investments amounting to $1,074,150, 
which is $224,000 more than it held at the beginning of 1869. The 
receipts of the Treasury for the year 1870 were $120,577. 

In 1868, there were 11 National Banks in Delaware, with an aggre- 
gate capital of $1,428,185. 

GOVERNMENT. 

In this State every free male citizen, 22 years of age, who has re- 
sided one year in the State, and for the last month of this year in the 



522 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS llESOniCES. 

county, and who has paid a county tax assessed at least 6 months be- 
fore the election, is entitled to vote; but free male citizens between 
21 and 22 years of age may vote without paying taxes, provided they 
have complied with the other conditions. 

The Government is conducted by a Governor, and Legislature con- 
sisting of a Senate (of 9 members) and a House of Representatives 
(of 21 members), all elected by the people. The Secretary of State is 
appointed by the Governor, and serves for 4 years. The Attorney- 
General is appointed in the same way, and holds office 5 years. The 
State Treasurer and Auditor are elected by the Legislature for 2 years. 
The Governor serves for 4 years, and the members of the Legislature 
for 2 years. The Legislature meets once in two years. 

The Judiciary consists of a Court of Errors and Appeals, Superior 
Court, Court of Chancery, Orphans' Court, Court of Oyer and Ter- 
miner, Court of General Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery, 
Register's Court, and Justices of the Peace. The Chancellor is the 
principal Judge of the State. 

Dover, in Kent county, is the capital. 

For purposes of government, Delaware is divided into three coun- 
ties, viz : Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex. 

HISTORY. 

The first settlements in this State were made by the Swedes and 
Finns, in 1627. As we have shown in the sketch of Pennsylvania, 
they were conquered by the Dutch, in 1655, and turned over to the 
English when New York passed into their hands, in 1664. Dela- 
ware formed a. part of the territory granted to William Penn, in 1682 ; 
and from that time until the Revolution, continued to form a part of 
Pennsylvania. It was allowed a se))arate Assembly about the year 
1701, but remained subject to the authority of the Governor of Penn- 
sylvania until 1776, when it was granted an independent existence. 
It adopted a State Constitution, on the 20th of September, 1776, and 
was received into the Union of the States. The province bore its ilill 
share of the burdens of the wars with France; and in the Revohitiou, 
the Delaware regiment was known as one of the most efficient in tlie 
army. On the 7th of December, 1787, the State ratified the Consti- 
tution of the United States; and in 17i)2, a new State Constitution 
was adopted. 

In 1865, slavery was abolished in the State by the ratification of an 



DELAWARE. 523 

amendment to the Federal Constitution. The number of slaves was 
1798 in 1860, but had been considerably reduced by 1865. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Wilmington Is the largest town in the State, The other places of 
importance are, Smyrna, Dover, Newcastle, Delaware City, Seaford, 
and Lewes. 

DOVER, 

The capital of the State, Is situated in Kent county, on Jones' Creek, 5 
miles above the Delaware River. It is 50 miles south from Wilmington, 
and 1 14 northeast from Washington City. The town is prettily situated 
on high ground, and is built mostly of brick. The streets are wide 
and cross each other at right-angles, and are prettily shaded with trees. 
The town contains a fine State House, and the buildings devoted to 
the public offices, all of which face an open and tastefully ornamented 
square. The railway from Wilmington to Crisfield, Md., passes 
through Dover, which is thus brought in communication with all 
parts of the State. There are several flourishing schools in Dover, 
4 churches, and 1 newspaper office. Many of the residences are 
handsome and attractive. In 1870, the population was 1913. 

WILMINGTON, 

The largest and most important city of the State, Is situated in New- 
castle county, on Christiana Creek, just above its junction with the 
Brandywine, and within 2 miles of the Delaware River. It is 28 
miles southwest of Philadelphia, and 108 miles northeast of Washing- 
ton City. It is built on the southern slope of a hill, the summit of 
which is 110 feet above tide-water. The upper portions of the city 
command excellent views of the Delaware River and the surrounding 
country. The general plan of Wilmington is regular, with wide, 
straight streets intersecting each other at right-angles. The buildings 
are principally of brick, and give to the city a substantial air, which 
is being greatly improved of late by the frequent Introduction of stone 
in the more modern edifices. The principal business thoroughfare is 
Market street, about a mile in length. It extends from the Chris- 
tiana to the Brandywine, intersects the other streets at right-angles, 
and crosses each of the creeks named by a handsome " SfH^e. Street 
railways connect the principal points of the city. 



524 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RE80UKCES. 




S5~SV??59 



PEACH FAK3I. 



Tlie Public Buildings are the Town Hall, the Custom House, a fine 
granite structure, and the Institute. The Roman Catholic College, about 
10 public schools, and 7 or 8 private schools constitute the educa- 
tional establishments. The Institute contains a spacious hall, a scien- 
tific lecture-roora, and a library of over 8000 volumes. The city also 
contains a large hospital, an alms-house, and about 30 churches ; is 
supplied with pure water from the Brandywine, and is lighted with 
gas. It has a well organized police force, and a steam fire department. 
It is governed by a Mayor and Council. Five newspapers are pub- 
lished here. 

Wilmington is accessible to steamers and ships, and is connected 
with Philadelphia and Baltimore by railway. It is also the northern 
terminus of the Delaware Railway. It is a place of considerable 
trade, and is also largely engaged in manufactures. The principal of 
these are iron steamboats, railway cars, steam engines, railroad wheels, 
locomotive and car springs, mill machinery, other iron goods, powder, 
carriages, flour, leather, shoes, cotton and woollen goods, and agricul- 
tural implements. 



THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



• » I 



MARYLAND. 

• 

Area,, 9,356 Square Miles * 

Population in 1860, 687,049 

Population in 1870, 780,894 

The State of Maryland, one of the original members of the Union, 
i.i situated between 38° and 39° 44' N. latitude, and 75° 10' and 79° 
20' W. longitude. It is 190 miles long from east to west in the ex- 
treme northern part, and 120 miles wide from north to south in the 
extreme eastern part. Its width, however, varies greatly in different 
localities. It is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east 
by Delaware, on the south by Virginia and West Virginia, and oa 
the west by West Virginia. It is separated from the two Virginias 
on the south by the Potomac River. The District of Columbia, the 
seat of the Federal Government, lies on the banks of the Potomac, in 
the southwestern part of the State, and originally formed a part of 
the State of Maryland. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The Chesapeake Bay divides the State into two unequal portions, 
called the Eastern and Western Shore. The Western Shore is about 
twice the size of the Eastern, and comprises the more important part 
of the State. The Eastern Shore is mostly level, or at the best 
slightly rolling. The 'surface of the Western Shore rises as it recedes 
from the bay, and west of Baltimore is rugged and mountainous. The 
Alleghany Mountains cross the State in the western part, and are 
known as the Southeast Mountain, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Catoctin, 
Blue Ridge, Kittatinny, Rugged Mountain, and Will's Mountain. 

* This estimate is exclusive of the area occupied by the Bay. Including 
the Chesapeake, the area of the State is about 11,124 square miles. 

525 



526 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The State is not over 6 or 7 miles wide in the greater part of this re- 
gion, but it is rich in magnificent scenery. 

The Chesapeake Bay lies in the eastern part of the State, and di- 
vides it, as we have stated, into two unequal portions. Tt receives 
the waters of the Susquehanna at its head, the Elk, Chester, 
Sassafras, Choptank, and Nanticoke rivers from the Eastern 
Shore, and the Patapsco, Patuxent, and Potomac from the Western. 
The bay is about 200 miles long, and for 120 miles lies entirely in 
Maryland. The lower part, from the mouth of the Potomac, lies in 
Virginia. Its northern point is called Cape Charles, and its southern 
Cape Henry. The width between these capes is 12 miles. Above 
this the bay varies in width from 10 to 40 miles. Its shores are 
thickly studded with inlets, many of which are fine harbors. It is 
navigable for the largest ships nearly to its head, and for steamers 
into the Susquehanna. It is one of the most beautiful sheets of water 
in the world. After passing the southern boundary of Maryland, it 
receives the waters of the Rappahannock, York, and James rivers, 
of Virginia, on its western side. It connects Alexandria, Norfolk, 
and Richmond, in Virginia, Washington City, in the District of 
Columbia, and Baltimore, in Maryland, with the sea. An immense 
trade is carried on over its waters. 

TJje Chesapeake is famous for the abundance and variety of the 
game which it furnishes. Its oysters are world-renowned, and seem 
inexhaustible. The bay and inlets abound in a variety of the finest 
fish and terrapin, and other salt-water delicacies are found all along 
its shores. These waters supply the principal markets of the Eastern 
States with such delicacies. *' There is," says Dr. Lewis, in the 
"American Sportsman," "no place in our wide extent of country where 
wild fowl shooting is followed with so much ardor as on the Chesa- 
peake Bay and its tributaries, not only by those who make a comfort- 
able living from the business, but also by gentlemen who resort to 
these waters from all parts of the adjoining States to participate in 
the enjoyments of this far-famed ducking ground. All species of 
wild fowl come here in numbers beyond credence, and it is really ne- 
cessary for a stranger to visit the region if he wishes to form a just 
idea of the wonderful multitudes and numberless varieties of ducks 
that darken these waters, and hover in interminable flocks over these 
famed feeding grounds. It is not, however, the variety or extraor- 
dinary numbers of ducks on the Chesapeake that particularly attract 
the steps of so many shooters to these parts, as there are other rivers 



MARYLAND. 



527 




OYSTER nSHI^STG. 



and streams equally aceessible where wild fowl also abound. But the 
great magnet that makes these shores the centre of attraction, is the 
presence of the far-famed Canvass- Back, that here alone acquires its 
peculiar delicacy of flavor, while feeding upon the shores and flats of 
these waters." 

"The canvass-backs," says Dr. Sharpless, of Philadelphia, in a 
paper contributed to "Audubon's Birds of America," "pass up and 
down the bay, from river to river, in their morning and evening 
flights, giving, at certain localities, great opportunities for destruction. 
They pursue, even in their short passages, very much the order of 
their migratory movements, flying in a line of baseless triangle: and 
when the wind blows on the points which may lie in their course, the 
sportsman has great chance of success. These points or courses of 
the ducks are materially affected by the winds; for they avoid, if pos- 
sible, an approach to the sliore; but when a strong breeze sets tliem 
on to these projections of the land, they are compelled to pass within 
shot, and often over the land itself In the Susquehanna and Elk 
rivers there are few of these points for shooting, and there success 



528 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUFCES. 

depends on approaching them while on their feeding grounds. After 
leaving the eastern point at the raouth of the Susquehanna and Tur- 
key Point, the western side of the Elii River, which are both mode- 
rately good for flying shooting, the first place of much celebrity is 
the Narrows, between Spesutic Island and the western shore. These 
Narrows are about 3 miles in length, and from 300 to 500 yards in 
breadth. By the middle of November, the oanvass-backs, in particu- 
lar, begin to feed in this passage, and the entrance and outlet, as well 
as many intermediate spots, become very successful stations. A few 
miles down the western shore is Taylor's Island, which is situated at 
the mouth of the Rumney and Abbey Island, at the mouth of Bush 
River, which are both celebrated for ducks, as Avell as for swans and 
geese. These are the most northerly points where large fowl are met 
with, and projecting out between deep coves, where immense numbers 
of these birds feed, they possess great advantages. The south point 
of Bush River, Legoe's Point, and Robbins' and Pickett's points, 
near Gunpowder River, are famous localities. Immediately at the 
mouth of this river is situated Carroll's Island, which has long been 
known as a great shooting ground. Maxwell's Point, as well as some 
others up other rivers, and even further down the bay, are good 
places, but less celebrated than those mentioned. Most of these places 
are let out as shooting grounds for companies and individuals, and 
are esteemed so valuable that intruders are severely treated." Nor- 
folk, Virginia, on the Elizabeth River, at the lower extremity of the 
bay, is the depot for the receipt and sale of the game taken in the 
Chesapeake, and there the best purchases can be made. The sport, 
as all who have joined in it full well know, is not without its diffi- 
culties and its dangers. Says the learned doctor from whom we have 
already quoted : " Notwithstanding the apparent facilities that are of- 
fered of success, the amusement of duck-shooting is probably one of 
the most exposing to cold and wet; and those who undertake its en- 
joyment without a courage 'screwed to the sticking-point,' will soon 
discover that ' to one good a thousand ills oppose.' It is, indeed, no 
parlor sport; for, after creeping through mud and mire, often for 
hundreds of yards, to be at last disappointed, and stand exposed on 
points to the ' pelting rain or more than freezing cold,' for hours, 
without even the promise of a shot — would try the patience of even 
Franklin's 'glorious nibbler.' It is, however, replete with excite- 
ment and charm. To one who can enter on the pleasure with a sys- 
tem formed for polar cold, and a spirit to endure the weary toil of 



MARYLAND. 529 

many a stormy day, it will yield a harvest of health and delight that 
the roamer of the woods can rarely enjoy." 

The rivers of the State are little more than arms of the bay. 

The PatapsGo River rises in Carroll county, in the northern part of 
the ^State. It flows southward as far as the line of Baltimore and 
Anne Arundel counties, where it turns to the east, forming the boun- 
dary between those counties, and emptying into the Chesapeake, 14 
miles east of Baltimore City. It is about 80 miles long. Until it 
reaches the border of Anne Arundel county,, it flows through a hilly 
country, and, being broken by numerous falls, forms a fine mill 
stream. It flows into the bay through a wide estuary about 14 miles 
long, and 3 miles wide, which is navigable to Baltimore for the 
largest ships. The Patuxent River rises about 18 miles southeast of 
Frederick City, and flowing south-southeast between the counties of 
Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles, and St. Mary's, on the right, 
and Howard, Anne Arundel, and Calvert, on the left, empties into 
Chesapeake Bay, through a broad estuary, 3 or 4 miles wide. The 
river is 90 miles long, and is navigable for about 48 or 50 miles from 
its mouth. It flows through a fine agricultural region. The Chop- 
tank River rises in Kent county, Delaware, and flows into the Chesa- 
peake Bay, between Dorchester and Talbot counties, on the Eastern 
Shore of Maryland. About 20 miles from its mouth, it spreads out 
into a broad estuary, 3 or 4 miles wide, which affords some of the 
finest water scenery in America. It is about 100 miles long, is navi- 
gable for steamers for about 40 miles, for sloops for 10 or 15 miles 
higher, and lies for the greater part in Maryland. The other rivers 
are the Elk, Sassafras, Chester, Pocomoke, and Nanticoke. These, 
with the bay itself, cut up the Eastern Shore into so many inlets that 
vessels can lie alongside the shores of the majority of the farms in that 
part of the State and receive the crops on board. 

Kent Island, in Chesapeake Bay, opposite Annapolis, forms a part 
of Queen Anne's county, and is famous as having been the site of the 
first English settlement in the State. 

MINERALS. 

Coal and iron are found in large quantities in the western part of 
the State, and of the very best qualities. Copper is found in Frederlcl: 
and Carroll counties, where important mines are located. Cobalt is 
found along the Patapsco, and traces of nickel have been discovered 



530 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in some of the copper mines. Lignites occur in quantities in Anne 
Arundel county, mixed with amber and iron pyrites. Ahim, porce- 
lain-clay, lime, chrome, manganese, magnesia, barytes, marble, marl, 
and ochres are also found, and gold has been discovered. 

CLIMATE. 

Lying between the Northern and Southern States, Maryland does 
not share the extremes of the temperature of either section, but ])0s- 
sesses a climate noted for its evenness and mildness. The breezes I'roni 
the bay sweep over the greater part of the State, and add much to 
this effect. The country along the bay and its tributaries, however, 
is sickly, being afflicted with chills and fevers. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of the eastern shore is sandy in the lower part, but consists 
of mixtures of clay and sand above the Choptank River. The lands 
of Talbot county are among the finest in the State. The southern 
counties of the western shore have also a sandy soil, but that of the 
other counties is very fertile. That of Frederick county M'ill compare 
in productiveness with any in the Union. The agriculture of the 
State is backward. Manures have been but little used, although lime 
and marl exist in considerable quantities in the State. A change for 
the better has taken place of late, however. The abolition of slavery 
has opened the way for the small formers of New England and the 
Middle States, who are settling in the State, especially upon the eastern 
shore, in great numbers. Great attention is being paid to the growing 
of fruits, to which this State is peculiarly adapted. Large quantities 
of peaches and small fruits are annually sent to northern markets. 
Tobacco also forms an important staple. The land is easily brought 
to a high state of fertility, and in the eastern counties the winters are 
short and mild. Horses in the sandy counties do not require to be 
shod, and many of the farms having water boundaries need little or 
no fencing. 

In 1869 there were about 3,002,269 acres of improved, and 
1,833,306 acres of unimproved land in the State. The other products 
for the same year may be stated as follows : 

Number of horses, 99,112 

" asses and mules, 11,310 

" milch cows, 100,030 



MARYLAND. 531 

IT umber of young cattle, 170,110 

" sheep, 160,211 

" swine, 398,120 

Value of domestic animals, $15,667,853 

Bushels of wheat, 7,733,000 

" rye, 182,000 

" Indian corn, 12,300,000 

" oats, 7,100,000 

" peas and beans, 39,407 

" potatoes, 1,050,000 

" barley, 24,000 

" buckwheat, 150,000 

Hhds of tobacco 25,000 

Pounds of wool (estimated), 500,000 

" butter, 5,265,295 

" cheese, * . . . 8,342 

Tons of hay, 191,000 

COMMERCE. 

Baltimore is the chief commercial city of the State, and is actively 
engaged in an important trade with the Southern and Western States, 
and with Europe. The tonnage owned in the State in 1863 was 
288,860. During the same year the exports of the State amounted to 
$12,089,072, and the imports to $4,484,399. The coal of this State 
is coming into considerable prominence as fuel for steamers, and an 
important trade is carried on with all parts of the world in canned 
fruits, vegetables, oysters, etc., prepared in the Bay counties and in 
Baltimore. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Maryland is extensively engaged in manufactures. In 1870 there- 
were 5812 establishments in the State devoted to manufactures, min- 
ing, and the mechanic arts. They employed a capital of $36,438,729 
and 44,860 hands, consumed raw material worth $46,897,032, and 
returned an annual product of $76,593,613. The value of the prin- 
cipal manufactures for 1870 was as follows: 

Cotton goods, $4,852,808 

Woollen goods, 390,036 

Leather, 2,084,696 

Pig iron, 2,143,089 

Kolled iron, 3,573,212 

Steam engines and machinery, 954,866 

Agricultural imi)lements, 549,085 

Sawed and planed lumber, 1,976,328 

Flour, 6,786,459 

33 



"^32 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Copper, $1,026,500 

Spirituous and malt liquors, 1,555,004 

Boots and shoes, 3,111,076 

Furniture, 1,399,488 

Soap and candles, 521,439 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Maryland was one of the first States in the Union to engage in 
internal improvements. Her first effort was to build the Chesapeake 
and Ohio Canal, between Washington City and Cumberland. This 
work cost her over $7,000,000, Ijut has never been a source of profit 
to her. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, extending from Baltimore 
across the mountains to the Ohio River, at AVheeling, West Ya,, is 
one of the most important lines in the Union, and was the first ever 
• opened in this country for purposes of general travel. Baltimore is 
connected with all the important towns of the State, and with all 
>j)arts of the Union. In 1872, the State contained 820 miles of com- 
pleted railroads (including a few miles in the District of Columbia\ 
coiiBtructed at a cost of about $45,000,000. The total length of canals 
in the State is about 200 miles. 

EDUCATION. 

Until recently the public school system of Maryland was not in 
keeping with the traditional enterprise and public spirit of the State. 
Since the close of the war, however, the system has been reorganized 
and established upon a much better plan. 

The supervision of schools is rested in a State Board, County Boards, 
and School District Boards. The State Board consists of four members, 
appointed by the Governor. The principal of the State Normal 
School is ex-qfficio a membor of this board. The State Board has the 
general control of the educational system of the State. Each county 
is in charge of a Board of County School Commissioners, appointed 
by the judges of the Circuit Court, and consisting of three members. 
Each District Board consists of three persons, appointed by the County 
School Commissioners. The County Commissioners appoint County 
l^lxaminers, who have power to grant to teachers, after examination, 
certificates of two grades, which are good for three years, but no 
longer. A State tax of 10 cents on each one hundred dolhirs of tax- 
able property throughout the State is to be levied annually for the 
support ;)f the schools. 



MARYLAND. 533 

The State Normal School is located in Baltimore, and was opened 
in January, 1866. In September, of the same year, a Model School 
was added to it. A liberal provision is made for a system of colored 
schools thoiighout the State. 

The schools of the city of Baltimore are distinct from those of the 
State, and are controlled by the municipal authorities. They have 
long been noted for their excellence. The school system in the city is 
of far older date than that of the State. 

In 1870 Maryland contained 1347 public schools, exclusive of those 
of Baltimore City, attended by 75,402 children. The total amount 
expended upon the public schools in tbe same year was $751,310. 

The principal collegiate institutions are ^yashington College, at 
Chcstertown ; St. John's College, at Annapolis; St. Mary's College, 
at Baltimore ; St. Charles's College, at Ellicott's Mills ; Mount St. 
Mary's College, at Emmittsbnrg; the College of St. James, in Wash- 
ington county; St. John's College, at Frederick City; St. Mary's 
Theological Seminary, at Baltimore; the Medical School of the Uni- 
versity of Maryland, Washington Medical College, the College of 
Deiital Surgery, and Baltimore Female College, at Baltimore; and 
the State Agricultural College, in Prince George's county. They are 
all prosperous. During the war some of them were temporarily 
closed, but all are again in operation. The State supports the Agri- 
cultural College, and assists St. John's College, at Annapolis, Wash- 
ington College, at Cbestertown, and the Baltimore Female College, at 
Baltimore City. 

There were in Maryland, in 1870, about 3353 libraries, containing 
1,713,483 volumes. 

In the same year the number of newspapers and periodicals pub- 
lished in the State was as follows: daily 8, tri-weekly 1, weekly 69, 
miscellaneous 10. In the same year several literary and religious 
papers were published in the State. The political journals had an 
aggregate annual circulation of 31,858,514 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The city of Baltimore is well provided with penal and charitable 
establishments of its own. Those of the State are the Penitentiary 
and the Hospital for the Insane. 

The Maryland Penitentiary is located at Baltimore. Extensive 
additions have been made to its buildings, of late, but there is still a 



53 i OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

deficiency in the accommodations provided for the prisoners. In No« 
vember, 1867, the number of inmates was 679. 

The Maryland Hospital for the Insane, at Baltimore, is an excel- 
lent institution, and is liberally supported by the State. In January, 
1868, it contained 113 patients. Two classes are received here — 
State patients, and those who pay their own expenses. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in Maryland was $12,038,650. 
The number of churches was 1389. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874, the public debt of the State was $11,095,019. The re 
ceipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 1874, 
were $2,842,012, and the expenditures $2,276,906. 

In 1868, there were 32 National Banks, with a total capital of 
|1 2,790,202, doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

In this State every male citizen of the United States, twenty-one 
years old, who has resided one year in the State and six months in 
the county, is entitled to vote at the elections. The first Constitution 
of Maryland was adopted in August, 1776. It has been changed 
several times, the present Constitution having been adopted in 1867. 
The Government is vested in a Governor (elected by the people for 
four years), a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 24 members, 
elected for four years, one-half going out of office every two years), 
and House of Delegates (of 86 members, elected for two years), a 
Comptroller, and Treasurer, elected for two years, a Secretary of State, 
and an Attorney-General and Superintendent of Labor and Agricul- 
ture, elected for four years. The Governor, Legislature, Comptroller, 
Attorney-General, and Superintendent of Labor are chosen by the 
people, the Treasurer by the Legislature, and the Secretary of State 
and other officers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the 
Senate. No person holding an office under the United States, and no 
minister of the gospel is eligible to a seat in either house. The Leg- 
islature meets biennially. The general election is held in November. 

The Court of Appeals consists of the Chief Judges of the first seven 
judicial districts of the State, and a judge from the city of Baltimore, 



MARYLAND. 535 

who is specially elected for that purpose. The Chief Justice Is nomi- 
nated by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Four of the 
judges constitute a quorum, but a decision cannot be rendered with- 
out the concurrence of at least three. The judge who tried the cause 
in the lower court, is not allowed to participate in the decision in this 
court. The court has appellate jurisdiction only, but that in all parts 
of the State. The other courts are the Circuit Courts of the counties, 
Orphans' Courts, and Justices' Courts, held by justices of the jieace. 
Besides these are the several courts — Superior, Circuit, and Criminal — 
of Baltimore City. 

Annapolis, in Anne Arundel county, is the capital. 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into 22 counties. 

HISTORY. 

The first settlement in the State was made on Kent Island, in 
Chesapeake Bay, in the year 1631, by Captain William Clayborne, 
with a party of men from Virginia. On the 20th of June, the terri- 
tory of Terra Mariae, or Mary's Land, so named in honor of Queen 
Henrietta Maria of England, was granted by Charles I. to Cecilius 
Calvert, second Lord Baltimore. Calvert sent out a colony in two 
vessels, the Ark and the Dove, in November, 1G33. This expedition 
reached St. Clement's Island on the 25th of March, 1634, and on the 
27th founded the settlement of St. Mary's (in what is now St. Mary's 
county), on the mainland. The expedition was composed mainly of 
Catholic gentlemen, their families, and followers, and was in charge 
of Leonard Calvert, the brother of Lord Baltimore, who was ap- 
pointed Governor. As soon as the colony was firmly established, 
other emigrants came from England in considerable numbers, and 
Qlayborne, having refused to submit to the authority of the Gover- 
nor, was driven from Kent Island. The Indians gave the settk'rs 
some trouble, but were promptly made to keep the peace. The first 
Legislative Assembly met in 1639. 

In 1642, a band of Puritans, expelled from Virginia for refusing 
to conform to the worship of the Church of England, settled in Mary- 
land, and were not long in giving evidences of their determination to 
disregard the authority of the rightful government of the province. 
Clayborne also came back and regained possession of Kent Island. 
The Governor made an effort to expel him, but he and his followers, 
aided by the Puritan settlers, not only defeated this cfibrt, but seized 



536 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the government of the province, and forced Calvert to fly into Vir- 
ii,inia, in 1644. Clayborno held the control of affairs until 1646, 
when Calvert entered the province at the head of a considerable force, 
and reestablished the authority of the proprietary. In 1649, the As- 
sembly enacted this wise statute : " Whereas the enforcing of the con- 
silience in matters of religion hath frequently fallen out to be of 
dangerous consequences in those Commonwealths where it has been 
practised, and for the more quiet and peaceful •governn'.ent of this 
Province, and the better to preserve mutual love and amity among 
the inhabitants, no person within this Province, professing to believe 
in Jesus Christ, shall be anyways troubled, molested, or discounte- 
nanced for his or her religion, or in the free exercise thereof." 

The Puritans gave great trouble to the colony. They had founded 
tiie town of Providence, which was afterwards called Annapolis, and 
were centred mainly in that part of the State. Finally they were 
granted the county of Charles. Upon the establishment of the Com- 
monwealth in England, they insisted that the colony ought to submit 
to it, but the authorities proclaimed Charles II, When the Assembly 
met again, it was found that the Puritans were largely in excess of 
the followers of the Proprietary. In 1652, the Commissioners sent 
out from England by the Parliament arrived, and completely estab- 
lisiied the authority of the Commonwealth. Governor Stone, the 
representative of Lord Baltimore, was removed. One of the Com- 
missioners referred to was no other than Clay borne, the old enemy 
of Lord Baltimore. Kent Island was given up to him, and he wa> 
also assigned Palmer Island, at the month of the Susquehanna River. 
In 1654, Lord Baltimore made a vigorous attempt by force of arms 
to regain his rights. A bitter contest was begun, and continued Avith 
alternate success and failure until March 25th, 1655, when Lord 
Baltimore's forces made an attack on Providence (Annapolis), and 
were repulsed with terrible slaughter by the Puritans, the whole force 
being killed or captured. Governor Stone was among the ]>risoners, 
a! I of whom were condemned to death. It is known that at least four 
of them were executed. The Puritans continued to hold the govern- 
ment until 1657, when Loi'd Baltimore's rights Avere restored, and his 
brother Philip Calvert appointed Governor. His family continued 
to hold the government imtll 1688, when William and Mary, having 
come to the throne of England, assumed the control of the Province. 
i'\-om this time the Governor was appointed by the Crown, until 
1714, when Benedict Charles Calvert, the lineal heir of the first pro- 



MARYLAND. 537 

prietor, was granted the government again. Unlike the rest of his 
family, he was a Protestant, which was the cause of his succession to 
his hereditary rights. 

In 1G91, tlie seat of government was transferred to Providence, the 
name of which was changed to Annapolis. In 1695, a post route, the 
first in America, was established from the Potomac, through Anna- 
polis, to Philadelphia. In 1729, the town of Baltimore was founded, 
Frederick City in 1745, and Georgetown (now in the District of 
Columbia) in 1751. By 1756 the population of the colony had in- 
creased to 154,188 souls, of whom over 40,000 were negroes. The 
colony also increased in material prosperity. By the year mentioned 
above, the annual export of tobacco was 30,000 hogsheads, and, in 
spite of the efforts of the home government to prevent it, there were 
8 furnaces and 9 forges for smelting copper in operation in the 
province. 

During the wars with France, Maryland contributed liberally to 
the common cause. Between 1754 and 1758, her western frontier 
suffered severely from the savages, whose outrages were stopped only 
by the capture of Fort Duquesne, 

The colony offered a spirited resistance to the injustice of the home 
Government, and promptly made common cause in this matter with 
the other provinces. The outbreak of the Revolution caused the 
overthrovn. of the proprietary government, which patriotically sub- 
mitted to the necessity, and in August, 1776, a Convention of the 
people adopted a State Constitution, which went into immediate ope- 
ration. The State made liberal contributions of men and money for 
the maintenance of the war. The " Maryland Line " won a name in 
this struggle, which is one of the most precious legacies they have left 
to their children. Congress assembled at Baltimore, and afterwards 
at Annapolis, towards the close of the war, and it was at the latter 
place that Washington resigned his commission, on the 23d of Decem- 
ber, 1783. Upon the close of the war, great and successful efforts 
were made to settle the Avestern part of the State. Maryland ratified 
the Federal Constitution April 28th, 1788. 

During the war of 1812, the shores of the Chesapeake Bay were 
brutally ravaged by a British fleet commanded by Admiral Cockburn. 
Frenchtown, Havre de Grace, Frederictown, and Georgetown were 
sacked and burned. The militia of the State were defeated at Bla- 
densburg, where they attempted to arrest the march of the Britisli 
upon Washington City, in 1814. They repulsed the same force /I 



538 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

North Point, near Baltimore, on the 13th of September, 1814, and 
killed the British Commander, General E-oss; and on the 14th re- 
pulsed the attack of the enemy's fleet upon Fort McHenry, which 
protected the entrance to the city of Baltimore. 

When the question of establishing a seat of Government was 
brought up, near the close of the last century, Maryland granted to 
the United States 60 square miles of her territory, lying near tlie falls 
of the Potomac. Virginia united with her, and added enough of her 
own territory to make the grant consist of 100 square miles. The 
offer was accepted by the United States, and the District of Columbia 
was erected. The seat of Government was transferred to it in 1800. 

At the outbreak of the late war^ it was generally supposed that 
Maryland would secede from the Union, and join the other States of 
the South in their attempt to establish a new Confederacy. This 
course would undoubtedly have been pursued, had the State been 
free to act as it wished; but at the first opening of the struggle, it 
was promptly occupied by the forces of the General Government. 
During the war, it was nominally allowed to control its own affairs, 
but was really held down by force until the cessation of hostilities. 
It was invaded three times by a Confederate araiy, and, with the 
District of Columbia, formed the base from Avhicli the operations of 
the Federal Army of the Potomac were conducted. The battles of 
South Mountain and Antietam, or Sharpsburg, and Monocaoy Bridge, 
near Frederick City, were fought in the western part of the State ; 
and Maryland Heights, opposite Harper's Ferry, on the Potomac, 
bore a prominent part in the military operations around that place. 
Raiding parties entered the State repeatedly from Virginia, penetrat- 
ing upon one occasion beyond Baltimore, and a number of minor 
conflicts occurred between these parties and detachments of the Union 
army. During the war, the State furnished a considerable force to 
the army and navy of the United States; but a much larger number 
of native Mary landers crossed the Putouiac and entered the Southern 
army. 

Slavery was abolished by a State Convention in 1864. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the most important cities and towns in the 
State are, Baltimore, Frederick, Cumberland, Cambridge, Easton, and 
Chestertown. 



MARYLAND. 539 

ANNAPOLIS, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Anne Arundel county, on the 
south or riglit bank of the Severn River, 2 miles from its entrance 
into Chesapeake Bay. It is beautifully located in full view of tlie 
bay, of which it commands extensive and picturesque views. It is 
30 miles south by east from Baltimore, and 37 miles east by north 
from Washington. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, and 
bears marks of its antiquity on every hand. The buildings are gene- 
rally in the style of a century ago, though the city contains many 
handsome modern edifices. As a rule the town is well built. The 
plan of the city bears some resemblance to that of the National Capi- 
tal, all of the streets radiating from two points, the State House and 
the Episcopal church. The city bears ample evidence of the wealth 
and prosperity which it once possessed in many ancient and extensive 
mansions, with large ranges of offices and stables, now gone to decay, 
and in some cases uninhabited. 

The State House stands near the centre of the city, and is a vener- 
able edifice of brick, with a lofty dome and cupola. It is situated in 
a small park on the highest point of the city, and contains the halls 
of the Legislature, the offices of the Governor and Secretary of State, 
and the State Library. The hall now occupied by the State Senate 
was used for the sessions of the Continental Congress near the close 
of the Revolution, and it was here that Washington resigned his 
commission as Commander-in-Chief of the American armies. The 
hall is now ornamented with a large painting commemorating that 
event. It is from the pencil of Mr. Edwin White, of New York. 
To the cast of the State House. stands the official mansion of the 
Governor of Maryland, who is obliged to reside here during his term 
of office. 

Annapolis is lighted with gas, but many of the buildings still use 
oil lamps. It is connected with Baltimore and Washington City by 
a railway, and with the former city by a line of steamers. It was. 
formerly a place of considerable trade, but is now important only as 
the capital of the State. It contains 6 churches, and 2 newspaper of- 
fices, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the popu- 
lation was 5744. 

The city is well supplied with public and private schools. 8t. John's 
College is a flourishing institution, supported in part by the State. It 
was closed during the civil war, but is now in a fair way to regain its 
former prosperity. 



540 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Annapolis is the seat of the Naval Academy of the United States, 
established during the administration of President Polk, the Hon. Geo. 
Bancroft being Secretary of the Navy. It is located in the northeast 
part of the city, immediately on the shore of the Severn, and is de- 
si;2;ned for the education and traiuino; of officers of the United States 
Navy. 

Annapolis was founded about IMO, arid was at first called Provi- 
dence. The events of its early history have been already related in 
the sketch of the history of the State. In 1708 it was chartered as a 
city, and named Annapolis, in honor of Queen Anno, who had be- 
stowed several valuable presents upon the town. It was for many 
years the most important city in Maryland, but was at length sur- 
passed by Baltimore, to which city its large trade was transferred. 

BALTIMORE, 

The largest and most important city of the State, and the sixth city 
of the United States, is situated in Baltimore county, on the north 
side of the Pataj)Sco River, about 12 miles from its entrance into 
Chesapeake Bay. It is 38 miles northeast from Washington, 98 
miles southwest from Philadelphia, and 200 miles from the ocean by 
the course of the Chesapeake. The city is built partly along the river 
s'lore, and partly along a range of hills overhanging the Patapsco and 
commanding distant views of the bay. Below Baltimore the river 
widens into a broad estuary, several miles in width. Some portions 
of the city are 100 feet above tide water, and the view of Baltimore 
from the river is very beautiful and attractive. This rolling charac- 
ter of the ground enables the city to provide the best system of 
sewerage in the country, and does much to render Baltimore a re- 
markably clean city. " Perhaps no city in the United States has such 
a picturesque sight as Baltimore, covering as it docs a number of emi- 
nences, which, however inconvenient they may be for the residents, 
furnish a pleasant variety for the 'stranger. If the visitor ascends the 
Washington Monument, in the northern part of the city, on a hill, 
itself 100 feet above tide, he has one of the finest panoramas furnished 
by any city in the Union. Immediately beneath and around him are 
some of the most capacious streets, lined Avith residences rarely 
equalled in elegance, size, and position. To the north and northwest 
are the newer and finer buildings, constituting the fashionable part of 
the city, while to the south lies the great centre of trade; a little to the 
southeast is the harbor, and beyond it Federal Hill ; while far in the 



MARYLAND. 



5il 




BATTLE MONUMENT. 



distance, but nearly in the same direction, stretches the beautiful arm 
of the bay on which Baltimore stands. To the east and southeast, 
across Jones' Falls (a small creek which divides the city into two 
portions), lie the Old Town and Fell's Point ; and to the west the 
newer portions, which are extending rapidly. The view is varied by 
the dome of the Catholic cathedral, the Unitarian church, and the 
Excliange, by the Shot-tower, by the Battle Monument, and by the 
steeples and towers of the various churches scattered in all directions ; 
the whole girt on the northwest and east by beautiful hills crowned 
with a natural growth of trees. Although the site of the city is such 
as to cause irregularity in some of the streets, the different sections are 
laid out with great uniformity. Baltimore street, the fashionable 
promenade, and seat of the retail and jobbing business, divides the 
city into two nearly equal portions, the larger part lying to the north. 
Charles street, crossing this at right angles, also divides the city into 
two nearly equal parts, the portion called North Charles street being 
mostly occupied with elegant residences, and South Charles street, 
bet\veen Baltimore and Lombard streets, with extensive wholesale 
warehouses. "* 



542 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

"From the number and prominence of its monuments, Baltimore 
has been denominated the * Monumental City.' The most remarkable 
of these is the Washington Monument, standing in a small, open area 
at the intersection of Charles and Monument streets. Its base, 50 
feet square and 20 high, supports a doric column 176 J feet in height, 
which is surmounted by a colossal statue of Washington, 16 feet high, 
giving its summit an elevation of 31 2| feet above the level of the 
harbor. The shaft, 20 feet square at the base, and 14 at the top, is 
ascended by means of a winding stairway within. The whole is con- 
structed of white marble, and cost $200,000. Battle Monument, also 
a beautiful structure of marble, is situated in Monument Square, in 
Calvert street, near Lexington street. From the base, which is 
square and ornamented Avith various devices, rises a facial column, 18 
feet high, on the bands of whicli are inscribed the names of those who 
fell while defending the city from the attack of the British, September 
12th, 1814. This is surmounted by a beautiful statue of the Goddess 
of Liberty, 7| feet high, making the entire height of the monument 
52J feet. Another object of much interest to strangers is the Mer- 
chants' Shot-tower, the highest, it is said, in the world,, liaving an 
elevation of 246 feet." * 

The public buildings are handsome. The City Hall, on Holliday 
street, is a magnificent building of white marble, covering an entire 
square ; the U. 8. Court House, on Fayette street, is a fine granite 
structure ; and the U. S. Custom House and Post Office, on Lombard 
and Gay streets, the City Jail, the Maryland and Peabody Institutes, 
the latter of white marble, and the Masonic Hall, also of white marble, 
are imposing structures. The depots of the Baltimore and Ohio and 
the Northern Central Railways are among the handsomest buildings 
of the city. There are also many elegant buildings of stone, iron, and 
marble, used for mercantile purposes, which must be included among 
the ornaments of the city. Many of the churches are also worthy of 
notice in this connection. 

The educational, literary, and scientific institutions of Baltimore 
have always been amongst the best in the land. The public schools 
were famous when those of the other large American cities were striv- 
ing for the excellence they have since attained. In 1870, the city 
coiitained 119 schools, attended by 23,913 pupils. In the same year 
the city paid $26,322 for schools for colored children. The private 



* Lippincott's Gazetteer. 



MARYLAND. 543 

schools are numerous, of a high character, and are well attended. The 
higher schools are tlie University of Maryland, the Medical Depart- 
ment of which was founded in 1807; Loyola College-, the Theological 
School, formerly connected with St. Mary's (R. C.) College ; the Balti- 
more College of Pharmacy ; and the College of Dental Surgeons. The 
Peabody Institute, on Charles and Monument streets, is the gift of 
George Peabody, and is devoted to literary and scientific purposes. 
It contains a good and growing library, and a gallery of fine arts. 
The Athanceum, St. Paul and Saratoga streets, contains the 3Iercan- 
tile Library, about 20,000 volumes, and the Baltimore Library, 15,000 
volumes. It is also occupied by the Historical Society of Ilaryland, 
which possesses a library of 1000 volumes, and a collection of papers 
and other relics. An annual exhibition of paintings is held in the 
rooms of this society. The 3Iaryland Institute occupies a large build- 
ing on Baltimore street near Jones' Falls. The lower part is used 
as a market. The upper part is an immense hall, in which an annual 
exhibition of the mechanic arts is held. It possesses a fine library. 
The reading room belonging to the Board of Trade is supplied with 
newspapers from all parts of the world. 

The benevolent and charitable institutions are the Maryland Hos- 
pital for the Insane, situated on a hill in the eastern part of the city ; 
the 3Ioimt Hope Institution, for the same purpose, under the charge 
of the Sisters of Charity ; the Baltimore Infirmary, with beds for 300 
patients; the Maryland Institution for the Instruction of the Blind ; 
the Church Home and Infirmary, connected with the Episcopal 
Church ; the Union Protestant Infirmary ; i\\e Aged Women'' s Home ; 
the Old Men's Home; the Home of the Friendless ; the House of the 
Good Shepherd, for tiie reformation of fallen women ; the Almshouse, 
and four Dispensaries. 

The prisons and reformatory establishments are the State Peniten- 
tiary, the City Jail, a handsome granite structure, and the House of 
Refuge, for the reformation of juvenile delinquents. 

The hotels of Baltimore are good. The principal are the City 
Hotel (Barnum's), and the Gilmore and Eutaw Houses. 

Baltimore is very far behind its eastern rivals in many things. Tiie 
streets are badly paved, cobble stones predominating, and the side- 
walks are of brick. While the city contains a large number of mag- 
nificent buildings, its principal thoroughfare, Baltimore street, cannot 
compare with the corresponding streets of either New York, Phila- 
delphia, Boston, Chicago, or St. Louis. In the private portions, the 



544 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS rj:SOURCES. 




BALTIMORE STREET. 



principal material used is brick, with white marble trimmings. 
Brown stone is now becoming common in the wealthier sections. The 
city is noted for the large juimber of small dwellings which it con- 
tains. These furnish homes for the working classes, who live in 
greater comfort and privacy than in almost any other large city in the 
world. Few houses contain more than one family. The more fashion- 
able quarters are beautifully built up, and will compare favorably 
with any city in the country. 

Street railway lines connect the various parts of the city. The cars 
of every line touch Baltimore street below Calvert and above Gay 
street, and thus bring all points in connection with the business centre. 
Similar lines connect the city with its principal suburbs. 

There are between 160 and 170 churches in Baltimore. Some of 
these are very costly and beautiful. Baltimore is the See of a Roman 
Catholic Archbishop, who is the Primate of the United States. 

The city contains several parks and pleasure grounds. These are 
Union, Franklin, and Lafayette squares, and Patterson and Druid 
Hill parks. Patterson Park contains 36 acres, and embraces the 



MARYLAND. 545 

earthworks thrown up for the defence of the city in the war of 1812. 
Druid Hill Park contains 550 acres, and abounds in tine trees and 
shrubbery. It is naturally one of the most beautiful of the American 
parks, and has been greatly improved and ornamented since its pur- 
chase by the city. It is situated in the northern suburbs of the city, 
beyond the extreme end of Madison Avenue. 

The cemeteries are Greenmount, Loudon Park, Baltimore, Mount 
Olivet, Mount Carmel, and the Western. Greenmount is very beauti- 
ful, and contains many handsome monuments. 

The theatres of Baltimore are behind those of the other large cities 
of the Union. The principal are the Hoi liday Street Theatre and the 
Concordia Opera House. 

Baltimore is the terminus of five railway lines, which connect it 
with all parts of the country. The Baltimore and Ohio Railway is 
one of the great trunk lines to the West, and one of the finest works 
in the world. By means of these it conducts an enormous trade with 
the West, and with the interior of the State of Virginia. Steamboats 
ply between Baltimore and the principal towns on the Chesapeake 
Bay and the rivers emptying into it, and a large coasting trade is 
carried on from this port. A line of first-class steamers connects the 
city with the port of Bremen, in Germany, and is bringing a large 
portion of the emigration from that country through the port of Balti- 
more. Baltimore enjoys very great facilities for commerce from its 
situation, and needs but the energy and enterprise of its former days 
to be a more important commercial city than it is. In 1864, the 
arrivals at the port of Baltimore, not counting the bay craft, were 
1143 steamers, 38 ships, 137 barks, 197 brigs, 1025 schooners, mak- 
ing a total of 2540 vessels. In the same year, the foreign imports 
of Baltimore were $6,076,300; and the exports were $12,362,448. 
The registered tonnage for the same year was 45,198 ; enrolled and 
licensed, 203,497 ; making a total of 248,695 tons. By means of the 
Baltimore and Ohio and Northern Central Railways, a heavy coal 
trade is carried on through Baltimore. Large quantities of this are 
shipped from Locust Point. 

Baltimore is largely engaged in manufactures, Jones' Falls furnish- 
ing excellent water-power. Some of the largest machine shops in the 
country are located here. The pi'incipal manufactures are cotton and 
iron goods, machinery, steam engines, agricultural implements, and 
flour. 

The city is abundantly supplied with water from Swann Lake and 



546 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Jones' Falls. The water is brought a distance of seven miles to the 
city reservoirs, which are from 110 to 150 feet above tide- water. 
The city is lighted with gas of an excellent quality, and is provided 
with a police and fire alarm telegraph, an efficient police force, and 
an admirable steam fire department. It is governed by a Mayor and 
Council. In 1870, the population was 267,354. 

In the*year 1729, the General Assembly of Maryland took meas- 
ures for "erecting a town on the north side of the Patapsco in Balti- 
more county." The site had been settled as early as 1682, by David 
Jones, who gave his name to the small stream which now flows 
thi^ough the city of Baltimore, dividing it into "old" and "new" 
town. On the 12th of January, 1730, a town of 60 acres of land was 
laid out by the county surveyor and commissioners, and called Balti- 
more in honor of Cecilius Calvert Lord Baltimore. "In the same 
year, William Fell, a ship-carpenter, having purchased a tract east 
of the falls, called it Fell's Point, after his own name, which it still 
bears. In 1732, a new town of 10 acres in 20 lots, was laid out on 
the east of the falls, and called Jonestown, in honor of David Jones, 
the first settler. The name has long been forgotten, and as a settle- 
ment existed there before that of Baltimore, it was called 'old town.' 
Jonestown was united to Baltimore in 1745, dropping its own name, 
and two years afterward Baltimore, which properly lay up about the 
head of the ' basin,' near the foot of the present South Charles street, 
was extended as far eastward ly as Jones' Falls, under an express pro- 
vision that there was nothing in the Act recognizing a right to 'elect 
delegates to the Assembly as representatives from the town.' This 
was the earliest manifestation of that singular jealousy, which has 
ever since been shown in the Legislature by the Maryland county mem- 
bers against the city of Baltimore." 

In 1755, Baltimore contained but 25 houses and 200 inhabitants. 
In 1767, it was made the county seat. In 1769, the first fire engine 
was introduced. In 1773, William Goddard began the publication 
of the " Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser." In the same 
year a line of stage coaches and a line of sailing packets were estab- 
lished between Baltimore and Philadelphia ; and a theatre was built 
on Albemarle street. In 1775, Baltimore contained 564 houses, and 
5934 inhabitants. In 1776, Philadelphia having fallen into the 
hands of the British, Ccmgress removed to Baltimore, and held its 
sessions in a building on the southeast corner of Baltimore and Lib- 
erty streets. In 1784, the streets were lighted with oil lamps, and 



MARYLAND. 



647 




SCENE ON BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILWAY. 



3 constables and 14 watchmen were appointed " for the security of 
the town." In 1796, Baltimore was incorporated as a city, the popu- 
lation being about '20,000. In 1800, the population was 26,514. 
The city was now highly prosperous, and was ' possessed of a large 
and thriving trade with all parts of the world. In 1814, it was 
attacked by the British, who were repulsed at North Point and at 
Fort McHenry, by both land and water. In 1829, the first public 
school was opened. In 1813, the first steamboat, called the Chesa- 
peake, was placed upon the line to Philadelphia via Frenciitown and 
Newcastle, Del. On the 4th of July, 1828, the corner-stone of the 
great Baltimore and Ohio Railway was laid by the venerable Charles 
Carroll of Carrollton. 



MISCELLANIES. 

THE BALTIMORE RIOT. 

A few days after the declaration of war, tlie town of Baltimore was seriously 

disturbed. Some harsh strictures on the conduct of Government having appeared 

in a newspaper of that city, entitled the Federal Republican, the resentment of 

the opposite party vi'as shown by destrovins: the office and press of that establish- 

34 



548 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ment. The cominotiou excited by this outrage had, however, in a great measure 
subsided, and the transaction was brouglit before a criminal court for investiga- 
tion. But events more alarming and tragical shortly afterwards succeeded. On 
the 26th of July, Mr. Hanson, tlie leading editor of the obnoxious journal, who 
had deemed it prudent to leave the disordered city, returned, accompanied by his 
political adherents ; amongst whom was General Henrj^ Lee, of Alexandria, an 
officer distinguished in the Revolution for his bravery in partisan warfare at the 
head of a legion of cavalry, afterwards Governor of Virginia, and a representa- 
tive from that State in the Congress of the Federal Government. Determined to 
re-commence the paper, by first printing it in Georgetown, in the District of. 
Columbia, and then transmitting it to Baltimore for distribution, a house was for 
this purpose occupied in Charles street, secured against external violence, and 
guarded by a party well provided for defence. On the 28th, papers were accord- 
ingly issued. These contained severe animadversions against the Mayor, police, 
and the people of Baltimore, for the depredations committed on the establishment 
in the preceding month, and were generally circulated throughout the city. 

In the course of the day it became known that Mr. Hanson was in the new of- 
fice in Charles street, and it was early whispered that the building would be as- 
sailed. A number of citizens who espoused his opinions went, therefore, to the 
house, and joined in its protection. Towards the evening, a crowd of boys col- 
lected, who, after using opprobrious epithets to those within, began to throw 
stones at tlie windows ; and about the same time a person on the pavement, en- 
deavoring to dissuade the youths from mischief, was severely wounded by some- 
thing ponderous thrown from the house. They were cautioned from the windows 
to desist ; but still continued to assail the place with stones. Two muskets were 
then fired from the upper story ; charged, it was supposed, with blank cartridges, 
to deter them from further violence.; immediately the crowd in the street greatly 
increased ; the boys were displaced by men ; the sashes of the lower windows 
were broken, and attempts made to force the door. Muskets, in quick succession, 
were discharged from the house ; some military arrived to disperse the crowd ; 
several shots were fired in return ; and at length a Dr. Gale was killed by a shot 
from the oflice door. TJie irritation of the mob was increased. They planted a 
cannon against the house, but were restrained from discharging it by the timely 
arrival of an additional military force, and an agreement that the persons in the 
house would surrender to the civil authority. Accordingly, early in the follow- 
ing morning, having received assurances on which they thought themselves safe 
in relying, they surrendered, and were conducted to the county jail, contiguous 
to the city. The party consisted of about 20 persons ; amongst whom were Gene- 
ral Lee, General James Lingan, and Mr. Hanson. 

The Mayor directed the Sheriff" to use every precaution to secure the doors of 
the prison, and the commander of the troops to employ a competent force to pre- 
serve the peace. In the evening everything bore the appearance of tranquillity ; 
and the soldiers, by the consent of the magistrate, were dismissed. But shortly 
after dark, a great crowd of disorderly persons reassembled about the jail, and 
manifested an intention to force it open. On being apprised of this, the Mayor 
hastened to the spot, and, with the aid of a few otlier gentlemen, for a while pre- 
vented the execution of the design : but they were at length overpowered by the 
number and violence of the assailants. The Mayor was carried away by force, 
and the turnkey compelled to open the doors. A tragedy ensued, which cannot 
be described : it can be imagined only by those who are familiar with scenes of 



MARYLAND. 549 

lilood. General Lingan was killed ; eleven were beaten and mangled with weapons 
of every description, such as stones, bludgeons, and sledge-hammers, and then 
thrown as dead, into one pile, outside of the door. A few of the prisoners fortu- 
nately escaped through the crowd : Mr. Hanson, fainting from his repeated 
wounds, was carried by a gentleman (of opposite political sentiments), at the 
hazard of his own life, across the adjoining river, whence he with difficulty 
reached the dwelling of a friend. 

No effectual inquisition was ever made into this signal violation of the peace, 
nor punishment inflicted on the guilty. The leaders, on both sides, underwent 
trials ; but, owing to the inflammation of public feeling, they were acquitted. 

ANECDOTE OF CHARLES CARROLL. 

The name of Carroll is the only one on the Declaration to which the residenre 
of the signer is appended. The reason why it was done in this case is under- 
stood to be as follows : The patriots who signed that document, did it, almost 
literally, with ropes about their necks, it being generally supposed that they 
would, if unsuccessful, be hung as rebels. When Carroll had signed his name, 
some one at his elbow remarked, "You'll get clear — there are several of that 
name — they will not know which to take." — " Not so," replied he, and immedi- 
ately added, "of Carrollton." 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

Area, 60 Square Miles 

Population in 1860 75,080 

Population in 1870, 131,706 

The District of Columbia originally embraced an area of ten milles 
square, but the portion ceded by Virginia M'as restored to that State 
in 1846, so that the present District comprises only the grant made 
to the General Government by the State of Maryland. It lies on the 
east side of the Potomac at the head of tide water, 160 miles from the 
mouth of the river. It includes the cities of Washington and George- 
town, and is the seat of the Federal Government of the Eepublic. 
In its physical features it is like those portions of the State of Mary- 
land immediately surrounding it. 

Until recently it was governed exclusively by Congress, and had 
no voice in its own aifairs. Early in the year 1871, however, the 
two Houses of Congress passed a bill, which received the signature 
of the President on the 21st of February, making great changes in 
the affairs of the District. By this law the District of Columbia has 
been given the management of its own affairs. The District is organ- 
ized as a Territory, with a Government, consisting of a Governor 
and an Assembly. The Governor is appointed by the President of 
the United States by and with the advice* and consent of the 
Senate. He holds office for four years and until his successor shall be 
appointed and qualified. He must be a citizen of the District for at 
least 12 months previous to his appointment, and have the qualifica- 
tions of a voter. His duties and powers are similar to those of the 
Governor of a Territory of the United States. The Assembly 

551 



r.n ?. 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



consists of a Council and a House of Delegates. The Council is 
composed of 11 members, of whom 2 are residents of the City of 
Georgetown, 2 residents of the District outside of Washington and 
Georgetown, and 7 residents of the City of Washington. They are 
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate. They must have the qualifications of voters to be eligible to 
their office. They hold office for two years, five and six going out on 
alternate years. The House of Delegates consists of 22 members, 2 
from each of the 11 districts into which the District of Columbia is 
divided. They are elected by the people, and must have the qualifi- 
cations prescribed for members of the Council. 

The right of suifrage is conferred upon all male citizens of the 
United States above the age of 21 years, who have resided in the Dis- 
trict for a period of 12 months previous to an election, except persons 
of unsound mind and those convicted of infamous crimes. The 
Assembly has no power to abridge or limit the right of suffi'age. 

The Government must confine itself entirely to the affairs of the 
District of Columbia. The inhabitants of the District do not vote for 
President or Vice-President of the United States. They send one 
delegate to Congress, who is entitled to the same rights and privileges 
in that body as are exercised and enjoyed by the Delegates from the 
several Territories of the United States to the House of Representa- 
tives. He is by virtue of his position a member of the House Com- 
mittee for the District of Columbia. His term of office is 2 years. 

All the acts of the Legislative Assembly are subject at all times to 
repeal or modification by the Congress of the United States, which 
body retains its powers of legislation over the District as formerly. 

By this law the charters formerly held by the Cities of Washing- 
ton and Georgetown are repealed, and all offices of those corporations 
abolished. The cities are brought directly under the control of the 
District Government, which succeeds to the possession of the muni- 
cipal property. The cities retain their names and boundaries, but no 
longer exist as separate corporations, the government of both being 
confided to the authorities of the District. 

The Supreme Court of the District of Columbia is the highest 
judicial tribunal. It consists of four justices (one of whom is desig- 
nated as the Chief Justice), appointed by the President and confirmed 
by the Senate of the United States. The other Courts are the Dis- 
trict and Criminal Courts, below which are the Justices of the Peacfi. 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 555 



HISTORY. 



After the close of the Revolution, Congress continued to meet in 
the City of Philadelphia. In June, 1783, a band of mutinous soldiers 
broke into the hall where Congress was in session, and in a grossly 
insulting manner demanded the " back pay" due them, which 
amounted to a considerable sum. This insult was felt deeply by the 
members, and it was agreed by common consent that it woukl be 
better for the seat of Government to be removed to a part of the 
country where the danger of a repetition of the occurrence would not 
be so imminent. Elbridge Gerry introduced a resolution authorizing 
the building of a Federal City, on the banks of the Delaware or 
Potomac, and the erection of buildings suitable for the use of Con- 
gress, provided a good location and the proper amount of land could 
be obtained on either of those rivers. This resolution was carried on 
the 7th of October, 1783, but was amended by a provision for build- 
ings on both rivers, and was repealed on the 26th of April, 1784. 
Congress met at Trenton, N. J., in October, 1784, and appointed 
three commissioners, who were authorized to lay out a district between 
two and three miles square on the Delaware, for a Federal City. The 
next January, Congress met in New York, and efforts were made to 
locate the district on the Potomac, but Avithout success. 

In September, 1787, the present Constitution of the United States 
was adopted, which provides that Congress shall have power " to 
exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such dis- 
trict (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular 
States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of Government 
of the United States." 

This clause of the Constitution fixed definitely the size of the new 
district, and was the first real step towards its acquisition. Appre- 
ciating the advantage of having the Capital within its limits, the 
State of Maryland, through its Legislature, on the 23d of 'December, 
1788, offered to Congress "any district (not exceeding ten miles 
square) which the Congress may fix upon and accept for the seat of 
Government of the United States." The matter was^ debated in Con- 
gress in 1789. 

It was agreed on all sides that the district ought to be located in a 
section of the country easy of access from all parts of the Union, and 
ought to be as central as was consistent with the wealth and popula- 
tion of the section chosen. The North and the South — for the sec- 



556 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES, 

tional division of the country had been made even at that early day — 
each desired to secure the location of the new city within its own 
limits. The former demanded tliat the capital should be built on the 
banks of the Susquehanna, and the latter made a similar demand in 
favor of the Delaware or Potomac. New York, Philadelphia, Ger- 
mantown, Havre de Grace, Wright's Ferry, Baltimore, and Cono- 
cocheague (now Washington City), each had its partisans. The con- 
troversy ran very high, and came near resulting in a serious quarrel 
between the States. On the 5th of September, 1789, the House of 
Representatives passed a resolution, "That the permanent seat of 
Government of the United States ought to be at some convenient 
place on the banks of the Susquehanna, in the State of Pennsylvania." 
This resolution gave great offence to the Southern members, and even 
Mr. Madison went so far as to declare that had such an action on the 
part of Congress been foreseen, Virginia would not have ratified the 
Constitution. The matter was made worse by, the immediate passage 
of a bill by the House for the purpose of carrying the resolution into 
effect. The vote stood, 31 to 19. The Senate amended the bill 
by inserting Germantown, Pennsylvania, instead of the location 
on the Susquehanna, which amendment was accepted by the House. 
The House further amended the Act by providing that the laws of 
Pennsylvania should continue in force in the new district until Con- 
gress should order otherwise. The Senate decided to postpone the 
consideration of this amendment until the next session, and the matter 
went over. Germantown was thus actually chosen as the Federal 
City, and it needed only the consent of the Senate to the last-men- 
tioned amendment to rnake the transaction complete. 

Thus far none of the States but Maryland had taken any official 
action in this matter. The South was greatly excited over the course 
of Congress, all of the Northern States were not pleased, and the 
matter was felt to be a very serious danger to the harmony of the new 
Confederation. On the 3d of December, 1789, the General Assembly 
of Virginia passed an Act ceding a district to Congress on the banks 
of the Potomac. The cooperation of Maryland was asked in inducing 
Congress to accept the offer, and a sum not exceeding $120,000 was 
j)ledged for the erection of public buildings, if Maryland, on her part, 
would contribute a sum not less than two-fifths of that amount for 
the same purpose. Maryland at once agreed to the request of Vir- 
ginia, and pledged herself for the money. Other States now made 
offers of territory to Congress, but no immediate action upon the sub- 
ject wa« taken by that body. 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 557 

The great question which at that time occupied the attention of the 
people, was the funding of the public debt. Congress was divided 
upon the subject. An amendment had been presented to the House, 
and had been rejected, providing that the General Government should 
assume the State debts to the amount of $21,000,000. This question 
had become very closely interwoven with that of selecting a Federal 
district. The Northern members were in favor of the assumption, 
but did not desire the location of the district in the South ; and the 
Southern members, while divided upon the assumption question, were 
to a man in favor of having the offers of Maryland and Virginia 
accepted. Matters were at a dead halt, and the future seemed 
ominous. 

Jefferson was at this time Secretary of State, and Hamilton Secre- 
tary of the Treasury. Both were anxious to avert the danger which 
the vexed questions threatened, and after discussing the matter confi- 
dentially, came to the conclusion that a compromise was necessary. 
Hamilton urged that the South should consent to the assumption of 
the State debts by the Government, and declared that he felt sure if 
they would do this, the North Avould agree to locate the capital on 
the Potomac. It was decided that Jefferson should ask the members 
whose votes would accomplish this, to dine with him the next day, 
and lay the matter before them. The dinner was given, the plan 
proposed by Hamilton discussed, and a sufficient number of votes 
pledged for the assumption bill. Hamilton undertook to win over 
the Northern members to the capital scheme, and succeeded. The 
assumption bill became a law, and Congress definitely accepted the 
offers of Maryland and Virginia. 

On the 3d of March, 1791, Congress amended the original Act so 
as to include the city of Alexandria in the district, and the following 
proclamation was issued by President Washington, establishing the 
new district : 

"Whereas, By a proclamation, bearing date the 14th of January 
of this present year, and in pursuance of certain Acts of the States of 
Maryland and Virginia, and of the Congress of the United States, 
therein mentioned, certain lines of experiment were directed to be run 
in the neighborhood of Georgetown, in Maryland, for the purpose of 
determining the location of a part of the territory of ten miles square, 
for the permanent seat of the Government of the United States; and 
a certain part was directed to be located within the said lines of ex- 
periment, on both sides of the Potomac, and above the limits of the 
Eastern Branchy prescribed by the said Act of Congress ; 



558 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

"And Congress, by an amendatory Act, passed on the 3d day of this 
])resent montli of March, have given further authority to the Presi- 
dent of the United States to make any part of the said territory, be- 
low the said limit, and above the mouth of Hunting Creek, a part of 
the said District, so as to include a convenient part of the Eastern 
Branch of the lands lying on the lower side thereof, and also the town 
of Alexandria ; 

"Now, therefore, for the purpose of amending and completing the 
location of the whole of the said territory of ten miles square, in con- 
formity with the said amendatory Act of Congress, I do hereby 
declare and make known that the whole of the said territory shall 
be located and included within the four lines following, that is to say : 

"Beginning at Jones' Point, being the uj^per cape of Hunting 
Creek, in Virginia, and at an angle in the outset of 45° west of 
north, and running in a direct line ten miles, for the first line; then 
beginning again at the same Jones' Point, and running another direct 
line at a right angle with the first, across the Potomac, ten miles, for 
the second line; then, from the terminations of the said first and sec- 
ond lines, running two other direct lines, of ten miles each, the one 
crossing the Eastern Branch aforesaid, and the other the Potomac, and 
meeting each other in a point. 

"And I do accordingly direct the Commissioners named under the 
authority of the said first-mentioned Act of Congress to proceed forth- 
with to have the said four lines run, and by proi>e'r metes and bounds 
defined and limited, and thereof to make due report under their hands 
and seals; and the territory so to be located, defined, and limited, 
shall be the whole territory accepted by the said Act of Congress as 
the District for the permanent seat of the Government of the United 
States. 

"In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the United States 
to be affixed to these presents, and signed the same with my hand. 
Done at Georgetown aforesaid, the 30th day of March, in the year 
of our Lord, 1791, and of the Independence of the United States, the 
fifteenth. George Washington." 

The District Was laid out by three Commissioners, appointed by 
the President, in accordance Avith the Act of Congress, in January, 
1791. These Commissioners were Thomas Johnson, David Stuart, 
and Daniel Carroll. On the 15th of April, in the same year, they 
superintended the laying of the corner-stone of the District, at Jones' 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 559 

Point, near Alexandria. This act was performed with the ceremonies 
prescribed by the Masonic ritual. The District was named Columbia, 
in honor of the great discoverer of the continent. 

Having thus acquired a Federal District, and having definitely lo- 
cated its boundaries, the next step was to lay off the new city which 
was to be the capital of the nation. This task was confided to Major 
L'Enfant, a distinguished engineer, who was informed by the Com- 
missioners that the new city would bear the name of " Washington." 

In February, 1871, the Government of the District was reorganized, 
as has been already described. 

The cities of the District are Washington and Georgetown. 

WASHINGTON CITY, 

The capital of the United States, is situated on the left bank of the 
Potomac River, between that stream and a tributary called the East 
Branch, a few miles bel()>v the head of tide water. It is 295 miles 
from the ocean, 226 miles southwest of New York, 432 miles south- 
west of Boston, 544 miles northeast of Charleston, 1203 miles north- 
east of New Orleans, 497 miles east of Cincinnati, 763 miles southeast 
of Chicago, 1200 miles northeast of St. Louis, and 2000 miles in an 
air line northeast of San Francisco. The Capitol, which is nearly 
the centre of the city, is located in 38° 52' 20" N. latitude, and 77° 
0' 15" W. longitude from Greenwich. The city has connections by 
railroad and steamboat with all parts of the continent, and telegraphic 
lines extend from it all over the world. The Potomac is navigable 
for ships of the largest size as far as Greenleaf 's Point, the site of the 
Arsenal and Penitentiary. The British fleet anchored here in 1814, 
and the frigate Minnesota was launched at the Navy Yard some years 
ago, and carried down the stream after being equipped. The situa- 
tion of the city is advantageous in many respects. Its front is washed 
by the Potomac, on the east is the East Branch, and on the left a 
stream called Rock Creek, which separates it from Georgetown. 
" The general altitude of the city plot is 40 feet above the river, but 
this is diversified by irregular elevations, which serve to give variety 
and commanding sites for public buildings. The plot is slightly 
amphitheatrical, the President's House, on the west, standing on one 
of the sides, and the Capitol on the other, while the space between 
verges towards a point near the river. The President's House and the 
Capitol stand centrally with regard to the whole, though situated at 
the distance of a mile and a half from each other, the former 44 feet 



560 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

above the Potomac, and the latter 72 feet. The summit of the hill 
on which the Capitol stands is the commencement of a plain stretch- 
ing east, while that to the north of the President's House tends 
westward." 

Washington is laid off in a peculiar manner. According to the 
original plan, the Capitol was designed to be the centre of the city, 
and the starting point of the whole system of streets. This plan has 
been adhered to in the main, though it has been altered in some re- 
spects. The streets running east and west are designated by letters. 
They are divided into two classes or sets — those north of the Capi- 
tol, and those south of it. Thus, the first street north of the Capitol 
is A Street North, and the first street south of it, A Street South ; the 
next is B Street, North or South, and so on. The streets running north 
and south are numbered. Thus, the street immediately east of the 
Capitol is First Street East, and that immediately west of it, First 
Street West, and so on. These distinctions of North, South, East, 
and West are most important, as forgetfulness of them is apt to lead 
to very great blunders. The streets are laid off at regular distances 
from each other, but for convenience, other thoroughfares, not laid down 
in the original plan, have been cut through some of the blocks. These 
are called " Half streets," as they occur between and are parallel with 
the numl)ered streets. Thus, Four-and-a-half Street is between 
Fourth and Fifth streets, and runs parallel with them. The avenues 
run diagonally across the city, cutting the streets at right-angles. 
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware avenues intersect 
at the Capitol, and Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Connec- 
ticut avenues intersect at the President's house. Pennsylvania Ave- 
nue is the main thoroughfare. It is 160 feet wide, and runs the entire 
length of the city, from the Eastern Branch to Rock Creek, — which 
latter stream separates Washington from Georgetown. It was origin 
nally a swampy thicket. The bushes were cut away to the desired 
width soon after the city was laid off, but few persons cared to settle 
in the swamp. Through tlie exertions of President Jefferson, it was 
planted with four rows of fine Lombardy poplars, — one on each side 
and two in the middle, — with the hope of making it equal to the 
famous Unter den Linden, in Berlin. The poplars did not grow as 
well as was hoped, however, and, when the avenue was graded and 
paved by order of Congress, in 1832 and 1833, were removed. The 
street is now well paved and lighted. It is handsomely built up, 
and contains some buildings which would do credit to any city. The 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 561 

view from either the Capitol or the President's House along the ave- 
nue is very fine. 

There are 1170 blocks or squares, bounded by 22 avenues ranging 
from 130 to 160 feet in width, named, as far as they go, after the 
different States ; and 100 streets, from 70 to 100 feet wide. The cir- 
cumference of the city is 14 miles. There are 199 miles of streets, 
and 65 miles of avenues. The paving and grading of the streets has 
been done almost entirely by the city. The Government claims every 
privilege accorded to it by the original design, but steadily refuses to 
carry out the part assigned it by that same plan. 

Were it not for the Public Buildings which it contains, Washing- 
ton would be a most uninteresting city ; but these have made it one 
of the principal attractions of the country. With the single exception 
of the City Hall and the Smithsonian Institute, these buildings are 
owned and used by the Federal Government of the United States. 

The Capitol is the grandest and most majestic edifice in the New 
World, and one of the finest on the globe. It stands on the western 
brow of a commanding hill, and overlooks the city and the surrounding 
country. The site was chosen by Washington, who was greatly im- 
pressed with its advantages. The corner-stone of the original build- 
ing was laid by W^ashington, on the 18th of September, 1793. This 
edifice was finished in 1811, and was burned by the British army, in 
1814. Its reconstruction was begun immediately after the close of 
the war, and the building was completed according to the original 
design in 1825. In 1851, work was begun on the Capitol for the 
purpose of enlarging and beautifying it. The principal additions con- 
sist of a massive dome over the central building, and a wing at the 
northern and southern extremities of the old structure. The building 
is not quite finished at present, but will require only a few years to 
complete it. 

The extension consists of two wings, each of which has a front of 
142 feet 8 inches, and a depth of 238 feet 10 inches, not including the 
porticoes and steps. The porticoes front the east, and have each 22 
monolithic fluted columns. They " extend the entire width of the 
front, having central projections of 10 feet 4 inches, forming double 
porticoes in the centre, the width of the gable. There is also a por- 
tico of 10 columns on the west end of each wing, 105 ieat 8 inches 
wide, projecting 10 feet 6 inches, and like porticoes on the north side 
of the north wing and south side of the south wing, with a width of 
121 feet 4 inches. The centre building is 352 feet 4 inches long and 
121 feet 6 inches deep, with a portico 160 feet wide, of 24 columns. 



562 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

with a double fagade on the east, and a projection of 83 feet on the 
west, embracing a recessed portico of 10 coupled columns. The en- 
tire length of the Capitol is 751 feet 4 inches, and the greatest depth, 
including porticoes and steps, is 324 feet. The ground actually cov- 
ered by the building, exclusive of the court-yards, is 153,112 square 
feet, or 652 feet over 3J acres. " The material of which the extension 
is built, is a white marble slightly variegated with blue, and was pro- 
cured from a quarry in Lee, Massachusetts. The columns are all of 
white marble obtained from Maryland. The principal story of the 
Capitol rests upon a rustic basement, which supports an ordon nance 
of pilasters rising to the height of the two stories above. . Upon these 
pilasters rests the entablature and beautiful frieze, and the whole is 
surmounted by a marble balustrade. The main entrances are by the 
three eastern porticoes, being made easy of access by broad flights of 
stone steps with massive cheek-blocks, and vaulted carriage-ways be- 
neath to the basement entrances." 

The building faces the east, and the rear is in the direction of the 
principal part of the city. This location was made under the impres- 
sion that the neighborhood of the Capitol would be first settled in the 
growth of the new city ; but the designs of the projectors not having 
been realized, the building now faces the wrong way. 

Standing in front of the edifice, and at a distance sufficient to take 
in the whole view, the effect is indescribably grand. The pure white 
marble glitters and shines in the sunlight, and the huge structure 
towers above one like one of the famed palaces of old romance. The 
broad flights of steps of the wings and central buildings have an air of 
elegance and lightness which is surprising when their massive character 
is considered. The pediments of the porticoes will contain magnificent 
groups of sculpture. The central pediment is decorated with a group 
sculptured in alto-relievo. The Genius of America, crowned with a 
star, holds in her right hand a shield bearing the letters U. S. A., 
surrounded with a glory. The shield rests on an altar inscribed with 
the date, "July 4, 1776," encircled with a laurel wreath. A spear 
is behind her within reach, and the eagle crouches at her feet. She is 
gazing at Hope, who stands on her left, and is directing her attention 
to Justice, on her right, who holds in her right hand a scroll inscribed, 
" Constitution of the United States," and in her left the scales. The 
group is said to have been designed by John Quincy Adams, and was 
executed by Signor Persico. The northern pediment contains Craw- 
ford's famous group, representing the progress of civilization in the 
United States. America stands in the centre of the tym2>anum, in 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 563 

the full light of the rising sun. On her right hand are War, Com- 
merce, Youth and Education, and Agriculture ; on her left the pio- 
neer backAvoodsraan, the hunter, the Indian and his squaw with an 
infant in her arms, sitting by a filled grave. The southern pediment 
has not yet been filled. It is said that the design adopted for it is bv 
William R. Barbee, and represents the discovery of the country by 
Columbus. The cheek-blocks of the steps to the central portico are 
ornamented by two fine groups of statuary. The group on the right 
of the steps represents the discovery of America, and is by Persico. 
Columbus, landing in the New World, holds aloft in his right hand 
a globe, symbolic of his discovery. He is clad in armor, which is 
said to be a faithful copy of a suit worn by him. An Indian maiden 
crouches beneath his uplifted arm, her face expressive of the surprise 
and terror of her race at the appearance of the whites. The group 
on the left is called " CiviUzation/' and is by Greenough. A terror- 
stricken mother, clasping her babe to her breast, crouches at the feet 
of a stalwart Indian warrior, whose arms, raised in the act of striking 
her with his tomahawk, are seized and pinioned by the husband and 
father, who returns at the fortunate moment, accompanied by his 
faithful dog, which stands by ready to spring to the aid of his master. 
The entire cost of the Capitol and its improvements, when completed, 
will be over $12,000,000. 

The interior of the Capitol is in keeping with the exterior. The 
Rotunda, which is the central portion of the old building, is sur- 
mounted by a grand dome, the ceiling of which is beautifully frescoed 
with allegorical designs. The walls are adorned with paintings and 
statuary, illustrating the history of the country. The effect of the 
whole is very beautiful. 

On the east side of the central building, opposite the main entrance, 
is the Library of Congress, a magnificent hall, filled with a collection 
of nearly ^200,000 volumes. The copyright laws require a copy of 
each and every copyrighted book published in the United States to be 
deposited in this library. The library is free to the public for use 
within the hall, but only Members of Congress and certain other per- 
sons are privileged to take the books from the hall. 

On the north side of the Rotunda is the portion of the building 
used by the Supreme Court of the United States, its officers, and its 
library, numbering between 25,000 and 30,000 volumes. A hand- 
some corridor leads from this portion to the new North Wing, used 
by the Senate of the United States and its Committees. The base- 



"61 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

inent of this wing is exquisitely frescoed with ilhistrations belonging 
to the natural history of North America, the designs being painted 
from life. The Committee rooms in this wing are handsome apart- 
ments, elegantly fitted up, Tlie corridors are beautiful, and are mostly 
of marble, with floors of encaustic tiles. 

Two handsome marble stairways lead from the basement to the 
second, or main floor. They are situated in the southeastern and 
southwestern ends of the wing. They are continued, on a much more 
magnificent scale, from the second floor to the galleries and rooms 
of the third floor. This portion of the two wings is on a level with 
the floor of the Rotunda, and contains the principal apartments of 
the Capitol. The main entrances are by the magnificent North and 
South Porticoes, which are now ornamented with the superb bronze 
doors designed for them. The doors of the Senate portico illustrate 
the events of the life of Washington. 

The retiring rooms of the Senate, and the rooms used by the Presi- 
dent and Vice-President of the United States are gorgeous apartments. 
The President's room is adorned with fresco portraits of Washington's 
first Cabinet. Lying between the President's and Vice-President's 
rooms is a suite of sumptuous apartments — the most magnificent in 
the building — known as the Marble Room. The total length of the 
three rooms is about 85 feet, the width 21J feet, and the height 19| 
feet. The floor is an exquisite piece of mosaic in marble, and the ceil- 
ing is in panels of slightly colored Italian marble, and rests upon a 
series of magnificent white Italian marble pillars with elaborate capi- 
tals. The walls are adorned with large and superb mirrors, and are 
veneered with the finest specimens of Tennessee marble in the country. 
The windows are richly curtained, the furniture is exquisite, and the 
apartment is lighted by a large brass chandelier. The suite is used 
by the Senators as a retiring and private reception room. The pi'in- 
cipal apartment in this wing is the Senate Chamber, a magnificent 
hall, 112 feet in length, 82 feet wide, and 30 feet high. The ceiling 
is constructed entirely of cast iron, deeply panelled, Avith stained 
glass skylights, and ornamented witli foliage, pendants, and drops, 
of the richest and most elaborate description. The walls and ceiling 
are painted with strong, brilliant colors, and all the iron work is 
i)ronzed and gilded. A cushioned gallery extends entirely around 
the hall. That portion immediately over the chair of the Vice- 
President of the United States is assigned to the reporters of the press, 
and a section enclosed by handsome iron railings, and immediately 



DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA. 56-3 

facing the Chair, is for the use of the members of the Diplomatic 
Corps, The rest of the gallery is divided into sections for ladies and 
gentlemen. A fine view of the hall can be obtained from any part of 
it. The space under the gallery is enclosed, and used as cloak-rooms, 
etc. The gallery will seat one thousand persons. 

Immediately opposite the main door of the Chamber is the chair of 
the Vice-President of the United States, Avho presides over the Senate. 
It is placed on a platform of pure white marble, and behind a desk 
of the same material. Just below this is a similar but larger desk, 
used by the Secretary of the Senate and his assistants, and at the foot 
of this table are the chairs of the short-hand reporters of the debates. 

The floor rises in the form of an amphitheatre from the space in 
front of the Secretary's desk to the rear. Along these rows of steps, 
the registers are built in the floor, and keep the temperature of the 
Chamber at a fixed heat. The desks of the Senators are of oak, of a 
handsome and convenient pattern, and are arranged in three semi- 
circular rows facing the Chair. A comfortable armchair is provided 
for each desk ; and sofas and chairs for the convenience of Senators 
and those entitled to the privileges of the floor, are arranged around 
the sides of the hall. The choice of seats is determined by drawing 
lots. 

During the day the glass ceiling allows a soft and pleasant light to 
pass into the chamber, and at night the gas jets, which are arranged 
above the skylights, shed through the beautiful hall a radiance whicli, 
can scarcely be distinguished from the light of the sun. 

In the South Wing of the old building, and opening upon the 
Rotunda, is the old Hall of the House of Representatives, one of the 
most beautiful apartments in the Capitol. In accordance with the 
popular wish this hall is preserved in its original state, and is now 
used as a gallery of Statuary. A fine corridor, ornamented with a pair 
of bronze doors, leads to the new South Wing, now used by the House 
of Representatives and its officers. These doors are the work of Ran- 
dolph Rogers, an American artist, and are said to be the finest works. 
of their kind in the world. They illustrate the principal scenes in 
the life of Columbus, 

The basement of the South Wing contains the Committee room<?' 
of the House of Representatives. These are equal in magnificence to 
those of the Senate. The corridors are not as handsome as those of 
the North Wing, but are still very beautiful. The first floor is 
reached by an elegant stairway of marble at each end of the wing 



566 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

These stairways are continued to the seeoiul floor on a more magnifi- 
cent scale, and are ornamented with fine paintings by Leutze and 
other artists. The corridors contain several statues of the great men 
of America. The Speaker's Room, used by the presiding officer of 
the House of Representatives, is a beautiful apartment, and is orna- 
mented with portraits of nearly every Speaker since the organization 
of the Government. 

The Hall of the House of Representatives occupies the central por- 
tion of the wing. It is 139 feet long, 93 feet wide, and 36 feet high. 
It is of sufficient size to affi^rd comfortable accommodations for the 
increased number of members a century hence. It has an area of 
12,927 square feet. Tiie galleries extend entirely around it, and will 
seat 1200 persons. The seats are cushioned, and present a handsome 
appearance. That portion opposite the Speaker's chair is ornamented 
with a magnificent bronze clock. Immediately over the Speaker's 
chair is the Reporters' Gallery, which is for the exclusive use of the 
Press. It is furnished with handsome private desks, one of which is 
assigned to the accredited reporter for some particular journal for the 
entire session. Some 25 or 30 of the leading newspapers of the 
land are represented here. The rest of the gallery is divided into 
sections for the members of the Diplomatic Corps, for ladies, and for 
gentlemen unaccompanied by ladies. These are separated from each 
other by iron railings. The ceiling is of cast iron, and is similar to 
that of the Senate Chamber, but handsomer. In the centre is a large 
skylight containing a number of panels ornamented with the coats of 
arms of the various States and Territories of the Union. The hall is 
lighted by means of this skylight. "An arrangement of movable 
metallic plates, on the principle of Venetian blinds, is placed under 
the sunny side of the respective roofs of the House and Senate, so that 
the same amount of light may be admitted all the time." The ar- 
rangement of the ffas lio-hts is similar to that of the Senate Chamber. 
Fifteen hundred burners are placed over the glass of the ceiling, at a 
distance of an inch apart. Over each one of these passes an incom- 
bustible wire. The gas is turned on, an electric current flashes along 
the wire, and in an instant the hall is filled with a soft, pleasing light, 
which resembles that of the sun. Opposite the principal door, are 
three desks of pure white marble, ranged one above the other. The 
highest is occupied by the Speaker of the House, the next by the 
Clerk of the House and his assistants, and the lowest by the official 
reporters of the debates. The registers for warming the hall are built 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 567 

in the sides of the different steps into which the floor is divided, and 
openings in the wall permit the heatetl air to pass off; The engines 
which work the heating and ventilating apparatus are situated in the 
basement, and are of such power that the air of the entire hall is re- 
newed every five minutes. The ceiling is magnificently painted, and 
the walls below the galleries are laid off* in large panels, which are to 
be ornamented with paintings in fresco illustrative of the principal 
events in the history of the country. One of these panels has already 
been fiilled with a magnificent fresco, by Brumidi, illustrating an 
event which occurred at ths Siege of Yorktown. On the right and 
left of the Speaker's chair are full-length portraits of Washington and 
Lafayette. The portrait of Washington was painted by Vanderlyn, 
by order of Congress, and that of Lafayette was presented to Congress 
by the great Frenchman himself, on tiie occasion of his visit to the 
United States, in 1825. Both pictures were among the ornaments of 
the old Hall of Representatives. The floor rises from south to north, 
like an amphitheatre. The seats and desks of the members (which 
are similar to those of the Senators) are arranged along this amphi- 
theatre, in successive circles, facing the Speaker. There arc at present 
236 of these desks and seats in use. The desks and chairs are all of 
a handsome pattern, and make a very showy appearance. Seats are 
chosen by lot at the beginning of every session. The desk of the 
Sergeant-at-Arms is on the Speaker's right, that of the Door-keeper 
on his left. The space under the galleries is enclosed and occupied 
by two cloak rooms for Members, a Barber Shop for Members, a Fold- 
ing Room, and Document Room. 

The Capitol grounds cover an area of several acres, and are hand- 
somely ornamented with statuary, fountains, shrubbery, etc. The 
dome of the Capitol is surmounted by Crawford's statue of Freedom, 
a magnificent work of bronze. It is placed at an altitude of 300 feet 
from the ground. From the gallery below the base of the statue 
magnificent views of the city, the Potomac, and the surrounding 
country may be had. 

The Executive Mansion, or, as it is more commonly called, the 
White House, is the official residence of the President of the United 
States. It is situated on Pennsylvania avenue, near the western end 
of the city, and is surrounded by tlie Treasury, State, War, and Navy 
Departments. The grounds in front are handsomely ornamented, 
and in the rear a fine park stretches away to the river. The location 
is attractive, and commands a magnificent view of the Potomac, but it 



568 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUICES. 




UNITED STATKS TllKASUIlY. 



is not healthy. Ague and fever prevail in the spring and fall, and 
render it anything but a desirable place of residence. The building 
is constructed of freestone, painted white — hence its most common 
name, the " White House." It was designed by James Hoban, and 
was modelled after the palace of the Duke of Leinster. The corner- 
stone was laid on the 13th of October, 1792, and the house was ready 
for occupancy in the summer of 1800. It was partially destroyed by 
the British in 1814. It has a front of 170 feet, and a depth of 86 
feet. It contains two lofty stories of rooms, and the roof is surrounded 
with a handsome balustrade. The exterior Avails are ornamented with 
fine Ionic pilasters. On the north front is a handsome portico, with 
four Ionic columns in front, and a projecting screen with three columns. 
The space between these two rows of pillars is a covered carriage way. 
The main entrance to the house is from this portico through a massive 
doorway, which opens into the main hall. The garden front has a 
rusticated basement, which gives a third story to the house on this 
side, and by a semicircular projecting colonnade of six columns, with 
two flights of steps leading from the ground to the level of the prin- 



DISTRICT OF COLU.MBIA. 569 

cipal story. The interior is handsome, but simple, and contains the 
state apartments, or rooms used for public receptions, tiie Executive 
offices, and the private residence of the President and his family. 

The United States Treasury is Iocate<l on Pennsylvania avenue, at 
the corner of Fifteenth street west, fronting G street. The old build- 
ins: was commenced in 1836, and was constructed of inferior brown 
sandstone, painted in imitation of granite. In 1855, the extension was 
begun. It is now nearly completed. This extension has more than 
doubled the size of the original edifice, and has made the whole 
building one of the handsomest and most imposing in the country. 
The old building extended along Fifteenth street, and was ornamented 
with an unbroken Ionic colonnade, 342 feet long, which, though 
showy, was inconvenient, as it excluded the light from the rooms. 
The plan of the extension flanks the old building at each end with 
massive granite masonry, and makes beautiful terminations of the 
north and south fronts, which serve to relieve the dreary monotony 
of the long colonnade, besides providing a large new building at each 
end. "There are two inner quadrangles formed by the old rear 
building, extending back from the eastern entrance. These courts arc 
each 130 feet square. The walls of the extension are composed of 
pilasters, resting on a base which rises some 12 feet above the ground 
on the southern or lower side. Between the pilasters or antse are belt 
courses, beautifully moulded, and the facings of the doors and win- 
<lows are fine bold mouldings in keeping. In the centre of the 
southern, western, and northern fronts arc magnificent porticoes. The 
west front has also the projecting pediments at the ends, corresponding 
with those on the east side, and each supported by square antse at the 
angles, with two columns between. The whole building is of the 
Grecian or Ionic order, and is surmounted by a massive balustrade. 
The new structure is of the best and most beautiful granite in the 
world, brought from Dix Island, on the coast of Maine. The antse 
and columns are monoliths. The large, solid antse weigh nearly 
100,000 pounds, and the columns some 75,000. The facility with 
which the immense masses are hewn out of the quarries, swung on 
board vessels, brought to the capital, and raised to the positions which 
the architect in his studio designed them to occupy, conveys a high 
idea of American art and enterprise. The Treasury Building, as ex- 
tended, is 465 feet long, exclusive of the porticoes, by 266 feet wide." 
The courts are ornamented with handsouie fountains. A very beau- 
tiful one adorns the space in front of the western portico, at the en- 



570 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

trance to the President's Park, and another is now being constructed 
I)efore the north front. The entrances are through massive gateways. 
The yard on the north and west sides is lower than the street, and 
broad flights of steps lead to it. A handsome granite balustrade ex- 
tends along the north wall. The interior arrangements are unusually 
fine. The ai-chitecture ranks next to that of the Capitol in its mag- 
nificence, and is peculiarly American in its details. Unlike most of 
the public buildings, the offices are large, airy, and handsome, pre- 
senting the appearance of splendid saloons, and affording a greater 
degree of comfort to the occupants than the narrow, cell-like apart- 
ments of the old Treasury. 

The Department of State will soon be located in the Treasury Ex- 
tension, where elegant and convenient apartments are being prepared 
for it. 

The Patent Office, or, as it is sometimes called, the Department of 
the Interior, is used by the Secretary of the Interior and his clerks, 
but was designed originally for the use of the Bureau of Patents. 
This bureau is entrusted with the duty of granting letters patent 
securing a profitable reward to any person inventing articles beneficial 
to civilization. The building, known as the Patent Office, occupies 
two whole squares, and fronts south on F street, north on G street, 
east on 7th street west, and west on 9th street west. The length 
of the building, from 7th to 9th streets, is 410 feet, and the width, 
from F to G streets, is 275 ieet. It is built up along the four side^, 
with a large interior quadrangle about 265 by 135 feet in size. It is 
constructed in the plainest Doric style, of massive crystallized marble, 
and thouffh devoid of exterior ornament, is one of the most ma(2;ni.i- 
cent buildings in the city. It is grand in its simplicity, and its arclii- 
tectural details ate pure and tasteful. It is ornamented with massive 
porticoes, one on each front, which add much to its appearance, Tiie 
eastern portico is much admired. That on the south front is an exact 
copy of the portico of the Pantheon of Rome. The interior is divided 
into three stories. The ground and second floors are arranged in offices 
for the accommodation of the business of the Interior Department, but 
the third floor is occupied by an immense saloon extending entirely 
around the quadrangle. This is used as the Model Room, but jmrtakcs, 
as far as the south hall is concerned, of the character of a museum. The 
models and other articles are arranged in glass cases on each side of 
the room, ample space being left in the centre for promenading. 
There are two rows of cases, one above the other — the upper row be- 



DISTRICT OB^ COLUMBIA. 



571 




UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 



ing placed in a hanclsoine light gallery of iron, reached by tasteful 
iron stairways, and extending entirely aronnd the east, north, and 
west halls. The halls themselves are paved with handsome tiles. 
The ceiling is supported by a double row of imposing pillars, which 
also act as supports to the galleries, and both the walls and ceilings 
are finished in marble panels and frescoes. A more beautiful saloon 
is not to be found in America. Connected with the Patent Office 
is a valuable library, and the most interesting museum of American 
antiquities, etc., in the country. 

The General Post Office is used by the Postmaster-General of the 
United States, and his assistants. It covers an entire block, almost 
directly opposite the Patent Office, and is bounded by E and F streets 
north, and 7th and 8th streets west. It is 300 feet long, from north 
to south, and 204 feet wide, from east to west. It is built of white 
marble, in the Corinthian style of architecture, and is the best repre- 
sentation of the Italian palatial ever erected upon this continent. It 
is rectangular in form, with a spacious interior court-yard, 95 by 194 
feet in size. On the 7tli street side there is a vestibule, which consti- 



572 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tHtes the grand entrance into the building. The ceiling is composed, 
of exquisitely ornamented marble panels, supported by four marble 
( olumns ; and the walls, niches, and floor, are of marble, the floor 
being richly tesselated. On 8th street there is an entrance for mail 
wagons, handsomely ornamented. The City post-office is in the F 
street side of the building, and is tastefully arranged. 

The War Department is situated on Pennsylvania avenue, west of the 
President's House. It is a plain, old-fashioned edifice of brick, painted 
in lead color. It contains the offices of the Secretary of War and his 
assistants. 

The Navy Department is situated .immediately in the rear of the 
War Department, and fronts on 17.th street west. It is a plain build- 
ing of brick, and contains the offices of the Secretary of the Navy and 
his clerks. It is proposed to erect new and handsome edifices for the 
War and Navy departments. 

The Bureau of Agriculture stands upon a portion of the Smith- 
sonian Reservation. The grounds about it comprise about 20 acres, and 
have been laid out with much taste. The building is of pressed brick, 
four stories high, and is surmounted with a French roof. It contains 
the offices of the Commissioner of Agriculture and his assistants, 
whose business it is to overlook and promote the agricultural interests 
of the country, and to receive and publish statistics concerning them. 
This is one of the most interesting departments of the Government. 

The Navy Yard, situated on the Eastern Branch, at the foot of 8th 
street east, covers an area of 20 acres, enclosed by a high brick wall. 
It is one of the principal establishments of the Government, and con- 
tains several ship houses^ and machine shops for the manufacture of 
everything needed for the building, equipping, and fitting-out of ships 
of war. 

The Arsenal stands at the extreme southern end of the city, on 
Greenleaf 's Point, at the mouth of the Eastern Branch of the Potomac. 
It is quite an extensive establishment, and is one of the principal 
Arsenals of Construction in the country. It is interesting as having 
been the scene of the trial and execution of the persons concerned in 
the assassination of President Lincoln. 

The National Observatory is situated upon an elevated site, south- 
west of the President's mansion, near the Georgetown line, and com- 
mands a fine view of botli cities and of the Potomac River as far down 
as Fort Washington and Mount Vernon. It is under the control of the 
Navy Department, and is in charge of a corps of naval officers selected 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 573 

for their scle'^tific abilities. It ranks high amongst the Observatories 
of the world, that of Russia only being superior to it. It is in charge 
of all the nautical books, maps, charts, and instruments belonging to 
the Navy. 

The Smithsonian Institution stands on a part of the portion of the 
public grounds extending westward from the Capitol to the Potomac 
River, and called "The 3IalV The grounds extend from 7th street 
west to 12th street west, and from the Canal (which forms the north- 
ern boundary) to B street south. They are very extensive, com- 
prising an area of 52 acres, and were laid out by the distinguished 
liorticulturist and landscape gardener, Andrew Jackson Downing, 
who died while engaged in this work. A handsome monument to 
his memory stands in the grounds. It consists of a massive vase 
resting on a pedestal, the whole being executed of the finest Italian 
marble. The building stands near the centre of the park. The site 
is about 20 feet above the average level of Pennsylvania avenue, and 
the centre of the building is exactly opposite 10th street west. 

The structure is in the style of architecture belonging to the last 
half of the twelfth century, the latest variety of rounded style, as it is 
found immediately anterior to its merging into the early Gothic, and 
is known as the Norman, the Lombard, or Romanesque. The semi- 
circular arch, stilted, is employed throughout — in doors, windows, and 
other openings. The main building is 205 feet long by 57 feet wide, 
and, to the top of the corbel course, 58 feet high. The east wing is 
82 by 52 feet, and, to the top of its battlement, 42^ feet high. The 
west wing, including its projecting apsis, is 84 by 40 feet, and 38 feet 
high. Each of the wings is connected with the main building by a 
range, which, including its cloisters, is 60 feet long by 49 feet wide. 
This makes the length of the entire building, from east to west, 447 
feet. Its greatest breadth is 160 feet. The north front of the main 
building is ornamented with two central towers, the loftiest of which 
is 150 feet high. It has -also a handsome covered carriage-way, upon 
which opens the main entrance to the building. The south central 
tower is 37 feet square, 91 feet high, and massively constructed. A 
double campanile tower, 17 feet square, and 117 feet high, rises from 
the northeast corner of the main building; and the southwest corner 
has a lofty octagonal tower, in which is a spiral stairway, leading to 
the summit. There are four other smaller towers of lesser heights, 
making nine in all, the effect ^f which is very beautiful, and which 
once caused a wit to remark that it seemed to him as if a "collection 



574 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of church steeples had gotten lost, and were consulting togetlier as to 
the best means of getting home to their respective churches." The 
entire edifice is constructed of a fine quality of lilac-gray freestone, 
found in the new red-sandstone formation, where it crosses the Poto- 
mac near the mouth of Seneca Creek. The Institution was founded 
by James Smithson, an eminent Englishman. He died in 1828, and 
left the sum of $515,169 to the United States for the purpose of 
founding the Institution which bears his name. The object of Smith- 
son in founding this institution was, in his own words, " to found at 
Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an estab- 
lishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." 

The National Washington Monument stands immediately on the 
shore of the Potomac, directly west of the Capitol, and south of the 
White House. It is unfinished. Its total height is to be 600 feet, of 
which 184 feet have been completed. No work has been done on it 
for several years. It is to be finished by the voluntary contributions 
of the citizens of the Republic. It is to be built of white marble. 

The Oity Hall is the property of the City of Washington. It is a 
common place structure of white marble. Besides the public build- 
ings, there are a number of fine edifices used for business purposes and 
for residences. The city is improving rapidly in this respect. 

The trade of Washington is almost entirely local. Tiie City is con- 
nected with all parts of the country by railways, and the Potomac is 
navigable for steamers. Its manufacturing interests are in their 
infancy. The principal amount of the work done is on Government 
account. 

The principal points of the city are connected by street railways. 
Pure water is brought into the city from the Potomac above George- 
town. The Aqueduct is one of the finest works in the world. It 
was constructed by the U. S. Engineer Corps. The city is lighted 
with gas. It contains about 60 churches, some of which are very 
handsome. The Markets are bountifully supplied. The Hotels are 
numerous, but do not compare favorably with those of the other large 
cities of the country. The Public Schools are, as yet, in their infancy. 
There are five large " public schools," as they are called, which cor- 
respond to the " high schools" of most other cities, and a number of 
primary schools. The system is still incomplete, and capable of great 
expansion and reform. Of late years it has received more attention 
from the city authorities and the people, and there is now a fair pros- 
pect that the system will soon be placed upon a basis which will 
enable it to meet the wants of all classes of the community. 



VIRGINIA. 

Area, 38,352 Square Miles. 

Population in I860,* 1,596,318 

Population in 1870, 1,225,163 

The State of Virginia, the oldest of the original members of the 
Union, is situated between 36° 30' and about 39° 20' N. latitude, and 
between 75° 10' and 83° 30' W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky, on the east by 
Maryland and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by North Carolina 
and Tennessee, and on the west by Kentucky and West Virginia. 

TOPOGEAPHY. 

The following description of the natural features of this State is 
taken from a pamphlet recently issued by General John D. Imboden, 
the " Domestic State Agent of Immigration for Virginia." 

"No State in the Union presents a greater variety of surface and 
climate than Virginia — from the mountains of the interior and the 
rugged hills east and west of them, to the rich alluvions of the rivers, 
and the sandy flats on the sea-coast. The greatest extent of moun- 
tains, and the greatest variety of timbers are found in this State. 
Wiiite Top Mountain, in Grayson couuty, attains an elevation of six 
thousand feet. 

"The State is by nature divided into five districts or regions, viz. : 
the Lower or Tide-water, the Piedmont, the Valley, the Alleghanies, 
and the Trans- Alleghanies. We will glance at them in their natural, 
order. 

* Since the census of 1860, the western counties of the old State have 
been erected into the new State of West Virginia. 

575 



576 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

"Lower or Tide-water District. — Thirty-seven counties, 
mostly bordering on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, compose 
this district. It is generally level, not more than 60 feet above tide, 
even in the highest places. Great navigable streams traverse it in a 
southeastern direction, such as the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, 
and James, with a multitude of smaller streams. The great slope 
which forms this district is 'divided by natural boundaries into no less 
than twelve principal peninsulas,' says General Wise, of Virginia, in 
a recent address, replete with valuable information, ' the eastern shore 
of the Chesapeake, that between the Potomac and Rappahannock ; 
between the Rappahannock and Piankatank ; between the Piankatank 
and York; the York and James; the Mattapony and Pamunkey; 
the Chickahominy and the James; the Nansemond and Dismal 
Swamp and the Ocean ; the Nansemond and James and the Black- 
water ; the Blackwater and the Nottoway ; the Nottoway and Me- 
herrin ; the Meherrin and the Roanoke.' 

" This favored region contains every variety of soil. The delta of 
these rivers * in the borders of Virginia is riciier and rarer in every 
production than the garden of the Nile,' There is nowhere near it 
any ' arida nutrix leonum,' says General Wise, 'and its only quags of 
swamp, even in the Big Dragon of the Piankatank, and on the 
Chickahominy, and around the fire-fly camp of Drummond Lake, are 
capable of being converted into a New Holland, by dyke and ditch 
of easy spit and drain, or horticulture of every fruit and vegetable, 
where drought cannot parch, and of a temperature milder than that 
much farther south. Vegetation is confined to no one class of plants 
and trees, and flower^ and fruit, and cereal, and- staple crops of every 
variety flourish with a beauty and a fullness and a flavor to cheer 
industry and art with luscious plenty at home and a paying profit at 
the markets of every Eastern city. There is a navigable stream at 
almost every door. There are eligible sites on every creek and river 
in this region, not only for all the more common fruits, such as apples, 
peaches, pears, cherries, berries, plums, and melons, but for the rarer 
and more delicate fruits — such as grapes, figs, pomegranates, apricots, 
nectarines, Persian cantelopes, strawberries, and cranberries. Accord- 
ing to Prince, there are no sites on the continent so Italy-like for 
' fruits, as some of these peninsulas of lowland Virginia. 

" The crops of grain and vegetables are still more various, and the 
lands the easiest tilled in the world, Avith mines of marl and shell, 
and fossils and muck for manure in every part. It is a great mistake 



VIRGINIA. 577 

to suppose that this section is not equally good for stock-raising of its 
kind, and for clothing as well as for food. It has the finest ranges in 
its savannas and salt marshes, for small cattle of the Devon breed, and 
the best for hogs and sheep — and the hardiest blooded horses. The 
pony of the Chincoteague Island will sell for a higher price than 
any horse in America proportioned to his girth ; and the best racers 
of the two last centuries were foaled from the blood the south side of 
the James. Flax and hemp may be grown to any extent, and cotton 
has been grown profitably. Its forests furnish the choicest ship-timber 
from its salt sea atmosphere in thirty miles of the coast. Its Hampton 
Roads is the largest harbor of the continent, to which the eastern 
rivers converge from every point of the compass for commerce. And, 
everywhere, on land and water, nature has provided a meat-house of 
fisheries and game, venison, wild turkeys, quails and woodcock, rabbits, 
squirrels, robins, sora, reed-birds, shell-fish, scale-fish, terrapins, turtles, 
swans, wild geese, brant, wild ducks, and plover innumerable, and 
indestructible. 

"The salubrity 'of its climate,' says General Wise, Svill compare 
with that of any region since drainage and liming of the lands began 
to remove the causes of malarial fevers chiefly at the point where the 
tides of salt water meet the currents of the fresh water at the rivers.' 

" The entire region is favorable to the growth of the finer kinds of 
tobacco, offering great inducements for the settlement of growers from 
the various portions of European tobacco regions. There is no reason 
why the finest Cuban tobaccoes should not grow here, and with the 
now spreading cultivation of the Latahia tobacco plant, brought by 
Bayard Taylor from Palestine, and successfully introduced already by 
him in Pennsylvania, a great future is open for this staple in Virginia. 
Mr. Taylor thinks this variety incomparably better than the finest 
Yara or Cuba ever grown, and states that it does not deteriorate by 
being transplanted, but retains perfectly all its delicious characteristics. 

"Market gardeners near Norfolk cultivate early vegetables for the 
markets of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, having their 
produce ripening from three to four weeks earlier than in those more 
northern latitudes. They have been known, on from five to ten acres 
in cultivation, to make per annum from $2500 to $5000 clear profit. 
By the Anames^ic line of railroad, which now in thirteen hours' travel 
connects the city of Norfolk with the metropolis of New York, market 
gardeners and farmers on the lower Chesapeake Bay, especially those 
who live in Accomac and Northampton counties, may directly, and 



578 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

those of Princess Anne, Norfolk, York, Gloucester, Mathews, Mid- 
dlesex, Lancaster, and Northumberland may, by means of their own 
little "schooners, in one night's travel across the bay, offer their produce 
for sale within twenty -four hours, in the best market on th« American 
continent. The fisheries on these coasts are world-renowned. On 
the whole line of the counties above mentioned, fish manure can be 
abundantly obtained for the labor of carrying it away. Wheat and 
other cereals flourish. During the war in this section, the inhabitants 
felt no apprehension on the score of living; they could find fish and 
oysters, and wild ducks, everywhere, and in plenty. In Nansemond 
county, in the celebrated Dismal Swamp, peat has been discovered. 
It is now being cut, moulded and shipped to the northern cities, and 
found to be extremely profitable. 

" By allowing 100 inhabitants to the square mile, and giving 60 
acres as a homestead to each family, the lowlands of Virginia can 
maintain a population of 1,600,000 souls. 

" Piedmont District. — At the foot of the mountains, stretching 
away to where the navigation of the rivers which traverse the lowlands 
ceases, a region embracing 32 counties, lies, more diversified in 
surface than the lowlands — and, of course, more elevated, with a 
genial, healthful climate. Here are found the greatest inducements 
for the erection of manufacturing establishments, — natural water- 
power being everywhere abundantly at command. This land is the 
Piedmont of Virginia — like the vinous land of Italy, though not so 
naked. As General Wise says : ' For hill and dale, and grove and 
meadow, for lawns and orchards, and mountain spires and undulating 
surface of waving wheat-fields and green swards, and buoyant springs 
and sparkling fountains, and bracing air — it surpasses all classic lands 
of Arcadia.' It is divided by the James into North and South Pied- 
mont, from the Point of Rocks to Lynchburg, and from Lynchburg 
to the North Carolina line. The difference in these two divisions of 
the Piedmont is attributable more to the difference in the past habits 
of cultivating the two than to any great variation of soil or climate. 
Though one is farther north, yet the climate of each is much the 
same as that of the other, both being affected by a mountain atmos- 
phere. The northern has the stiffcst clay, and cultivates wheat and 
corn and artificial grasses, and raises live stock ; the southern culti- 
vates mostly tobacco and corn, though wheat also largely, and grazes 
but little. Both are beautiful and fertile and fit for farming — capable 
of the highest culture; are cool and bracing in temperature and 
blessed with health. 



YIRGIXIA. 579 

"This district has an area of 10,000 square miles, and is capable of 
maintaining a population of 1,000,000 souls. It is not generally a 
lime land, but portions of it are very rich, viz. : Loudoun, Fauquier, 
Albemarle, and Bedford counties. The tobacco which is raised in the 
southern section of Piedmont, south of 38°, is known as shipping 
tobacco. The fine tobacco counties in this section are Albemarle, 
Henry, Pittsylvania, Halifax, Campbell, etc. 

" Before we reach the third principal region of Virginia we must 
cross the Blue Ridge, where we find still some of the most beautiful 
forests of America, and an atmosphere of surpassing salubrity. The 
productions of this magnificent mountain-belt are similar to those 
regions on its sides. Waving wheat-fields and pastures and charming 
valleys, with grazing cattle and hardy husbandry, may everywhere be 
met. Vineyards are everywhere springing up, and its honey finds 
now, and its wines will soon find, a market in the world. 

" To the sturdy emigrant this ridge offers still thousands of acres 
of virgin lands, and nowhere in America will he have nature's assur- 
ance of a long life so plainly indicated as here. This ridge alone con- 
tains at least 2000 square miles, or 1,280,000 acres — enough to divide 
into 6400 farms of 200 acres each, and to support a population of 
50,000 more than it has now. 

"Valley District. — Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains we 
come to the celebrated valley of Virginia (Shenandoah and South 
Branch), not only renowned for the fertility of its soil — 8000 square 
miles in area, and capable of supporting 800,000 people — but for the 
splendid characteristics of its inhabitants — originally English, German, 
Scotch and Irish, now intermixed in one brave race. A continuation 
of the fruitful Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, it stretches 
between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains the entire length of 
Virginia, obliquely from northeast to southwest, nearly 300 miles, 
and is from 25 to 30 miles wide. Possessing the finest grazing country 
in the world, and having throughout a limestone foundation, its lands 
yield from 20 to 40 bushels of wheat, and from 40 to 50 bushels of 
Indian corn is by no means an extraordinary crop. 

"To show the remarkable permanancy of its fertility, we cite the 
following from a traveller in the last century. Burnaby, in his 
travels, describes the condition of the Germans on the Shenandoah as 
follows : * I could not but reflect with pleasure on the situation of 
these people, and think if there is such a thing as happiness in this 
life they enjoy it. Far from the bustle of the woi'ld, they live in the 



580 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

most delightful climate and richest soil imaginable ; they are every- 
where surrounded with beautiful prospects and sylvan scenes, lofty 
mountains, transparent streams, falls of water, rich valleys, and 
majestic woods; the whole interspersed with an infinite variety of 
flowering shrubs, constitute the landscape surrounding them ; they 
are subject to few diseases; are generally robust and live in perfect 
liberty ; they are ignorant of want and acquainted with but few vices ; 
their inexperience of the elegancies of life precludes any regret that 
they possess not the means of enjoying them ; but they possess what 
many princes would give their dominions for — health, content, and 
tranquillity of mind.' Seventy years later, Bernhard, Duke of Saxc- 
Weimer^ says of this valley : ' The country was pretty well cultivated, 
and by the exterior of many country houses, we were induced to be- 
lieve their inhabitants enjoyed plenty.' Daniel Webster, twenty ynar- 
after this, in a public oration in the Shenandoah Valley, said : ' he 
had seen no finer farming land in his European travels than in that 
valley.' Still twenty years later, and the Northern troops when they 
entered it victoriously, after its great defender Stonewall Jackson, had 
fallen, exclaimed: 'Here is a second Canaan, let us rest here and 
pitch our tents.' What gives particular interest to this valley and to 
the Blue Ridge to the European and Northern emigrant is the fact 
that there have never been many negroes within them — at this day 
the land is cultivated almost entirely by white laborers. 

"The Alleghanies. — Beyond this valley westward rise the 
Alleghanies. Their range runs northeast and southwest 250 miles, 
by 50 miles of average width — making of mountains, valleys, and 
dales, 12,500 square miles. Besides their aspect of rocks, ridges, 
caves, valleys, slopes, healing springs, streams, and fountains, they 
present to the eye a most luxuriant indigenous verdure of blue-grass 
spread over forests and fields, which oifer grazing to live stock on 
nature's pastures without cost of clearing or cultivation. North of 
the High Knob and Haystack there are no negroes. The whole 
region of these mountains abounds in minerals of every description, 
which wait for capital to develop them. Wheat, rye, oats, and other 
grains, and the fruits of northern latitudes grow luxuriantly every- 
where in the valleys, dales, plateaus, and on the slopes of these rugged 
mountains, and offer a most inviting home to a Swiss, a Scot, a Swede, 
a Norwegian, etc. There is room enough in these mountains for 
1,200,000 immigrants of every kind of occupation." 

The lower part of the State is divided by the Chesapeake Bay, two 



VIRGINIA. 



581 




NATURAL BRIDGE. 



counties lying between the Bay and the Ocean. They are knowTi as 
the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Below the mouth of the Potomac 
River, the Chesapeake lies wholly in the State, and receives the 
waters of the Rappahannock, Piankatank, York, and James rivers. 
The famous oyster fishing grounds of the Chesapeake are within this 
part of the State, and from them millions of bushels of oysters are 
gathered every year, and shipped to Baltimore and the northern 
cities. 

The Potomac River washes the entire no^rtheast border of the State. 
It rises in two branches, in the eastern part of "West Virginia. These 
branches unite in Hampshire county, West Va., from which point 
the main river pursues a generally southeast course to its mouth. It 
is 350 miles long, exclusive of its branches. It flows into the Chesa- 
peake Bay through a broad estuary, 50 miles long, and from 6 to 10 
miles wide. It is navigable to Washington for first-cla.ss vessels. 
36 



582 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

At Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, it is broken by a magni- 
ficent fall, over 50 feet high. The country along its upper ^yate^s is 
beautiful and grand beyond description. At Harper's Ferry, the 
river first touches the soil of Old Virginia. Here it breaks through 
the Blue Ridge, a mountain-pass of the greatest magnificence. It 
forms the boundary between Maryland and West Virginia and Vir- 
ginia. Leesburg and Alexandria are the principal towns of Virginia 
on the river. George Washington was born on the shores of the 
lower Potomac. The Rappahannock River is formed by the junction 
of the North and Rapidan rivers in the eastern part of Culpeper 
county. Flowing southeast, it empties into the Chesapeake Bay, 
about twenty-five or thirty miles below the mouth of the Potomac. 
It meets the tide at Fredericksburg, its principal town. Above this 
place it possesses almost unlimited water-power of the best descrip- 
tion. It is 125 miles long, and flows through a beautiful and fertile 
country. Together with the Raj)idan, it has been rendered famous 
by the events which occurred on its shores during the late civil war. 
The York Rivei' is formed by the junction of the Mattapony and 
Pamunkoy rivers, at the southeast end of King William county. It 
is about 40 miles long, with an average width of 3 miles, and flows 
s:outheasterIy into Chesapeake Bay, directly opposite Cape Charles. 
West Point, at its liead, now a mere hamlet, was once the most im- 
portant place in the colony of Virginia. Yorktown, so famous in the 
Revolution and the Rebellion, is situated on the right bank of the 
river, a mile or two from its mouth. The James River, the principal 
stream in the State, is formed by the confluence of the Jackson and 
Cowpasture rivers, on the borders of Alleghany and Bottetourt coun- 
ties. It flows southeast to the Blue Ridge Mountains, through which 
it forces its way, forming one of the grandest river passes in America. 
From this point its general course is northeast to the southern border 
of Albemarle county, after which it flows east-southeast to the bay, 
emptying into that body of water between Capes Charles and Henry, 
it is broken in several places by falls, and at Richmond flows over a 
succession of rapids six miles long. It is about 450 miles long, exclu- 
■^ive of its branches. It is navigable for ships and steamers to Rich- 
mond, 150 miles from the sea, at the head of tide water. The James 
River and Kanawha Canal furnish uninterrupted navigation from 
Richmond to beyond the Blue Ridge. The James flows through a 
beautiful and fertile country along its whole length. Above Rich- 
mond its water-power is magnificent. The lower part of the river is 



VIRGINIA. 583 

known as Hampton Roads, and is defended by the powerful works 
of Fortress Monroe and Fort Wool. Lynchburg and Richmond are 
the principal towns on the river. Norfolk is situated on tjie Eliza- 
beth River, 14 miles from its entrance into the James, opposite Fort- 
ress Monroe. The Roanoke River of North Carolina, and the Hol- 
ston of Tennessee, rise in the southeast part of Virginia. 

The State is crossed by the Alleghany and Blue Ridge ranges, 
the former separating it from West Virginia. The Cumberland 
Mountains form the southwestern boundary, and separate Virginia 
from Kentucky. 

The region immediately south of Norfolk is occupied by an immense 
marsh known as the Dismal Swamp, through which a canal has been 
cut from Norfolk to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, connecting the 
waters of the Chesapeake with those of Albemarle Sound. 

"The celebrated swamp called the ^Dismal,' lies partly in Vir- 
ginia and partly in North Carolina ; it extends from north to south 
nearly 30 miles, and averages, from east to west, about 10 miles. 
Five navigable rivers and some creeks rise in it. The sources of all 
these streams are hidden in the swamp, and no traces of them appear 
above ground. From this it appears that there must be plentiful 
subterraneous fountains to supply these streams, or the soil must be 
filled perpetually with the water drained from the higher lands which 
surround it. The latter hypothesis is most probable, because the soil 
of the swamp is a complete quagmire, trembling under the feet, and 
filling immediately the impression of every step with water. It may 
be penetrated to a great distance by thrusting down a stick, and when- 
ever a fire is kindled upon it, after the layer of leaves and rubbish is 
burned through, the coals sink down, and are extinguished. The 
eastern skirts of the Dismal Swamp are overgrown with reeds, ten or 
twelve feet high, interlaced everywhere with thorny bamboo briers, 
which render it almost impossible to pass. Among these are found, 
here and there, a cypress, and white cedar, which last is commonly mis- 
taken for the juniper. Towards the south there is a very large tract 
covered with reeds, without any trees, which being constantly green, 
and waving in the wind, is called the green sea. An evergreen shrub, 
called the gall-bush, grows plentifully throughout, but especially on 
the borders; it bears a berry which dyes a black color, like the gall 
of an oak, and hence its name. Near the middle of the swamp, the 
trees grow much closer, both the cypress and cedar; and being always 
green, and loaded with large tops, are much exposed to the windj and 



584 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

easily blown down in this boggy place, where the soil is too soft to 
afford sufficient hold to the roots. From these causes the passage is 
nearly always obstructed by trees, which He piled in heaps, and riding 
upon each other; and the snags left in them pointing in every direc- 
tion, render it very difficult to clamber over them. On the western 
border of the Dismal Swamp is a pine swamp, above a mile in 
breadth, the greater part of which is covered to the depth of the knee 
with water : the bottom, however, is firm, and though the pines grow- 
ing upon it are very large and tall, yet they are not easily blown 
down by the wind ; so that this swamp may be passed without any\ 
hinderance, save that occasioned by the depth of the water. With all 
these disadvantages, the Dismal Swamp, though disagreeable to the 
other senses, is in many places pleasant to the eye, on account of the 
perpetual verdure, which makes every season like the spring, and 
every month like May. Immense quantities of shingles and other 
juniper lumber are obtained from the swamp, and furnish employ- 
ment for many negroes, who reside in little huts in its recesses. Much 
of the lumber is brought out of the swamp, either through ditches cut 
for the purpose, in long narrow lighters, or are carted out by mules, 
on roads made of poles laid across the road so as to touch each other, 
forming a bridge or causeway. There are ver}^ many miles of such 
road. The laborers carry the shingles, etc., to these roads from the 
trees, on their heads and shoulders. The Dismal Swamp Canal runs 
through it from north to south, and the Portsmouth and Roanoke 
Railroad passes for five miles across its northern part. It looks like 
a grand avenue, surrounded on either hand by magnificent forests. 
The trees here, the cypress, juniper, oak, pine, etc., are of enormous 
size, and richest foliage ; and below is a thick entangled undergrowth 
of reeds, woodbine, grape-vines, mosses, and creepers, shooting and 
twisting spirally around, interlaced and complicated, so as almost to 
shut out the sun. The engineer who had constructed the road 
through this extraordinary swamp, found it so formidable a labor as 
almost to despair of success. In running the line, his feet were 
pierced by the sharp stumps of cut reeds; he was continually liable to 
sink ankle or knee deep into a soft muddy ooze ; the yellow flies anc' 
mosquitoes swarmed in myriads ; and the swamp was inhabited by 
venomous serpents and beasts of prey. The Dismal Swamp was once 
a favorite hunting-ground of the Indians ; arrow-heads, some knives 
and hatchets are yet found there; and it still abounds in deer, 
bears, wild turkeys, wild-cats, etc. The water of this swamp is gene- 



VIRGINIA. 



585 




I'li 



LITTLE STONY FALLS. 



rally impregnated with juniper, and is considered medicinal by the 
people of the surrounding country, who convey it some distance in 
barrels. This swamp is much more elevated than the surrounding 
country, and by means of the Dismal Swamp Canal might be drained, 
and thus a vast body of most fertile soil reclaimed ; and the canal 
might be transformed into a railroad ; and the juniper soil, which is 
vegetable, might, perhaps, be used as peat." 

MINERALS. 

The State of Virginia is especially rich in mineral resources, which 

are still comparatively undeveloped. Gold is found in Fluvanna, 

* Orange, Spottsylvania, Goochland, and Buckingham counties, and the 



586 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

mines in these regions can be made to yield a profitable return. The 
copper ore found in Fauquier county is said to yield 75 per cent, of 
pure copper. Coal and iron exist in great quantities. Immense beds 
of bituminous coal lie in the neighborhood of Richmond and in the 
mountain regions, while anthracite is found in quantities in and 
beyond the Valley. Numerous salt springs exist in the southwestern 
counties of the State, from which large quantities of salt were annually 
produced before the late war. The salt works were either destroyed 
or greatly damaged during the war, so that this branch of the industry 
of the State has not fully recovered its importance. The other minerals 
are lead, plumbago, gypsum, porcelain-clay, fine granite, marble, slate, 
soapstone, lime, water-lime, and fire-clay. The State also abounds 
in mineral springs of nearly every known variety. They are famous 
among the fashionable summer resorts of the Union, and are visited 
every year by persons from all parts of the country. 

PRODUCTIONS. 

The climate, soil, and products of the State having been already 
described in the quotation from General Imboden's pamphlet, it is 
only necessary to offer here a statement of the principal agricultural 
products in 1870. The following table is taken from the report of 
the United States Census for that year : 

Bushels of Indian corn, 17,649,304 

wheat, 7,398,787 

" rye, 582,264 

" oats, 6,857,555 

" buckwheat, 45,075 

" potatoes, 2,115,735 

Pounds of tobacco, 37,086,364 

Tons of hay, 199,883 

COMMERCE. 

Previous to the war, Virginia was engaged in a large and lucrative 
trade with the States of the Union, and had a growing foreign com- 
merce. Her tobacco commanded a high price in the markets of 
Europe, and her export of flour to South America and the West 
Indies amounted to near 200,000 barrels annually. Her oyster trade 
was extremely valuable. Her trade with Europe, however, was car- 
ried on mainly through the ports north of her. The statistics for 
1860, the year before the war, include the present State of West Vir- 
<'-inia, but we give them, as there have been no accurate returns since 



VIRGINIA. 587 

the close of the struggle. In 1861, the total exports of the State 
amounted to $5,858,024, and the imports to |1,326,249, 



MANUFACTURES. 

The figures given below represent the condition of Virginia in 
1870, and, of course, do not include the present State of West Virginia. 
In that year there were 5933 establishments in the State devoted to 
manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. They employed 26,974 
handsj'and a capital of $18,455,400, consumed raw material worth 
$23,832,384, and returned an annual product of $38,364,322. The 
value of the principal products was as follows : 

Cotton goods, $1,435,800 

Woollen goods, *• • • 352,829 

Leather, *. . . 790,443 

Pig iron 619,820 

EoUed iron, 1,994,146 

Steam engines and machinery, 591,182 

Agricultural implements, 403,457 

Sawed and planed lumber, 2,130,705 

riour, 12,649,276 

Salt, 1,250 

Manufactured tobacco, 7,054,770 

The manufacturing interests of Virginia were almost fatally injured 
by the war, and are but slowly recovering from their reverses. Tht- 
State possesses the most abundant water-power in the world, and is 
destined to become one day one of the principal seats of American 
manufactures. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The great rivers of the State are navigable for a large part of their 
course, and a fine canal, extending from Richmond to Buchanan, in 
Bottetourt county, beyond the Blue Ridge, connects the mountains 
with the sea. Railroads extend through the State in various direc- 
tions, connecting its various cities and towns with the capital, and 
with all parts of the Union. Five lines centre in Richmond, four in 
Petersburg, two in Norfolk, three in Lynchburg, and three in Alex- 
andria. In 1872, the State contained 1416 miles of completed rail- 
road, constructed at a cost of $49,975,000. The canals of the State 
have an aggregate length of about 175 miles. 



588 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES 

EDUCATION. 

A good free school system, including colored schools, has been estab- 
lished in Virginia since 1871, and is working well. In 1860, there 
were 23 colleges in the State, some of which are now in West Vir- 
ginia. Others were burned. 

The University of Virginia, at Charlottesville, is the principal 
school in the State. It was attended by 600 students in 1860. 
Since the close of the war, it has been reopened, and has regained a 
large share of its former prosperity. At present the number'of stu- 
dents is about 500. A student is admitted from each Senatorial dis- 
trict of the State, without charge for matriculation, tuition, or room 
rent, these expenses being borne by the State. In return for these 
advantages, the student enjoying them is required to teach in some 
school in the State for a period of two years after his graduation. 

William and Mary College, at Williamsburg, was established in 
1693, and liberally endowed by William and Mary of England. It 
was in successful operation until 1860, and was regarded, next to the 
University, as the best school in the State. During the war, the 
buildings and other college property were destroyed by fire. Efforts 
are now being made to restore the institution to its former condition. 

The Washington- Lee TJnivei'sity, at Lexington, was established as 
an academy before the Revolution. In 1798, it was endowed by 
Washington, and reorganized as a college. It resumed its operations 
after the close of the war under the Presidency of General R. E. Ijce, 
assisted by an excellent faculty, and is one of the best and most pros- 
perous institutions in the State. It was formerly known as Washing- 
ton College. After the death of General Lee, in 1870, it was given 
its present name. 

Hampden- Sidney College, in Prince Edward county, Randolph- 
Macon College, in Hanover county, and Emory and Henry College, in 
Washington county, are the other collegiate institutions in the State. 

The Virginia Military Institute, at Lexington, is entirely a State 
institution. It was in a high state, of prosperity in 1860, but was 
burned during the war. It was reorganized upon the return of peace, 
and is now in a flourishing condition again. It is an admirable 
school, and furnishes its pupils with a thoroughly practical, scientific, 
and military training. 



YIRGINIA. 589 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State of Yirgiuia possesses a Penitentiary, at Richmond, au 
Asylum for the Blind, au Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, and an 
Asylum for the Insane, at Staunton, and an Eastern Asylum for the 
Insane, at Williamsburg. No returns of these institutions are at hand. 

FINANCES. 

The finances of the State are not in a prosperous condition. The 
State debt is large and increasing^ and the interest thereon has not 
been paid as it accrued. This is attributed to the increased expenses 
incident to the peculiar condition of affairs in the State, the adminis- 
tration of the Government by the military authorities, and the partial 
failure to collect the revenue. On the 1st of January, 1871, the 
amount of principal and intei'est due by the State was $47,390,840. 
The State holds about $10,048,267 of valuable assets, which, in a few 
years, will be available for the reduction of the public debt, and it is 
believed that the ad valorem system of taxation prescribed by the 
Constitution will produce an annual revenue more than sufficient to 
meet the annual expenses; and now that the control of the State is 
once more in the hands of its own citizens, it is very certain that its 
obligations will be faitlifully met, and that its time-honored reputation 
for integrity will suffer no stain. 

GOVERNMENT. 

After the close of the civil war, Virginia was kept under military 
rule until the early part of 1870. In the summer of 1869, the people 
of the State, in accordance with the provisions of the Reconstruction 
Act, elected a State Government, and the Legislature thus chosen, 
acting provisionally, met at Richmond in October of the same year. 
Upon the reassembling of Congress, after the Christmas holidays, in 
1869, measures were taken for the readmission of the State into the 
Union. On the 25th of January, 1870, a bill, which had passed both 
Houses of Congress, received the Executive signature. This bill re- 
admitted the State under certain stringent conditions, one of the prin- 
cipal of which was a guarantee on the part of the State never to alter 
its Constitution so as to deprive negroes of the right of suffrage, nor 
to pass laws depriving negroes of the right to hold office, or of their 
school privileges. On the 27th of January, General Canby, the mili- 



590 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tary commander of the department, transferred the government of 
the State to the civil authorities. The Legislature met, at the call of 
the Governor, on the 8th of February, 1870. 

By the terms of the new Constitution adopted in 1869, the right of 
suffrage is secured to every male citizen of the United States of the 
age of 21 years, who has been a resident of the State for one year, and 
of the county, city, or town, three months next preceding the election 
at which he desires to cast his vote. 

The Government consists of a Governor, and Lieutenant-Governor 
(who is ex-officio the President of the Senate), elected by the people 
for four years, and a Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Second 
Auditor, and Register of the Land Office, elected by joint ballot of 
the two Houses of the Legislature. The Legislature consists .of a 
Senate of 43 members, and a House of Delegates of 181 members. 
The two Houses are styled the General Assembly of the Common- 
wealth of Virginia. 

The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Appeals. It 
consists of five judges, chosen for a term of 12 years. There are 16 
Circuit Courts, the judges of which hold office for 8 years. The State 
is divided into 82 districts, for each of which-a county judge is elected. 
The courts of the cities have their separate judges. The term of office 
of the county and city judges is 3 years. All the judges of the State 
are chosen by a concurrent vote of the two Houses of the General As- 
sembly. Elections for township and city officers are held on the 
fourth Thursday in May, and elections for State officers and members 
of Congress on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 

The State makes a liberal provision for the cause of education, and 
measures are now in progress for the establishment of a free school 
system. 

Richmond, in Henrico county, is the capital of the State. For 
purposes of government, the State is divided into 99 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Virginia was the first settled of the English colonies. On the ISth 
of May, 1607, a party of 105 settlers, sent out by the London Com- 
pany, to whom James I. had given a charter for South Virginia, 
settled on the north l)ank of the James River, and founded the town 
of Jamestown. This colony was composed of worthless adventurers, 
and came in search of gold, which, of course, was not found. It was 



VIRGINIA. 591 

nominally under the control of Captain Newport, but its real leader 
was the celebrated Captain John Smith, one of the most remarkable 
men of that period. Nothing but his energy and firmness prevented 
the colony from becoming a disastrous failure. In 1609, the powers 
of the London Company were greatly enlarged, and the government 
of the colony placed in its hands. Additional emigrants were sent 
out to Virginia, to the number of about 500 persons, and Lord Dela- 
ware was appointed Governor. The settlers were greatly harassed 
by the savages, and suifered much from privation and famine, and in 
1610 were reduced to only 60 souls, with scarcely food enough to'last 
them ten days. They were reinforced at this juncture by the arrival 
of Newport, Gates, and Somers, with 150 men, who had been wrecked 
upon the Bermudas, on their passage from England. They expected 
to find the colony in a prosperous condition, and were so discouraged 
by the state of affairs at Jamestown, that they took the remnant of 
the colonists on board, and started down the river, intending to sail 
for Newfoundland, where they hoped to be able to take passage to 
England in some of the fishing vessels. Upon reaching the mouth 
of the James, they were met by Lord Delaware, the Governor, who 
had arrived from England with three ships, with supplies and addi- 
tional colonists ; and the whole party returned to Jamestown. 

Virginia now grew rapidly. The settlement at Jamestown was 
placed beyond all danger of failure ; the Indians were punished for 
their attacks on the early settlers; and additional villages were 
founded. In 1619, 1200 colonists were sent over, including 90 re- 
spectable young women, who were sold to the planters as wives, for 
100 pounds of tobacco (worth $75), the price of their passage from 
England. One hundred felons were also sent over from the English 
prisons, by the express order of the king, and sold to the colonists as 
slaves. In the same year, a Dutch trading ship anchored in the 
James, and sold a number of negro slaves to the planters, thus intro- 
ducing African slavery into the New World. The colony continued 
to thrive, and in 1649, contained 15,000 white inhabitants, and 300 
negroes. About 30 ships came yearly to trade, and there were nearly 
30,000 horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and asses within its limits. 

During the great civil war in England, Virginia remained faithful 
to the king, and continued to maintain its loyalty, in spite of the 
efforts of the Parliament to win it over, until 1652, when it submitted 
to the Commissioners of the Commonwealth upon terms which were 
all that the colony could have desired. On the restoration of Charles 



592 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

II., Sir William Berkeley, the leader of the Stuart party in the pro- 
vince, returned to Virginia, and was reelected Governor. Charles 
granted many unjust privileges, to his favorites, who oppressed the 
people of Virginia so sorely, being assisted in their oppressions by the 
Governor, that a portion of the people of the colony took up arms to 
maintain their ancient rights. They were conquered by the Governor, 
who treated the vanquished party with such cruelty that he was 
severely rebuked by the king. This struggle is generally known as 
" Bacon's Rebellion," from Nathaniel Bacon, the military leader of 
the 'so-called rebels. 

In 1698, the town of Williamsburg was built, and named in honor 
of William III. The country around Jamestown being marshy and 
sickly, the seat of government was removed to Williamsburg. The 
original settlement at once fell into decay, and at present only a ruined 
church tower marks the site. 

Virginia bore a prominent part in the wars with France. The war 
of 1754 originated in the efforts of the colony to break up the line 
of military posts which the French were establishing along the Ohio 
River. This struggle first brought into notice a young surveyor, 
George Washington, who acquired in it a reputation and experience, 
which made him the foremost soldier in the Province. 

In 1764 the General Assembly of Virginia made an energetic and 
spirited protest against the cldim on the part of the English Crown 
to tax the colonies without their consent. The colony was not 
represented in the first Continental Congress which met in New York, 
in October, 1765, the Legislature having adjourned before the invita- 
tion of Massachusetts was received ; but the measures of that body 
were cordially endorsed at the next session of the Legislature, and 
throughout the Avhole struggle, Virginia and Massachusetts were the 
leading and most influential members of the colonial union. All the 
leading measures of resistance were originated by one or the other of 
these provinces. The Royal Governor, Lord Dun more, endeavored 
to check the efforts of the people, and was driven out of the capital, 
and forced to seek refuge on board a British man-of-war. He suc- 
ceeded in capturing the town of Norfolk, but was finally driven out 
of it, after which he bombarded it from his ships. During the 
summer of 1776, he continued to ravage the coast, but was finally 
driven southward. In 1779, the British General Mathews captured 
and destroyed the town of Norfolk, took the villages of Portsmouth 
and Gosport, and destroyed several ships of war in course of construe- 



VIRGINIA. 593 

vion there, and burned or captured 130 merchant vessels in the 
vicinity. In 1781, Benedict Arnold, the traitor, captured and burned 
the village of Richmond, but being hotly pressed by the American 
and French forces, retreated to the lower James, and reembarked for 
Newport, Rhode Island. A few months later, Cornwallis and 
Phillips entered eastern Virginia, and swept it with fire and sword, 
destroying and stealing $10,000,000 worth of property. These out- 
rages were partially avenged by the capture of Cornwallis' army at 
Yorktown, on the 19th of October, 1781. During the war, Virginia 
furnished her full share of men and means to the cause, besides con- 
tributing to it many of its great leaders. She gave to it, George 
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, 
Richard Henry Lee, and many other good and great men. 

At the outbreak of the war, Virginia was the first to propose a 
Confederation of the States, and at its close, perceiving that the system 
of Government in force was not suited to the necessities of the country, 
was the first to propose a Convention for the purpose of remedying its 
defects. This Convention met at Philadelphia, in 1787, and finally 
adopted the present Constitution of the United States, which was 
principally the production of James Madison, of Virginia. It was 
ratified by Virginia on the 25th of June, 1788, after encountering a 
strong opposition in the State Convention, led by Patrick Henry and 
George jSIason. 

The State, in 1784, ceded to the United States its territory north- 
west of the Ohio river, which has since been organized into the states 
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The present 
State of Kentucky also formed a part of the original State of Virginia, 
and was erected into a separate Territory, in 1789. 

During the war of 1812-15, the shores of the Chesapeake and its 
tributaries were ravaged by the British, and in 1814, the city of 
Alexandria was captured by them. During this struggle Virginia 
again gave a great soldier to the country, in the person of Winfield 
Scott, who, with Zachary Taylor, also led the American armies to 
victory in the war with Mexico. 

In 1831 a serious insurrection occurred, under the leadership of 
Nat Turner, among the negroes of Southampton county. It was 
suppressed and the leaders were executed, but not before a number 
of whites had been massacred. 

In 1859, the state was iiwaded at Harper's Ferry by John Brown 
and his adherents, the details of which event have already been given 
in another chapter. 



594 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Upon the secession of the Southern States, Virginia made great 
efforts to secure a peaceful solution of the troubles between the sections ; 
but failing to accomplish this, withdrew from the Union, and joined 
the seceded States. Richmond was made the capital of the new Con- 
federacy, and the Confederate forces were transferred to Virginia, 
which was thus made the theatre of war. The events of this unhappy 
struggle are too well known to need repetition here. It is sufficient 
to say that this State M'as the scene of some of the most important 
events of the war. Seven Federal armies were defeated, and over 
thirty pitched battles, besides numerous minor conflicts, were fought 
on its Soil. Finally Richmond and Petersburg were captured by the 
Union army, and General Lee, the great military leader of the South, 
was made a prisoner with all his troops. 

Virginia seceded from the Union on the 17th of April, 1861, and 
on the 23d of May, the ordinance of secession was ratified by a popu- 
lar vote of 90,000. The people of the Western counties were opposed 
to this action, and being determined not to bo forced out of the Union 
by the action of Eastern Virginia, summoned a convention, which met 
at Wheeling in June, 1861, tind formed the new State of West Vir- 
ginia, which now includes that portion of the old State lying between 
the Alleghany Mountains and the Ohio river.* 

After the close of the war, the State was subjected to the process of 
reconstruction, and until January 26th, 1870, was governed by a 
military commander. 

Virginia was greatly impoverished by the war. Her manufactures 
were almost totally destroyed, and her agriculture crippled to a very 
great degree. The State is now slowly recovering from the effects 
of these disasters. Now that slavery has been abolished, Virginia 
offers so many inducements to settlers from other States and from 
Europe, and such great advantages to capitalists, in its water-power 
and mineral resources, that there can be little doubt that a few years 
more will see her embarked in a career of industry and prosperity, 
which will far exceed anything in her past career. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns are, Norfolk, 
Petersburg, Alexandria, Lynchburg, Portsmouth, Winchester, Fred- 

. • 

* For a more complete account of this separation, see West Virginia. 



VIRGINIA. 595 

ericksburg, Leesburg, Danville, Farniville, Lexington, Charlottes- 
ville, Salem, Liberty, Christiansburg, Staunton, and Wytheville. 

RICHMOND, 

The capital and the largest city of the State, is situated in Henrico 
county, on the northeast bank of the James River, at the head of 
tide-water. It lies at the foot of the lower falls of the James, and is 
about 184 miles from the sea by the course of the river, and 100 miles 
in an air-line south-by- west from Washington. Latitude 37° 32' 17" 
N., longitude 77° 27' 28" W. 

Richmond is one of the handsomest cities in the Union, and its 
situation is much admired for its romantic beauty. The city is built 
on several hills, which are separated fron^ each other by a picturesque 
valley, through which flows Shockoe Creek, The principal are 
Shockoe and Church or Richmond hills. From any of these elevations 
a magnificent prospect may be gained, embracing the beautiful country 
around the city, and the noble river Avinding among its green hills, and 
leaping and dashing over the rocks which break its current for a dis- 
tance of several miles. Three fine bridges span the stream at inter- 
vals of from 100 yards to half a mile apart. Two are used by rail- 
ways entering the city, and connecting it Mnth the States south of Vir- 
ginia. The other is for vehicles and pedestrians. 

Richmond is laid out with great regularity, in perfect squares. The 
streets are broad, straight, and well paved, and, with the excej)tion 
of the business thoroughfares, are shaded with fine trees. The city is 
built generally of brick and stone, and the most of the houses are 
situated in yards adorned with flowers and shrubbery. The principal 
business thoroughfare. Main street, runs throughout the length of the 
city, and with the exception of the upper and lower portions, is one 
of the best-built streets in the Union. Broad street, parallel with 
Main, is a noble thoroughfare, and is occupied principally with retail 
stores. The general appearance of the city is handsome and attractive. 
The long streets, or those running parallel with the river, are named. 
Those crossing them at right-angles are numbered. 

The public buildings are handsome. The Capitol is the most con- 
spicuous object in the city. It stands on Shockoe Hill, in the midst 
of a handsome square of 10 acres. It is an imposing building, and is 
adorned with a portico of Ionic columns. It contains a marble statue 
of Washington, by Houdon, the famous French sculptor. To the 
west of <^he Capitol, and within the enclosure of the Capitol Square, 



596 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




RICHMOND. 



is the monument erected to Washington by the State of Virginia. It 
contains an equestrian statue of Washington, by Crawford, and statues 
of Jefferson, Mason, Henry, Marslial, Lee, and Morgan, by Crawford 
and Randolph Rogers. The monument is of fine granite ; the statues 
are of bronze. To the south of the Washington monument stands a fine 
marble statue of Henry Clay. The Governor's Mansion, a fine old- 
fashioned edifice, occupies the northeast portion of the square. The 
City Hall is an elegant structure on Broad and Capitol streets, oppo- 
site the square. The Custom House extends from Main to Bank 
street, immediately south of the Capitol. It is an elegant building 
of granite, and contains, besides the customs offices, the city post-office, 
and the United States Court-rooms. During the civil war, the build- 
ing was occupied by the Executive, State and Treasury Departments 
of the Confederate Government. The Confederate Congress sat in 
the Capitol. 



VIRGINIA. 597 

The public schools are good, though few in number. The city also 
contains the Richmond College, conducted by the Baptist church ; St. 
Vincenfs College, a Roman Catholic institution ; and the lledical De- 
partment of Hampden-Sydney College, the last of which occupies a fine 
granite building of Egyptian architecture. There are a number of 
excellent private schools and seminaries in the city, which has always 
been celebrated for its schools of this character. The Virginia His- 
torical Society possesses a fine library. The State Library is in the 
Capitol. There are several colored schools in the city. 

There are over 30 churches in Richmond, some of which are very 
handsome. St. John's, on Church Hill, is interesting from its histori- 
cal associations. 

The Penal establishments are the City Prison and the State Peniten- 
tiary. The latter is situated on a hill overlooking the river, and is a 
large edifice of brick with a fagade nearly 300 feet in length. 

The Benevolent establishments are numerous, and consist of a city 
Alms-house, the Bellevue Hospital, the Roman Catholic Orphan Asy- 
lum, and several societies for the assistance of the poor and distressed. 

The Cemeteries are Holywood and Shockoe Hill. The former is 
very beautiful. In the latter are buried some of the most distin- 
guished men of the country. 

Richmond is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water from the 
James River. Street railways connect its principal points. It is pro- 
vided with an efficient police force, and a steam fire department, and 
is governed by a Mayor and Council. It has always been a place 
of great political and commercial importance, and is noted for the 
culture and hospitality of its people. In 1870, the population was 
61,038. 

Richmond is admirably situated for commerce and manufactures. 
It lies in the midst of one of the finest agricultural regions of the 
Union, and has railway connections with all parts of the country. 
^The James River and Kanawha Canal afford water transportation to 
the very heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Valley of Vir- 
ginia. The river is navigable to the city for vessels drawing 10 feet 
of water, and those drawing 15 feet can lie within 3 miles of the city. 
There is regular communication by steamers with Norfolk, Baltimore, 
Philadelphia, and New York. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 
is now completed across the mountains, and will soon be finished to 
the Ohio River. The city is one of the most important tobacco and 
wheat markets in the Union, and is one of the principal seats of the 
37 



598 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

manufacture of tobacco, which is exported in large quantities to the 
Northern cities for sale. 

Riclimond is already largely engaged in manufactures, and is des- 
tined to become one of the most important manufacturing centres of 
America. It is already famous for its flour, its mills being among 
the most extensive in the country. Cotton and woollen goods, paper 
and iron ware are produced in considerable quantities. The water- 
power is derived from the James River, whicli in the course of a few 
miles descends 100 feet, thus furnishing an amount of power sufficient 
to turn all the mills of New England. The water is never too low 
to be used. The civil war struck a terrible blow at the manufactur- 
ing interests of Richmond, but the city is slowly recovering its former 
prosperity. Five daily papers, and a number of weeklies and month- 
lies are published in the city. 

Richmond was founded in 1742; and in 1779, while still but a 
small village, was made tlie capital of the State. In 1781, it was 
invaded and occupied by the British, under the command of Benedict 
Arnold. The invaders burned some public and some private build- 
ings, and a quantity of tobacco, and retreated towards the lower James. 
In 1789, the place contained 300 houses, and a bridge was built across 
the river by Colonel John Mayo. In 1800, it contained 5737 inhabi- 
tants. It was from the first a place of great political importance, ex- 
ercising a considerable influence over the country south of Virginia 
as well as over that State. After the secession of the Southern States 
and the beginning of hostilities in April, 1861, Richmond was made 
the Capital of the Confederacy, the Southern Government arriving 
there in June, 1861. From that time the city was tlie chief object 
of the efforts of the military forces of the United States. It was de- 
fended with great skill and determination, but was finally entered by 
the United States forces, on the 2d of April, 1865. It was set on fire 
by the Confederate forces on the night of their departure from it, and 
almost the entire business quarter, including the large mills, etc., was 
destroyed. Since then, it has been rebuilt on a handsomer and more 
substantial scale. 

NORFOLK, 

The second city of the State, is situated in Norfolk county, on the 
north bank of the Elizabeth River, 8 miles from Hampton Roads, 32 
miles from the ocean, and 160 miles by water, or 106 miles by land, 
from Richmond. 



VIRGINIA. 5.J9 

The city is built principally of brick and stone, on a level plain, 
and is somewhat irregular in its plan. The streets are wide and are 
well paved, but the general appearance of the place is unattractive. 
There are, however, many fine stores and handsome dwellings, and of 
late the appearance of the city is being gradually improved. The 
aty Hall and the Custom House are the principal buildings. The 
(iity contains 14 churches, 

ALEXANDRIA, 

The fourth city of the State, is situated in Alexandria county, on the 
right bank of the Potomac Eiver, 7 miles below Washington City, 
with which it is connected by a steam ferry and a railway. The city is 
delightfully situated on undulating ground, and commands a fine vieAv 
of the river and of Washington City. It is substantially built, and 
possesses some handsome buildings, but its general appearance is that 
of a quiet inland town. The streets cross each other at right angles, 
and are generally well paved. Some of them are shaded with mag- 
nificent trees. The city is supplied with water from Cameron's Run, 
a small stream close by, and is lighted with gas. It contains several 
public and private schools, and is the seat of a Theological Seminary 
and of a High School of the Protestant Episcopal Church. There are 
about 12 churches, and 3 newspaper offices in the city. It is governed 
by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population was 13,570. 
, Alexandria was once a place of considerable commercial importance, 
and possessed a large foreign and domestic trade. Some shipping is 
still owned in the port. The river furnishes unlimited water trans- 
portation to the sea, which is continued to the mountains by the 
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and there is railway communication 
with all parts of the country. The city seemed on the point of recov- 
ering some share of its former importance when the civil war put an 
end to its hopes. 

Alexandria was settled in 1748, and was incorporated as a city in 
1779. In 1801 it was ceded with other territory to the General 
Government, and constituted a part of the District of Columbia until 
1844, when it was restored to the State of Virginia. In the spring 
of 1861 it was occupied by the United States forces, and was held by 
them during the war. 

Eight miles below Alexandria, on the same side of the Potomac, 
and within the limits of Fairfax county, is Mount Yernon, the resi- 
dence and the site of the grave of George Washington. A few years 
previous to the civil war it was purchased from the Washington 



600 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




MOUNT VERNON. 



family by a fund raised through the efforts of Edward Everett and 
others, and made the property of the nation. Daring the civil war 
it lay between the lines of the two armies, each of which scrupulously 
respected it. 

" Mount Vernon, then known as the Hunting Greek estate, was 
bequeathed by Augustine Washington, who died in 1743, to Law- 
rence Washington, who received a captain's commission in one of the 
four regiments raised in the colonies, to aid the mother country in 
her struggle against France and Spain. It was named after Admiral 
Vernon, under whom Lawrence Washington had served, and for 
whom he cherished a strong affection. The central part of the man- 
sion, which is of wood, was erected by Lawrence, and the wings by 
George Washington. It contains many valuable historical relics, 
among which are the key of the Bastile, presented by Lafayette, portions 
of the military and personal furniture of Washington, the pitcher, 
portrait, etc. The tomb of Washington, which is now fast going to 
decay, occupies a more picturesque situation than the present one, 
being upon an elevation in full view of the river. The new tomb, 



VIRGINIA. 001 

'nto which the remains were removed in 1837, and subsequently 
placed within a marble sarcophagus, stands in a more retired situa- 
tion, a short distance from the house. It consists of a plain but solid 
structure of brick, with an iron gate at its entrance. Above the arch 
of this vault are inscribed the following lines : 

* Within this enclosure rest the remains of 
General George Washington.' 

"The Mount Vernon douiain, which has remained since the death 
of AYashington in the possession of his descendants, was purchased a 
few years ago for the sum of $200,000, raised by subscription, under 
the auspices of a society of ladies known as the ' Ladies' Mount Ver- 
non Union Association.' It is therefore, and will continue to be, the 
property of the nation. In this noble movement the late Hon. Ed- 
ward Everett took a distinguished and active part." 

LYNCHBURG, 

The fifth city of the State, is situated in Campbell county, on the 
south bank of the James River, 120 miles west-southwest of Rich- 
mond, and 20 miles from the Blue Ridge. It is built along a steep 
declivity, whicli rises from the river shore, and is situated in a beau- 
tiful and picturesque country. It is irregularly laid off, but contains 
several handsome buildings. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied 
with water from the river, which is pumped into a reservoir situated 
253 feet above the level of the river. 

Lynchburg is one of the principal railway centres of the State, 
being the junction of roads leading directly from Norfolk, Richmond, 
Washington City, and Bristol, Tennessee. It is connected witli 
Richmond by the James River Canal. These roads and the canal 
have made it a place of considerable trade. It is one of the principal 
tobacco markets of the State, and has also a large grain trade. Large 
quantities of tobacco are manufactured here. The city is, to a limited 
extent, engaged in manufactures, the river affording extensive water- 
power. Tobacco, cotton and woollen goods, and flour are the princi- 
pal articles. 

The city contains 10 churches, several public and private schools, 
and 3 newspaper offices. 

It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population 
was 6825. 

Lynchburg was founded in 1786, and named after John Lynch, one 
of the original settlers. In 1805 it was incorporated as a city. 



602 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MISCELLANIES. 

THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IN AMERICA. 

One of the first acts of Yeardley, in Virginia, was to emancipate tlie remaining 
servants of tlie colony. Tlie labor now being free, each man enjoying the fruits 
of liis own industry, and anxious to increase his store, there was no fear of 
scarcity, and no time or opportunity for mutiny among the scattered and indus- 
trious planters. With the increasing strength and independence of tlie colony, 
all fear of the savages had vanished. It is manifest that in these altered circum- 
stances a modification of the despotic government ought to have been made, be- 
cause its severity was no longer necessary, and while the power existed it might 
be abused, as the colony seriously experienced in the case of Argall. The mo- 
ment the colonists began to take an interest in the country, by the enjoyment of 
their own labor and the possession of property, it was right that they should have 
some share in that government, in the prudent, conduct of which they were most 
interested. Yeardley was aware of this, for, without any authority from home 
which we can trace, he called together a General Assembly, consisting of two 
members from every town, borough, or hundred, besides the Governor and 
Council, which met at Jamestown, near the end of June, 1619. In this Assembly 
seven corporations were represented, and four more were laid off in the course 
of the same summer. 

In this first North American legislature, wherein were "debated all matteis 
thought expedient for the good of the colony," several acts were passed which 
were pronounced by the treasurer of the company to be "well and judiciously 
carried," but which are unfortunately lost to posterity. This was an eventful 
year to the colony, for, in addition to their Assembly, a college was establislie.l 
in Henrico, with a liberal endowment. King James had exacted £15,000 i'mni 
Ihe several bishops of his kingdom for the purpose of educating Indian cliildnii, 
and 10,000 acres of laud were now added by the company ; and the original de- 
sign was extended to make it a seminary of learning also for the English. On<' 
hundred idle and dissolute persons, in custody for various misdemeanors, weic 
transported by the authority of the king and against the wishes of the company 
to Virginia. They were distributed through the colony as servants to the plant- 
ers ; and the degradation of the colonial character, produced by such a proce.ss, 
was endured for the assistance derived from them in executing the various plans 
of industry, that were daily extending themselves. This beginning excited in 
the colonists a desire for nsing more extensively other labor than their own, an 
opportunity for the gratification of which, unfortunately, too soon occurred. In 
this eventful year, too, a new article was introduced into the trade of the com- 
pany with the colony, by the good policy of the treasurer. Sir Edward Sandys, 
which produced a material change in tlie views and feelings of the colonists with 
regard to the country. At the accession of Sir Edward to office, after twelve 
years' labor, and an expenditure of £80,000 by the company, there were in the 
colony no more than 600 persons, men, women, and children. In one year he 
provided a passage for 1261 new emigrants. Among these were 90 agreeable 
young women, poor, but respectable and incorrupt, to furnish wives to the colo- 
nists. The wisdom of this policy is evident — the men had hitlierto regarded 
Virginia only as a place of temporary sojourn for the acquisition of wealtli, and 
never dreamed of making a permanent residence in a place where it was inipos- 



VIRGINIA. 60;^ 

sible to enjoy any of the comforts of domestic life. They had consequently none 
of those endearing ties of home and kindred to bind them to the country, or at- 
tach them to its interests, which are so necessary to make a good citizen. This 
new commodity was transported at the expense of tlie colony, and sold to the 
young planters, and the following year another consignment was made of GO 
young maids of virtuous education, young, handsome, and well recommended. 
A .wife in the first lot sold generally for 100 pounds of tobacco, but as the value 
of the new article became known in the market, tlie price rose, and a wife would 
bring 150 pounds of tobacco. A debt for a wife was of higher dignity than other 
debts, and to be paid first. As an additional inducement to marriage, married 
men were generally preferred in the selection of officers for the colony. Do- 
mestic ties were formed, habits of thrift ensued, comforts were increased, and 
happiness diffused ; the tide of emigration swelled : within three years 50 patents 
for land were granted, and 3500 persons found tlieir way to Virginia. 

In the month of August of this year an event occurred which stamped its im- 
press upon the Constitution of Virginia, and indeed of the whole soutlieru portion. 
of America. This was the, introduction of 30 African slaves by a Dutch vessel, 
which availed itself of the freedom of commerce, which had been released from 
the shackles of the company's monopoly in the early part of this year, to rivet 
the bonds of slavery upon a portion of their fellow creatures and their descend- 
ants. The indented and covenanted servants which had been long known in 
Virginia, and whose condition was little better than that of slavery, was a small 
evil and easily removed, because they were of the same color and country with 
their masters ; when they were emancipajted, they leaped at once from their 
shackles to the full dignity of freedom. No one scorned to associate with them, 
and no one spurned their alliance ; if honorable and worthy in other respects, 
they were equal to their masters, and might even rise to distinction. But not so 
the poor African. Nature has fixed upon him a stamp which cannot be (^rased 
or forgotten, even when his fetters have crumbled to the dust. 

TREATY BETWEEN VIRGINIA AND ENGLAND. 

In 1650, the Government of the Commonwealth of England sent a powerful 
fleet to reduce the Colony of Virginia to submission, as that colony had until then 
refused to acknowledge any authority but that of King Charles. The fleet cast 
anchor before Jamestown, in the month of June, 1650. The colonists made a 
formidable show of resistance, which so impressed the Cromwellian officers that 
they consented to receive the surrender of the colony upon the following terms, 
which Avere highly honorable to Virginia. The reader will notice tliat the poor 
little colony is recognized by the Commonwealth as its "equal." 

The articles of surrender are concluded between the Commissioners of the 
Commonwealth, and the Council of State and Grand Assembly of Virginia, as 
equal treating with equal. It secures — 

1st. Tliat this should be considered a voluntary act, not forced or constrained 
by a conquest upon the country; and that the colonists should have and enjoy 
such freedoms and privileges as belong to the freeborn people of England. 

2dly. That the Grand Assembly, as formerly, should convene and transact the 
afikirs of Virginia, doing nothing contrary to the Government of the Common- 
wealth or laws of England. 

3dly. That there should be a full and total remission of all nets, words, or writ- 
ings against the Parliament. 



604. OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

4thly. That Virginia should have her ancient bounds and limits, granted by the 
charters of the former kings, and that a new charter was to be souglit froni 
Parliament to that effect, against such as had trespassed upon their ancient 
rights. [This clause would seem to be aimed at some of the neighboring 
colonies.] 

5thly. That all patents of land under the seal of the colony, granted by the 
Governor, should remain in full force. 

6thly. That the privilege of fifty acres of land for every person emigrating to 
the colony, should remain in full force. 

7thly. That the people of Virginia have free trade, as the people of England 
enjoy, with all places and nations, acccn-ding to tlie laws of the Commonwealth ; 
and that Virginia should enjoy equal privileges, in every respect, with any other 
colony in America. 

8thly. That Virginia should be free from all taxes, customs, and impositions 
whatsoever ; and that none should be imposed upon them without the consent of 
their Grand Assembly ; and no forts or castles be erected, or garrison maintained, 
without their consent. 

9thly. That no charge should be required from the country on account of the 
expense incurred in the present fleet. 

lOthly. That this agreement should be tendered to all persons, and that such as 
should refuse to subscribe to it, should have a year's time to remove themselves 
and effects from Virginia, and in the meantime enjoy equal justice. 

The remaining articles were of less importance. This was followed by a 
supplemental treaty, for the benefit of the Governor and Council, and such 
soldiers as had served against the Commonwealth in England — allowing them 
the most favorable terms. 

ANECDOTES OF PATRICK HENRY. 

The wants of a large family compelled his father to find employment for his 
sons. At the age of 15, Patrick was put behind the counter of a country mer- 
chant, and the year following entered into business with his elder brother, Wil- 
liam, with whom was to devolve its chief management ; but such were his idle 
habits, that he left the burden of the concern to Patrick, who managed wretchedly. 
The drudgery of business became intolerable to him, and then, too, "he could 
not find it in his heart " to disappoint any one who came for credit ; and he was 
very easily satisfied with apologies for non-payment. He sought relief from his 
cares by having recourse to the violin, flute, and reading. An opportunity was 
presented of pursuing his favorite study of the human character, and the charac- 
ter of every customer underwent this scrutiny. 

One year put an end to the mercantile concern, and the two or three following 
Patrick was engaged in settling up its affairs. At 18 years of age he married 
Miss Shelton, the daughter of a neighboring farmer of respectability, and com- 
menced cultivating a small farm ; but his aversion to sj'stematic labor, and want 
of skill, compelled him to abandon it at the end of two years. Soiling off all his 
little possessions at a sacrifice, he again embarked in the hazardous business of 
merchandise. His old business habits still continued, and not unfrequently he 
shut up his store to indulge in the favorite sports of his youth. His reading was 
of a more serious cliaracter ; history, ancient and modern, lie became a proficient 
in. Livy, however, was his favorite ; and having procured a copy, he read it 



VIRGINIA. . 605 

through at least once a j^ear in the early part of his life. In a few years his sec- 
ond mercantile experiment left him a bankrupt, and without any friends enabled 
to assist him further. All other means failing, he determined to try the law. His 
unfortunate habits, unsuitable to so laborious a profession, and his pecuniary 
situation unfitting him for an extensive course of reading, led every one to sup- 
pose that he would not succeed. With only six weeks' study, he obtained a li- 
cense to practise, he being then 24 years of age. He was then not only unablq 
to draw a declaration or a plea, but incapable, it is said, of the most common and 
simple business of his profession. It was not until his 27th year that an oppor- 
tunity occurred for a trial of his strength at the bar. In the meantime the wants 
and distresses of his family were extreme. They lived mostly with his father- 
in-law, Mr. Shelton, who then kept a tavern at Hanover Courthouse. Whenever 
Mr. Shelton was from home, Henry took his place in the tavern, which is the 
identical public house now standing at Hanover Courthouse. The occasion on 
which his genius first broke forth, was the controversy between the clergy and 
the Legislature and people of the State, relating to the stipend claimed by the 
former. The cause was popularly known as the Parsons' cause. A decision of 
the court on a demurrer, in favor of the claims of the clergy, had left nothing un- 
determined but the amount of damages in the cause which was pending. Soon 
after the opening of the court, the cause was called. The scene which ensued is 
thus vividly described by Wirt : 

" The array before Mr. Henry's eyes was now most fearful. On the bench sat 
more than 20 clergymen, the most learned men in the colony, and the most ca- 
pable, as well as the severest critics before whom it was possible for him to have 
made his d^but. The courthouse was crowded with an overwhelming multitude, 
and surrounded with an immense and anxious throng, who, not finding room to 
enter, were endeavoring to listen without, in the deepest attention. But there 
was something still more awfully disconcerting than all this ; for in the chair of 
the presiding magistrate sat no other person than his own father. Mr. Lyons 
opened the cause very briefly : in the way of argument he did nothing more than 
explain to the jury, that the decision upon the demurrer had put the Act of 1750 
entirely out of the way, and left the law of 1748 as the only standard of their 
damages ; he then concluded with a highly-wrought eulogium on the benevolence 
of the clergy. And now came on the first trial of Patrick Henry's strength. No 
one had ever heard him speak, and curiosity was on tiptoe He rose ver}' awk- 
wardly, and faltered much in his exordium. The people hung their heads at so 
unpromising a commencement ; the clergy were observed to exchange sly looks 
with each other ; and his father is described as having almost sunk with confusion 
from his seat. But these feelings were of short duration, and soon gave place to 
others of a very different character. For now were those wonderful faculties 
which he possessed for the first time developed ; and now was first witnessed that 
mysterious and almost supernatural transformation of appearance, which the fire 
of his own eloquence never failed to work in him. For, as his mind rolled along, 
and began to glow from its oAvn action, all the exuvim of the clown seemed to 
shed themselves spontaneously. His attitude by degrees became erect and lofty. 
The spirit of his genius awakened all his features. His countenance shone with 
a nobleness and grandeur which it had never before exhibited. There was a 
lightning in his eyes which seemed to rivet the spectator. His action became 
graceful, bold, and commanding ; and in the tones of his voice, but more especi- 
ally iu his emphasis, there was a peculiar charm, a magic, of which any one who 



606 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ever heard him will speak as soou as he is named, but of which uo one can give 
any adequate description. They can only say that it struck upon the ear and 
upon the heart, in a manner ■which language cannot tell. Add to all these his 
w^onder-working fancy, and the peculiar phraseology in which he clothed its 
images; for he painted to the heart with a force that almost petrified it. In the 
language of those who heard him on tins occasion, 'he made their blood run 
cold, and their hair to rise on end.' 

"It will not be difficult for any one who ever heard this most extraordinary man 
to believe the whole account of this transaction, which is given by his surviving 
hearers ; and, from tlieir account, the courthouse of Hanover county must have 
exhibited, on this occasion, a scene as picturesque as has been ever witnessed in 
real life. They say that the people, whose countenances had fallen as he arose, 
had heard but a very few sentences before they began to look up ; then to look at 
each other with surprise, as if doubting the evidence of their own senses ; then, 
attracted by some strong gesture, struck by some majestic attitude, fascinated by 
the spell of his eye, the charm of his emphasis, and the varied and commanding, 
expression of his countenance, they could look away no more. In less than 30 
minutes they might be seen, in every part of the house, on every bench, in every 
window, stooping forward from their stands, in death-like silence ; their features 
fixed in amazement and awe, all their senses listening and riveted upon the 
speaker, as if to catch the last strain of some heavenly visitant. The mockery of 
the clergy was soon turned into alarm, their triumph into confusion and despair, 
and at one burst of his rapid and overwhelming invective, they fled from the 
bench in precipitation and terror. As for the father, such was his surprise, such 
his amazement, such his rapture, that, forgetting where he was, and the character 
which he was filling, tears of ecstasy streamed down his cheeks, without the 
power or inclination to repress them. 

" The jury seem to have been so completely bewildered that they lost sight not 
only of the Act of 1748, but that of 1758 also'; for, thoughtless even of the ad- 
mitted right of the plaintiff, they had scarcely left the bar when they returned with 
a verdict of one penny damages. A motion was made for a new trial ; but the 
court, too, had now lost the equipoise of their judgment, and overruled the mo- 
tion by a unanimous vote. The verdict, and judgment overruling the motion, 
• were followed by redoubled acclamation, from within and without the house. 
The people, who had with difficulty kept their hands off their champion from the 
moment of closing his harangue, no sooner saw the fate of the cause finally 
sealed, than they, seized him at the bar, and, in spite of his own exertions and 
the continued cry of 'order' from the sheriff's and the court, they bore him out 
of the courthouse, and, raising him on their shoulders, carried him about the yaixl 
in a kind of electioneering triumph." 

From this time Mr. Henry's star was in the ascendant, and he at once rose to 
the head of his profession in that section. In the autumn of 1764, having re- 
moved to Roundabout, in Louisa county, he was employed to argue a case before 
a committee on elections of the House of Burgesses. He distinguished himself 
by a brilliant display on the right of suff'rage. Such a burst of eloquence from a 
man of so humble an appearance, struck the committee with amazement, and not 
& sound but from his lips broke the deep silence of the room. 

In 1765, he was elected a member of the House of Burgesses, when he intro- 
duced his celebrated resolutions on the Stamp Act. Among his papers there waa 
found, after his decease, one sealed and thus endorsed; 



VIRGINIA. 607 

" Enclosed are the resolutions of the Virginia Assembly, in 1765, concerning 
the Stamp Act. Let my executors open this paper." On the back of the paper 
containing the resolutions was the following endorsement : " The within passed 
the House of Burgesses in May, 1765. They formed the first opposition to the 
Stamp Act, and the scheme of taxing America by the British Parliament. All 
the colonies, either through fear, or the want of opportunity to form an opposi- 
tion, or from influence of some kind or other, had remained silent. I had been 
for tlie first time elected a burgess a few days before, was j'oung, inexperienced, 
unacquainted with the forms of the house and the members who composed it. 
Finding the men of weight averse to opposition, and the commencement of the 
tax at hand, and that no person was likely to step forth, I determined to venture ; 
and alone, unaided and unassisted, on the blank leaf of an old law-book, wrote 
the within. Upon offering them to the house, violent debates ensued. Many 
threats were uttered, and much abuse cast on me by the parties for submission. 
After a long and warm contest, the resolutions passed by a very small majoritj-, 
perhaps one or two only. The alarm spread throughout America with astonish- 
ing quickness, and the ministerial party were overwhelmed. The great point of 
resistance to British taxation was universally established in the colonies. This 
brought on the war, which finally separated the two countries, and gave inde- 
pendence to ours. Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend 
upon the use our people make of the blessings which a gracious God hath be- 
stowed on us. If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a 
contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteousness alone can exalt them 
as a nation. Reader, whoever thou art, remember this ; and, in thy sphere, prac- 
tise virtue thyself, and encourage it in others. P. Henry," 

It was in the midst of the above-mentioned debate that he exclaimed, in tones 
of thunder, "Ccesar had his Brutus — Charles the First his Cromwell — and George 
the Third— "("Treason !" cried the speaker — "Treason ! treason !" echoed from 
every part of the house. Henry faltered not for a moment ; taking a loftier atti- 
tude, and fixing on the speaker an eye of fire, he finished his sentence with tho 
firmest emphasis) — '■'■may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the 
most of it." Henceforth Mr. Henry was the idol of the people of Virginia, and 
his influence as one of the great champions of liberty extended throughout 
America. In 1769, he was admitted to the bar of the general court. Without 
that legal learning which study alone can supply, he was deficient as a mere 
lawyer. But before a jury, in criminal cases particularly, his genius displayed 
itself most brilliantly. His deep knowledge of the springs of human action, his 
power of reading in the flitting expressions of the countenance what was passing 
in the hearts of his hearers, has rarely been possessed by any one in so great a 
degree. In 1767 or 1768, Mr. Henry removed back to Hanover, and continued a 
member of the House of Burgesses until the close of the Revolution, acting upon 
its most important committees, and infusing a spirit of bold opposition in its 
members to the pretensions of Britain. He was a delegate to the first Colonial 
Congress, which assembled Sept. 4, 1774, at Philadelphia. 

Upon Lord Dunmore's seizing the gunpowder at Williamsburg, in the night 
after the battle of Lexington, Henry summoned volunteers to meet him ; and, 
marching down towards the capitol, compelled the agent of Dunmore to give a 
pecvmiary compensation for it. This was the first military movement in Virginia. 
The Colonial Convention of 1775 elected him the colonel of the first regiment. 



608 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and the commander of " all the forces raised and to be raised for the defence of 
the colony." Soon resigning his command, he was elected a delegate to the Con- 
vention, and not long after, in 1776, the first Governor of the commonwealth, an 
office he held by successive re-elections until 1779, when, without an intermission, 
he was no longer constitutionaHy eligible. While holding that office, he was 
signally serviceable in sustaining public spirit during tlie gloomiest period of the 
Revolution, providing recruits, and crushing the intrigues of the Taries. 

On leaving the office of Governor, he served, until the end of the war, in the 
Legislature, when he was again elected Governor, until the state of his affairs 
caused him to resign in the autumn of 1786. Until 1794 lie regularly attended the 
courts, where his great reputation obtained for him a lucrative business. "In 
1788 he was a member of the Convention of Virginia, which so ably and elo- 
quently discussed the Constitution of the United States. He employed his mas- 
terly eloquence, day after day, in opposition to the proposed Constitution. His 
iiostility to it proceeded entirely from an apprehension that the Federal Govern- 
ment would swallow the sovereignty of the States ; and that ultimately the liberty 
of the people would be destroyed, or crushed, by an overgrovrn and ponderous 
consolidation of political power. The Constitution having been adopted, the 
Government organized, and Washington elected President, his repugnance 
measurably abated. The chapter of amendments considerably neutralized his 
objections ; but, nevertheless, it is believed that his acquiescence resulted more 
from the consideration of a citizen's duty, confidence in the Chief Magistrate, and 
a hopeful reliance on the wisdom and virtue of the people, rather than from any 
material change in his opinions." 

In 1794, Mr. Henry retired from the bar. In 1796, the post of governor was 
once more tendered to him, and refused. In 1798, tlie strong and animated reso- 
lutions of the Virginia Assembly, in opposition to the alien and sedition laws, 
which laws he was in favor of, "conjured up the most frightful visions of civil 
Vt^ar, disunion, blood, and anarchy ; and under the impulse of these phantoms, 
to make what lie considered a virtuous effort for his country, he presented him- 
self in Cliarlotte county as a candidate for the House of Delegates, at the spring 
election of 1799," although he had retired to private life three years previously. 

His speech on this occasion, before the polls were opened, was the last efibrt 
of his eloquence. "The power of the noon-day sun was gone; but its setting 
splendors were not less beautiful and touching." Mr. Henry was elected by his 
usual commanding majority, and the most formidable preparations were made to 
oppose him in the Assembly. But "the disease which had been preying upon 
him for two years now hastened to its crisis ; and on the 6th of June, 1799, this 
friend of liberty and man was no more." 

B}'- his first wife he had six children, and by his last, six sons and three daugh- 
ters. He left them a large landed property. He was temperate and frugal in 
his habits of living, and seldom drank anything but water. He was nearly six 
feet in height, spare, and raw-boned, and with a slight stoop in his shoulders ; 
his complexion dark and sallow ; his countenance grave, thoughtful, and pene- 
trating, and strongly marked with the lines of profound reflection, which with 
his earnest manner, and the liabitual knitting and contracting of his brows, gave 
at times an expression of severity. "He was gifted with a strong and musical 
voice, and a most expressive countenance, and he acquired particular skill in the 

use of them He could be vehement, insinuating, humorous, and sarcastic, 

by turns, anJ always with the utmost effect. He was a natural orator of the 



VIRGINIA. 609 

highest order, combiniug imagination, acuteness, dexterity, and ingenuity, with 
the most forcible action, and extraordinary powers ot' face and utterance. As a 
statesman, his principal merits were sagacit}'^ and boldness. His name is bril- 
liantly and lastingly connected with the history of his country's emancipation." 
"In private life, Mr. Henry was as amiable as he was brilliant in his public 
career. He was an exemplary Christian, and his illustrious life was greatly orna- 
mented by thg religion which he professed. In his will he left the following 
testimony respecting the Christian religion : ' I have now disposed of all my 
property to ni}^ family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and 
that is the Christian religion. If they have that, and I had not given one shilling, 
they would be rich ; and if they have not that, and I had given them the whole 
world, they would be poor.'' ' 

SPEECH OF LOGAN, A MINGO CHIEF. 

[ This celebrated chief was distinguished for magnanimity in war, and greatness 
of soul in peace. He was always acknowledged the friend of the white people, 
until the year 1774, when his brother and others of his family were murdered by 
the whites. This drew on a bloody war with the whites, and the Indians were 
obliged to sue for peace. The following speech was delivered at a treaty held by 
Governor Dunmore, of Virginia, with the Mingoes, Slmwanese, and Delawares. 
Logan, though desirous of peace, remained in his cabin in silence, till a messen- 
ger was sent to him, to know whether he would accede to the proposals. Logan, 
after shedding many tears for the loss of his friends, answered as follows : ] 

"I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, 
and he gave him not meat : if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him 
not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in 
his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my 
countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, ' Logan is the friend of white men.' 
I had even thought to have lived with you, but for the injuries of one man. 
Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the 
relations of Logan, not even sparing my women and children. There runs not 
a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for 
revenge. I have sought it : I have killed many : I have fully glutted my 
vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace : but do not harbor 
a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn 
on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan ? — Not one." 

WASHINGTON AND THE WIDOW CUSTIS. 
It was in 1758 that Washington, attired in a military undress, and attended by 
a body servant, tall and militaire as his chief, crossed the ferry called Williams's, 
over the Pamunkey, a branch of York River. On the boat touching the southern 
or New Kent side, the soldier's progress was arrested by one of those personages 
who give the beau ideal of the Virginia gentleman of the old regime, the very 
soul of kindness and hospitality. It was in vain the soldier urged his business at 
Williamsburg, important communications to the Governor, etc. Mr. Chamber- 
layne, on whose domain the militaire had just landed, would hear of no excuse. 
Colonel Washington was a name and character so dear to all Virginians, that his 
passing by one of the castles of Virginia, without calling and partaking of the 
hospitalities of the host, was entirely out of the question. The colonel, however. 



610 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

did not surrender at discretion, but stoutly maintained his ground till Clianiber- 
layne, bringing upliis reserve in the intimation that he would introduce his friend 
to a young and charming widow, then beneath his roof, the soldier capitulated, 
on condition that he should dine — only dine — and then, by pressing his charger 
and borrowing of the night, he would reach Williamsburg before his excellency 
could shake off his morning slumbers. Orders were accordingly issued to Bishop, 
the colonel's body servant and faithful follower, who, together with the fine 
English charger, had been bequeathed by the dying Braddock to Major Washing- 
ton, on the famed and fated field of Monongahela. Bishop, bred in the schoitl 
of European discipline, raised his hand to his cap, as much as to say, "Your 
orders shall be obeyed." 

The colonel now proceeded to the mansion, and was introduced to various 
guests, (for when was a Virginia domicil of the olden time without guests?) and, 
above all, to the charming widow. Tradition relates that they were mutually 
pleased, on this, their first interview— nor is it remarkable ; they were of an age 
when impressions are strongest. The lady was fair to behold, of fascinating 
manners, and splendidly endowed with worldly benefits. The hero was fresh 
from his early fields, redolent of fame, and with a form on which " every god did 
seem to set his seal, to give the world assurance of a man." 

The morning passed pleasantly away, evening came, with Bishop, true to his 
orders and firm at his post, holding the favorite cliarger with one hand, while the 
other was waiting to offer the ready stirrup. The sun sunk in the horizon, and 
yet the colonel appeared not. '"Twas strange, 'twas passing strange;" surely 
he was not wont to be a single moment behind his appointments — for he was 
the most punctual of all men. 

Meantime, the host enjoyed the scene of the veteran at the gate, while the 
colonel was so agreeably employed in the parlor ; and proclaiming that no visitor 
ever left his home at sunset, liis military guest was, without much difficulty, per- 
suaded to order Bishop to put up the horses for the night. The sun rode high in 
the heavens the ensuing day, when the enamored soldier pressed with his spur 
his charger's side, and speeded ©n his way to the seat of government, where, 
having dispatched his public business, he retraced his steps, and, at the White 
House, the engagement took place, with preparations for marriage. 

And much hath the biographer heard of that marriage, from the gray-haired 
domestics who waited at the board where love made the feast and Washington 
the guest. And rare and high was the revelry at that palmy period of Virginia's 
festal age ; for many were gathered to that marriage, of the good, tlie great, the 
gifted, and they, with joyous acclamations, hailed in Virginia's youthful hero a 
happy and prosperous bridegroom. 

"And so you remember wlien Colonel Washington came a courting of your 
young mistress?" said the biographer to old Cully, in his hundredth year. 
" Ay, master, that I do," replied the ancient family servant, who had lived to see 
five generations ; "great times, sir, great times — shall never see the like again !" 
"And Washington looked something like a man, a proper man — he}-, Cully?" 
" Never seed the like, sir — never the like of him, though I have seen many in my 
day — so tall, so straight ! and then he sat on a horse and rode with such an air ! 
Ah, sir, he was like no one else. Many of the grandest gentlemen, in the gold 
lace, were at the wedding ; but none looked like the man himself." Strong, 
Indeed, must have been the impression which the person and the manner of 
Washington made upon the "rude, untutored mind" of this poor negro, since 
the lapse of three-quarters of a century had not sufficed to efface it. 



VIRGINIA. 611 

The precise d;ite of the marriage the biographer has been uimble to discover, 
having in vain searched among the records of the vestry of St. Peter's church, 
New Kent, of which the Rev. Mr. Mimson, a Cambridge scholar, was the rector, 
and performed the ceremony, it is believed, about 1759. A short time after their 
marriage. Colonel and Mrs. Washington removed to Mount Vernon, on the Po- 
tomac, and permanently settled there. 

"This union," says Sparks, "was in every respect felicitous. It continued 
forty years. To her intimate acquaintances and to the nation, the character of 
Mrs. Washington was ever a theme of praise. Affable and courteous, exemplary 
in her deportment, remarkable for her deeds of charity and piety, unostentatious, 
and without vanity, she adorned by her domestic virtues the sphere of private 
life, and tilled with dignity every station in which she was placed." 

Previous to his acquaintance with Mrs. Custis, Washington had been pleased 
with other ladies. The author above quoted on this point says, that in 1756, 
" Wliile in New York, he was lodged and kindly entertained at the house of ]\Ir. 
Beverley Robinson, between whom and himself an intimacy of friendship sub- 
sisted, which, indeed, continued without change, till severed by their opposite 
fortunes twenty years afterwards in the Revolution. It happened that Miss 
Mary Philips, a sister of Mrs. Robinson, and a young lady of rare accomplish- 
ments, was an inmate of the family. The charms of this lady made a deep im- 
pression upon the heart of the Virginia colonel. He went to Boston, returned, 
and was again welcomed to the hospitality of Mr. Robinson. He lingered there 
till duty called him away ; but he was careful to intrust his secret to a confiden- 
tial friend, whose letters kept him informed of every important event. In a 
few months, intelligence came, that a rival was in the field, and that tlie conse- 
quences could not be answered for, if he delayed to ren-ew his visits to New York. 
Whether time, the bustle of a camp, or the scenes of war had moderated his ad- 
miration, or whether he despaired of success, is not known. He never saw the 
lady again till she was married to that same rival, Captain Morris, liis former 
associate in arms, and one of Braddock's aids-de-camp. 

" He had before felt the influence of the teiider passion. At the age of 17, he 
was smitten by the graces of a fair one, whom he called a 'lowland beauty,' and 
whose praises he recorded in glowing strains, while wandering with his surveyor's 
compass among the Alleghany Mountains. On that occasion he wrote despond- 
ing letters to a friend, and indited plaintive verses, but never ventured to reveal 
his emotions to the lady who was unconsciously the cause of his pains." 



THE DEATH OF W^ASIIINGTON. 

Tobias Lear, a gentleman of fine education, who was Washington's Secretary 
for Qfioug time, gave a simple but graphic account of the scenes at the time of the 
death of Washington. It will be Remembered that the malady was violent in- 
flammation of the throat. On tlie first attack, Washington paid no attention to 
it, and on being advised to take some simple remedy for hoarseness, he said, 
" No, you know I never take anything for a cold. Let it go as it came." That 
was on Friday evening, the 13th of December, 1799. Between 2 and 3 o'clock 
the next morning, he awoke Mrs. Washington, and, with great difficulty of utter- 
ance, told her he was very unwell, and had had an ague. He would not permit 
her to rise to procure a remedy, lest she should take cold ; but at daylight, Avhen 
the servant came to make the fire in the room, she was sent to call Mr. Lear, 



612 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Washington was then breathing with great difficulty, and one of the overaeers 
was called in to bleed him, while a servant was dispatched for Doctor Craik. 
The bleeding afforded no relief. Dr. Craik arrived about 9 o'clock, and other 
ph3'sicians were sent for. But all their remedies were applied in vain. The 
malady increased in violence, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon the General whis- 
pered, "I find I am going. My breath cannot last long. I believed from the 
first that the disorder would prove fatal." Between 5 and 6 o'clock. Dr. Craik 
went to the bed and asked the sufferer if lie could sit up. He held out his hand, 
and was raised up. He then said to the several physicians present, "I feel my- 
self going ; I thank you for your attentions ; but I pray you to take no more 
trouble about me." He lay down again, and all retired except Dr. Craik. He 
continued in the same situation, uneasy and restless, but without complaining ; 
frequently asking what hour it was. 

At al)out 8 o'clock, the physicians came into the room and appliad blisters and 
cataplasms of bran to his legs and feet, after which they went out, except Dr. 
Craik, without a ray of hope. About 10 o'clock, he made several attempts to 
speak, and at length, with great diflaculty, he whispered to Mr. Lear, "I am just 
going. Have me decently buried ; and do not let my body be put into the vault 
in less than three days after I am dead." He then looked at Mr. Lear, and said, 
" Do you understand me ? " Mr. Lear replied, " Yes," when the expiring Patriot 
said, " It is well." These were his last words. 

About ten minutes before his death, his breathing became easier. He felt of 
his own pulse, and a few moments afterwards expired. The hour was 11 o'clock 
on Saturday evening. The only persons in the room at the time were Mrs. 
AVashington, Dr. Craik, Mr. Lear, Mrs. Forbes, the housekeeper, Washington's 
favorite house-servant Christopher, and Caroline, Molly, and Charlotte, other 
servants. Mr. Lear held the hand of Washington to his bosom. Dr. Craik 
stood weeping near. Mrs. Washington sat at the foot of the bed, and Christopher 
was at its side. When all was silent, INIrs. Washington asked, with a firm and 
collected voice, " Is he gone ? " All were too full for utterance, but an affirmative 
sign assured her that he was no mare. " 'Tis well," she said, in the same voice, 
"all is over now; I shall soon follow him; I have no more trials to pass 
through." 



NORTH CAROLINA. 

Area, 50,704 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860 992,622 

Population in 1870, 1,071,404 

The State of North Carolina, one of the original members of the 
Union, lies between 33° 53' and 36° 33' N. latitude, and between 
75° 25' and 84° 30' W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by 
Virginia and Tennessee, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the 
south by South Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the 
west by Tennessee. Its extreme length, from east to M'est, is about 
450 miles, and its extreme width, from north to south, about 180 
miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

In the southern and southeastern parts of the State, the surface is 
level and sandy, and often marshy. These swamp lands are owned 
by the Board of Literature, in trust for the Public Schools, and are 
now offered to actual settlers on very liberal terms. " The better class 
of these lands are generally covered with a heavy and dense growth 
of timber, vines, reeds, and grass ; the soil is from five to fifteen feet 
deep, and consists of decomposed vegetable matter, fine sand, and finely 
comminuted clay. It produces exuberantly all the grains, grass, cot- 
ton, rice, peas, potatoes, turnips, pumpkins, melons, the garden vege- 
tables, apples, peaches, and grapes ; but the best test of its fertility is 
its growth of Indian corn, an exhausting crop, which it will yield in 
large amounts, from year to year, without manures or stimulants, and 
for an indefinite period. It will not produce as much per acre as the 
heavy clay soils in the highest state of improvement; but considering 
38 613 



614 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the difference of the expense of production, the crops of the former ar*. 
vastly the more profitable. The average yield of Indian corn per acre, 
without the application of fertilizers or stimulants, is from fifty to 
seventy-five bushels ; and experience has proved that this will continue, 
from year to year, for more than a century ; while science infers, from 
the facts of the past and from careful analyses, that even tM'O centuries 
of close cultivation will not exhaust the natural and ever renewing 
fertility of these soils. The swamps of eastern North Carolina do not 
generate the malaria which, in the marshy regions further south, 
causes malignant fevers; and the experience of a large population 
devoted for over a century to open-air pursuits, will confirm the state- 
ment that the laborers here, in the woods, in the fields, and on the 
waters, are generally as healthy as in any part of the country." 

The great Dismal Swamp, already described, occupies the upper 
part of the counties lying immediately north of Albemarle Sound. 

About sixty miles back from the coast, the surface begins to rise, 
and forms a fine hill country in the central part of the State. The 
western part is traversed by the ranges of the Alleghany Mountains, 
one of which (the Iron Mountains) forms the boundary between North 
Carolina and Tennessee. These mountains are rarely lower than 
1000 feet. The principal peaks are Clingman's Peak, 6941 feet, and 
Mount Mitchell, 6732 feet high, which form parts of the Black 
Mountains, and Roan Mountain, 6720 feet, Grandfather Mountain, 
5788 feet, and Grandmother Mountain, 2500 feet high. 

The coast is lined by a chain of low islands or sand reefs, which lie 
between the mainland and the ocean, enclosing a series of sounds or 
lagoons, which are very shallow and difficult of navigation. Albe- 
marle Soimd, one of the most important of these, lies in the extreme 
northeastern part of the State, immediately south of the Dismal 
Swamp. It extends inland from the ocean about 60 miles, and is 
from 4 to 15 miles wide. Just northeast of it is a smaller body of 
water called Currituck Sound, with which it communicates by a nar- 
row inlet. Communication is had with Pamlico Sound in the same 
way. Pamlico Sound lies immediately south of Albemarle Sound, 
and is separated from it by a swampy neck of land, which comprises 
the counties of Hyde, Tyrrel, Washington, and Beaufort. The Sound 
is 80 miles long, and from 10 to 25 miles wide. Its average depth is 
about 20 feet, but many shoals occur in it. It is connected with Albe- 
marle Sound at its northeastern extremity by a narrow inlet, in which, 
halfway between the two sounds, lies Roanoke Island, famous as 



NORTH CAROLINA. 615 

having been the site of tlie first English colony in America, and the 
scene of a fierce and bloody battle during the late war. 

The Roanoke and Chowan rivers are the principal streams flowing 
into Albemarle Sound, and the Tar and Neuse rivers the principal 
streams flowing into Pamlico Sound. The Roanoke River rises in two 
branches in Virginia, which unite at Clarksville, in Mecklenburg coun- 
ty, in that State. Its general course is east-southeast, as far as the 
northwest end of Halifax county (N. C), where it enters North Caro- 
lina, and flows southeast to Albemarle Sound. It meets tidewater at 
Weldon in Halifax county, 150 miles from its mouth, but above that 
place is frequently broken by rapids. The length of the main stream 
is 250 miles. One of its branches, the Staunton River, is about 200 
miles long, and is regarded by some writers as the true Roanoke. 
This would make the length of the river about 450 miles. The Tar 
River, the lower part of which is sometimes called the Pamlico River, 
rises near the western border of Granville county, and flows southeast 
into Pamlico Sound. It is navigable for small vessels to Tarborough, 
in Edgecombe county. The Neuse River rises in Person county, the 
central northern county of the State, and flows southeast into Pamlico 
Sound. It is about 300 miles long, and is the second river in size in 
the State. It is navigable to Waynesborough, 100 miles from its 
mouth, but light draught boats have ascended it 100 miles farther. 
Its lower part forms a broad estuary several miles wide, and about 25 
miles long, through which it empties its waters. Extensive forests of 
pitch and pine lie along its upper waters, or more properly above 
Kinston. Goldsborough, Smithfield, Kinston, and Newberne are its 
principal towns. The Cape Fear River, the principal stream in the 
State, is formed by the confluence, in Chatham county, of the Haw 
and Deep rivers. It flows thence, in a southeasterly direction, 
through the centre of the State, into the Atlantic Ocean. At its 
mouth it is divided into two channels by Smith's Island. It is the 
only river of the State flowing directly into the ocean, and is navigable 
to Fayetteville, 120 miles. By means of canals, dams, etc., boats are 
enabled now to reach the coal mines of Chatham county. It is a little 
over 300 miles long. Wilmington, the principal city of the State, 
Fayetteville, and Elizabethtown are situated on its banks. Cape 
Fear, the most southern point of the State, is formed by the lower 
end of Smith's Island. The mouth of the river is defended by Fort 
Fisher, which was bombarded and taken from the Confederates by the 
naval and land forces of the Union during the late war. The Yad- 



616 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SEA COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA. 

kin (called the Great Pedee in South Carolina) and Catawba (Wateree 
in South Carolina), and several of the principal rivers of South Caro- 
lina rise in and flow for some distance through this State. The waters 
of North Carolina abound in fish. The fisheries of Pamlico and Albe- 
marle Sounds are amongst the most valuable in the world. There 
are several inlets breaking through the sand ridge lying along the 
coast, and several fine harbors within the limits of the State. The 
most prominent points of this ridge are known (commencing on the 
north) as Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. 

SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, CLIMATE, MINERALS, 

MANUFACTURES, etc. 

From a communication from the Governor of North Carolina to 

the United States Commissioner of Emigration, we take the following 

description, which fairly represents the present condition of the State: 

" The eastern section is mostly covered with pines, the middle and 

western with vast forests of oaks (of many species) interspersed with 

the poplar, hickory, walnut, maple, etc. Seven large rivers, with 

their numerous tributaries, traverse the State, furnishing unlimited 



NORTH CAROLINA. 617 

water-power as they flow down from the mountains through the middle 
section ; and as they move with a moderate current across the champaign 
country, on the east, into the chain of sounds which skirt the coast, 
they furnish with these an aggregate of 900 miles of inland naviga- 
tion, which might be doubled by carrying westward the system of 
slack-water improvements already commenced. With these navigable 
waters is interlaced the railroad system of the State, amounting to 998 
miles completed, and 400 more in progress, which, with 350 miles 
of plank-roads and turnpikes, brings the sea-coast into ready com- 
munication with every part of the State. 

"The Soil is very various; alluvial and peaty accumulations 
abound near the coast and along the rivers, while in the middle and 
western regions the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and represents 
every grade of sandy or clayey loam of various fertility. 

" The Climate has also a wide range, being tempered on the sea- 
board to something like the mildness of that of the Gulf States, while 
in the mountain region it approaches the rigor of New York. In the 
middle section, which constitutes the larger part of the State, and 
represents the average climate, the mean annual temperature is 60 
degrees (Fahrenheit) — the mean summer temperature 75 degrees; 
mean winter, 43 degrees ; extreme summer (diurnal), 89 degrees ; 
average absolute maximum, 99 degrees ; extreme winter (diurnal), 20 
degrees; average absolute minimum, 12 degrees. The annual fall 
of rain is 45 inches. The number of cloudy days in the year is 130; 
rainy days, 60. 

" The Vegetable Productions are numerous. The most im- 
portant are wheat, corn, oats, rye, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, rice, 
cotton, tobacco, turpentine, grapes, and fruits. Wheat and corn are 
produced with facility and abundance in all parts; rye, oats, and 
potatoes flourish in the middle and western regions; rice, sweet pota- 
toes and peas in the eastern ; tobacco in the middle ; cotton in the south- 
ern counties of the middle, and in the eastern section ; turpentine and 
pine lumber are peculiar to the east. The fruits most extensively 
and largely cultivated are the apple, peach, pear, and cherry, repre- 
sented by numerous varieties. No part of the continent is better 
adapted to these than the middle and western regions. The principal 
grasses are the orchard, herd's, timothy, and blue, to which must be 
added clover and lucerne. All these flourish in the middle and 
western regions, and some of them grow wild ; hence, stock-raising is 
easy and profitable. The stock chiefly raised are horses, mules, cows, 



(318 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS KESOURCES. 

sheep, and hogs. The grapes asually cultivated, besides foreign 
varieties, are the Scuppernong, Catawba, Lincoln, and Isabella, all 
natives of the State, the first three being excellent wine grapes. The 
Scuppernong is peculiar to the eastern section. The following 
abstract from the United States Census Report, will best show tlie 
productions and capabilities of the State : — 

Live stock, $22,000,000 

"Wheat, 28,000 bushels annual product. 

Com, 20,000,000 '' " " 

Oats, 3,225,000 '^ " " 

Rye, 4,000 " " " 

Peas, 1,000,000 " " " 

Potatoes, 740,000 " " " 

Sweet potatoes, . . . 3^000,000 " " " 

Cotton, 58,000,000 pounds per anniun. 

Tobacco, 12,000,000 " " 

Rice, 2,100,000 

. Wool, 800,000 " " 

Honey 1,500,000 " " 

Turpentine, .... 1,000,000 barrels " 

" The Manufactures are chiefly cotton, wool, spirits of turpen- 
tine, lumber, iron, and paper. 

" The amount invested in the manufacture of cotton is $2,250,000 ; 
lumber, $1,000,000; turpentine, $2,000,000; iron, $500,000; wool, 
$350,000. 

" Fisheries abound in the sounds and rivers of the eastern counties. 
The species of fish mostly taken ase the herring, shad, blue-fish, 
mullet, and rock. The number of barrels annually packed for mar- 
ket is about 100,000 on the waters of Albemarle Sound. Consider- 
able quantities are packed at other points. 

" Minerals. — The most important of these are coal, iron, gold, 
copper, silver, lead, plumbago, limestone, marble, agolmatolite, soap- 
stone, manganese, whetstones, grindstones, roofing-slates, porcelain 
clay, and fire-clay. The coal is bituminous, and exists in two beds, 
situated respectively one hundred and two hundred miles from the 
coast, on Cape Fear River and on Dan River. It is abundant, 
accessible, and of good quality. Iron ore of excellent quality abounds 
in all parts of the State ; the principal seats of its manufacture being 
on the Cape Fear, Catawba, and Yadkin rivers. Gold is found in 
almost all parts of the State, especially in the middle region ; the 
annual product for many years has been $250,000. Copper mines 
abound in the middle, northern, and western counties. Plumbago is 



NORTH CAROLINA. 619 

found in great abundance near the capital, and again in the west-ern 
region ; marble in the middle and western ; and marl everywhere in 
the eastern section. A chain of silver and lead mines (containing 
gold also) traverses the central portion of the State," 

COMMERCE. 
The exports of North Carolina are principally pitch, tar, turpentine, 
cotton, and rice. In I860, the commerce of the State was as follows: 
Exports $760,094 ; imports $365,931. A vigorous trade with the 
Northern States has sprung up since the war, 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872 there were 1190 miles of completed railroad in North Caro- 
lina, constructed at a cost of about $30,000,000. Two main lines cross 
the State, one from Weldon to Wilmington, the other from Danville, 
Virginia, to Charlotte, There is still another important road from 
Greensboro in Guilford county, to Morehead City, on the Atlantic 
coast. This road crosses the Wilmington and Weldon road at Golds- 
borough, There is direct communication between the important 
towns of this State, by the lines above mentioned and their branches, 
and also with all parts of the Union, The roads of North Carolina 
were almost destroyed during the war, and are slowly recovering 
from their losses. 

EDUCATION. 

The University of North Carolina is located at Chapel Hill, in 
Orange county. It was founded in 1789, and with "its lands, emolu- 
ments, and franchises, is under the control of the State, and is to be 
held to an inseparable connection with the Free Public School System 
of the State, The benefits of the University as far as practicable are 
to be extended to the youth of the State, free of expense for tuition. 
Previous to the late war, this institution was in a very flourishing 
condition, but its resources have been crippled by the failure of the 
State Bank, in which $200,000 of its endowment was invested. 
The Board of Education elect for the University one Trustee for each 
county in the State, whose term of office is eight years. One-fourth 
of the Trustees are chosen every second year. The Board of Educa- 
tion and the President of the University are ex-offieio members of the 
Board of Trustees, and with three other Trustees to be ajjpointed by 
the Board, constitute the Executive Committee of the Trustees of the 
University of North Carolina. The Governor is ex-ojicio President 



620 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of the Board of Trustees, and Chairman of the Executive Committee 
of the University. 

" Before the war, public schools were maintained in the State, by 
means of the income derived from the Literary Fund, which amounted 
to $2,500,000 in 1860. About half of this fund was swept away by 
the war; and the system of district schools, which had brought a rudi- 
mentary education within the- reach of all, free of cost, was prostrated, 
but measures have been taken to revive it. 

" The Constitution provides for a general and uniform system of 
Free Public Schools. The Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary 
of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Works, Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction, and Attorney-General constitute a 
State Board of Education, which succeeds to all the powers and trusts 
of the President and Directors of the Literary Fund of North Caro- 
lina, and has full power to legislate and make all needful rules and 
regulations in relation to Free Public Schools, and the Educational 
Fund. The Superintendent of Public Instruction has the chief over- 
sight of the schools. Each county is divided into school districts, in 
each of which one or more public schools must be maintained at least 
four months in the year. The schools of each county are under the 
supervision and control of county commissioners elected biennially." * 

In 1870 there were about 1250 schools in the State, attended by 
32,650 white, and 12,350 colored children. In 1860 there were 16 
colleges in the State. 

In the same year there were in North Carolina 1746 libraries, con- 
taining 3,687,363 volumes. The newspapers and periodicals of the 
State were 64 in number, with an aggregate circulation of 6,684,950 
copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

This State has no Penitentiary, but the Constitution of 1868 re- 
quires that one shall be erected as speedily as possible, and also author- 
izes the establishment of Houses of Refuge and Workhouses, as they 
may become necessary. 

The State Insane Asylum, at Raleigh, is an excellent institution. 
It was in a very prosperous condition before the war, but during hos- 
tilities it was greatly impoverished, and was greatly inconvenienced 
by the lack of funds and supplies. It is now in operation under 
more favorable auspices, and has about 180 inmates. 

* American Year Book, vol. i. p. 424. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 621 

* 

The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind, at Raleigh, was 
closed for a while during the war, but was reopened in January, 1866. 
Binding books, and making shoes and brooms, constitute the princi- 
pal work of its^upils. In 1867 it had 93 inmates, 26 of which were 
blind. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In ]870, the value of church property in the State was $2,487,877, 
and the number of churches, 2497. 

FINANCES. 

In January, 1874, the State debt amounted to $38,948,828. The 
annual expenses of the State, including the interest, at six per cent, 
on the debt, are about ^3,000,000, and are provided for by taxation. 

In 1868 there were 6 National Banks in the State, with a capital 
of $653,300. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of North Carolina was adopted by the 
people in April, 1868. The present State officers were elected at the 
same time, and hold office for four years from the 1st of January, 
1869. Every male citizen, 21 years old, who has resided in the 
State one year, and in the county six months, has the right to vote at 
the elections, but no person may vote without being registered. 

The Government of the State is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney-General, 
and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 50 members) and House 
of Representatives (of 120 members), all chosen by the people. The 
Executive officers are chosen every fourth year, and members of the 
Legislature every two years. The Governor is advised in his duties 
by a Council of State, of which the Secretary of State, Treasurer, 
Auditor, and the Superintendents of Public Works and of Public 
Instruction, are ex-ofUcio members. A separate journal of the pro- 
ceedings of this Council is kept, which must be submitted to the 
Legislature for examination whenever called for. 

The courts of the State are the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and 
one County Court for each county, the judges of which are elected by 
the people. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and four 
Associate Justices. 

For purposes of government. North Carolina is divided into 86 
counties. Raleigh, in Wake county, is the capital of the State. 



622 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

HISTORY. 

The first attempt of the English to settle their possessions in 
America, was made at Roanoke Island, in this State, in 1585. The 
colonists got into trouble with the Indians, and the settlement was 
abandoned the following year. In 1630, an immense tract of land, 
south of the Chesapeake, was granted to Sir Robert Heath, and called 
Carolina. As he did not colonize it, however, the grant was afterwards 
declared forfeit. In 1663, the territory was granted by Charles II. 
of England to a company of eight of the most distinguished noblemen 
of England. This grant embraced the territory lying between lati- 
tudes 29° and 36° 30' north, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 
The grantees were given full powers over their domain. The northern 
part of this province Avas, about this time, settled by dissenters from 
Virginia. It was called Albemarle, and an absurd Constitution for 
its government was drawn up for the proprietors by John Locke. It 
was for about twenty-five years, nominally, the supi-eme law of the 
province, but was at length abandoned, because of the impossibility of 
carrying out its provisions. The colonists, however, showed a rare 
wisdom in the establishment of their government. They carefully 
guarded the rights of property and of person, and granted entire free- 
dom in matters of religion. The colony grew and prospered slowly, 
and in 1674 contained only 4000 inhabitants. Its early history, how- 
ever, was marked by continuous strife between the authorities and the 
inhabitants. In 1695, John Archdale, a Quaker, was appointed Gov- 
ernor. By a series of wise measures, he succeeded in restoring order 
and quiet, and in establishing churches and providing for their sup- 
port. During his administration tar and turpentine were first ex- 
ported. In 1711, by the aid of troops from Virginia, a rebellion 
which had been incited by Thomas Cary, who Avished to retain his 
place as Governor, was suppressed. A little later, the Tuscarora 
Indians commenced a merciless war upon the settlers. They were 
conquered, with the aid of the neighboring colonies, in 1713, and 
compelled to move northward. In 1729, the king purchased the 
privileges of the proprietors, and Carolina became a royal province, 
and was divided into two colonies, called North and South Carolina. 
Slav^ery was introduced into the colony at an early day, and continued 
to form the basis of its agricultural industry until 1865. In 1765, 
the population was greatly increased by the arrival of a band of Pres- 
byterians from the north of Ireland, who settled in the northwestern 



NORTH CAROLINA. 623 

part of the State. They were followed by a colony of Moravians, 
who settled between the Yadkin and Dan rivers, and a colony of 
Highlanders, who settled on the upper Cape Fear, near the present 
town of Fayetteville. 

The colony actively supported the measures of resistance to the 
aggressions of the crown, and was represented in the first Continental 
Congress, which met in 1774. The Governor endeavored to put a 
stop to the " seditious " proceedings of the patriots, but without effect. 
A hearty cooperation was given to the cause of the United Colonies, 
and in May, 1775, a convention of the people of Mecklenburg county 
formally threw off their allegiance to Great Britain, and proclaimed 
the independence of North Carolina. This declaration was not 
generally sustained in the province, however. In July, 1775, the 
Governor took refuge on board a man of war in Cape Fear River, 
from which he issued his orders to his partisans to join him on the 
coast. They made several efforts to do so, being very numerous in 
the State. In the summer of 1775, a party of 1500 loyalists, under 
command of McDonald and McLeod, on their way to the coast, were 
met by a force of patriots, under Caswell and Moore, and routed, with 
a loss of 850 prisoners, including McDonald. McLeod was killed. 
The assembly took vigorous measures to maintain the cause of the 
colonies, and between August 20th, 1775, and July, 1776, ordered nine 
regiments to be raised for service in the American army. In April, 
1776, the delegates of the colony, in the Continental Congress, were 
ordered to unite with the delegates of the other colonies in a declara- 
tion of independence of the British crown. In December, 1776, a 
State Constitution was adopted. 

North Carolina was partly exempt from the horrors of the war until 
1780. The successes of the British forces in Georgia encouraged a 
strong party of tories to rise in arms, and 700 of them set out to join 
the British at Augusta, Georgia. They were met and routed on their 
march by Pickens' partisan band of South Carolina. Seventy of them 
were tried for and convicted of treason, and five of them were hanged. 
Two parties of tories rose in 1780. One succeeded in reaching the 
British outposts, but the other was dispersed. On the 9th of October, 
1780, the strongest body of tories, which had yet taken arms for 
the king, was defeated at King's Mountain, by a force of militia 
under Shelby and Sevier. They lost 150 killed, including their leader. 
General Fergusson, and a large number wounded. The rest, 800 in 
number, surrendered, and 10 of their leaders were hanged on the field. 



624 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The battle of Guilford Court House, (March 15th, 1781,) in which 
General Greene was defeated, was fought in this State. North Caro- 
h'na furnished her full quota of men during the war, and fairly won 
the privileges which the successful issue of the struggle brought the 
States. 

In 1784, the State ceded to the United States the territory now 
embraced in the State of Tennessee. The Constitution of the United- 
States did not prove acceptable to North Carolina, and was rejected 
by the Convention in 1788, but was finally ratified in 1789. 

The sympathies of the people of North Carolina were with the 
South in the late war, and on the 20th of May, 1861, an ordinance of 
secession was adopted, and the State withdrew from the Union and 
joined the Southern Confederacy. Large numbers of troops were 
contributed to the Confederate army, and the forts along the coast were 
occupied. Fort Hatteras, at Hatteras Inlet, was taken by the Federal 
fleet in 1861, and Fort Fisher and the other defences of the Cape Fear, 
by the army and navy in 1865. The fall of Fort Fisher opened the 
way to Wilmington, which was at once occupied by the Union army. 
The State was held by the various columns of Sherman's army, in 
1865, which advanced from Cheraw, South Carolina, through Fay- 
etteville, and from Wilmington, and Morehead City, and concentrated 
at Goldsborough, after which they advanced on Raleigh. The Con- 
federates made several efforts to check this advance, but were too 
weak to accomplish anything. The battles of Averasboro and Ben- 
tonville were fought by the armies of Sherman and Johnston, and the 
latter general surrendered his forces to the former, near Raleigh, and 
dosed the war in the State. During the war, several severe struggles 
occurred on the coast, the principal of which were the capture of 
Roanoke Island by the Union forces, and of Plymouth by the Con- 
federates. 

In 1865 a Provisional Governor was appointed by the President, 
and in 1867 the State became a part of the " Second Military District," 
commanded by Major-General Daniel E. Sickles. A State Conven- 
tion was held in 1868, which adopted the present Constitution. This 
instrument was ratified by the people at the polls in April, and on the 
25th of June, 1868, Congress formally readmitted the State into the 
Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns are, Newberne, Fayetteville, Salis- 
bury, Charlotte, Henderson, Elizabeth City, Beaufort, Warrenton, 
Greensboro, Kinston^ and Tarboro. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



625 





CAPITOL AT RALEIGH. 



RALEIGH, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Wake county, 4 miles west 
of the Neuse River, 286 miles southwest of Washington, latitude 35° 
47' K, longitude 78° 48' W. It is very near the centre of the 
State, and lies in the midst of a beautiful country. The site of the 
city is elevated, and is noted for its healthfulness. The city is well 
built as a rule, the central portion is occupied by a handsome park, 
covering 10 acres, and known as Union Square. From this park 
four streets, each 100 feet in width, radiate in as many directions ; 
these streets divide the city into four parts, each of which is a square 
of four acres. In Union Square stands the State House, a magnificent 
edifice, and one of the largest and most imposing of all the State 
Capitols. It is built of granite in imitation of the Parthenon, is 
surrounded with columns of the same material, and is crowned with a 
grand dome. It is 166 feet long by 90 feet wide. Raleigh also 
contains the Governor's residence, and the other State buildings, the 
State Lunatic Asylum, and the North Carolina Institution for the 
Deaf and Dumb, a Court-house, a jail, 5 churches, and about 9 news- 



626 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

paper offices. It has direct railway communication with all parts of 
the State and the Union. 

Raleigh was made the capital of North Carolina in 1788. It is 
named after Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1870 the population was 7790. 

WILMINGTON, 

The largest city in the State, is situated in New Hanover county, on 
the east bank of the Cape Fear River, just below the entrance of the 
northeast branch of the Cape Fear into the main stream. It is 34 
miles from the sea, 135 miles southeast of Raleigh, and 416 miles 
southwest of Washington City. The city is located in a plain ex- 
tending back from the river, and those of the streets that are not 
paved are very sandy. As a general rule the city is well built. It 
contains several fine public buildings, a number of churches, several 
public and private schools, a theatre, and about 4 newspaper offices. 
It is lighted with gas, and has an efficient police force. It is the 
handsomest city in the State, and is regarded as a pleasant place of 
residence. 

Wilmington is the chief commercial city of North Carolina. It is 
connected with all parts of the Union by railway. Lines of steamers 
navigate the Cape Fear to Fayetteville, and steamships ply regularly 
between this port and the principal cities of the Northern and South- 
ern States. Large quantities of rice, cotton, turpentine, rosin, tar, 
pitch, lumber, and naval stores are exported annually from Wilming- 
ton. In 1861, the year before the civil war, the tonnage of the 
district was 14,511 tons registered, and 10,394 licensed and enrolled. 
The war struck a severe blow at the commerce of the city, but it is 
now rapidly regaining its former proportions. The city contains a 
number of steam saw-mills, planing and rice-mills, machine shops, 
and distilleries. Wilmington is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
In 1870 the population was 13,446. 

Wilmington was originally called Newton, and was given its present 
name in honpr of an English nobleman of that name, who had secured 
Governor Johnston the government of the colony. It was settled 
before the Revolution, and during the war was merely an unimportant 
village. It was occupied by the British in January, 1781, and held 
by them until the close of the war. During the civil war it was 
strongly fortified by the Confederates, and was one of the principal 
ports from which they kept up their communications with Europe. 
It was the centre of a large blockade trade. It was blockaded by the 



NORTH CAROLINA. 627 

Unites States fleet during the war, but the arrival and departure of 
vessels from foreign ports continued with great regularity, until the 
capture of Fort Fisher, and the defences at the mouth of the Cape 
Fear, by a combined attack of the land and naval forces of the United 
States on the 15th of February, 1865. On the 22d of the same 
month, Wilmington was occupied by the United States array, and 
remained in their possession until the close of the war. 

NEWBERNE, 

A flourishing town in Craven county, is one of the principal ports of 
the State. It is situated at the junction of the Neuse and Trent 
rivers, 50 miles from Pamlico Sound, and 120 miles southeast of 
Raleigh. It is a fine old town, substantially built, and attractive in 
a{)pearance, and is connected with all parts of the State by railway. 
It is a place of considerable trade. The Neuse is a mile wide at this 
point, and is navigable for steamers for about 8 months in the year. 
The principal exports are grain, lumber, turpentine, tar, and naval 
stores. Newberne contains the county buildings, several churches, 
schools, and 2 newspaper offices. In 1870 the population was 5849. 

Newberne is one of the oldest towns in the State, and was at one 
time the capital of North Carolina. In March, 1861, it was attacked 
and captured by the United States forces, under General Burnside, 
after a sharp fight of four hours. 

CHARLOTTE, 

In Mecklenburg county, is one of the most important towns in the 
State. It is situated on Sugar Creek, 158 miles west-southwest of 
Raleigh. It is pleasantly located in a beautiful country, and lies in 
the midst of the gold region of the State. In 1838, a branch Mint 
was established here by the United States, for the purpose of coining 
the gold mined in this section. The war put an end to its operations, 
and since then it has not been revived. Charlotte contains several 
churches and schools, 2 newspaper offices, and the county buildings. 
It is one of the principal railroad centres of the State, and possesses a 
considerable trade. In 1870 the population was 4473. 

Charlotte was settled before the Revolution. The famous Meck- 
lenburg Convention met here in 1775, and adopted its Declaration of 
Independence. The British troops occupied the town in 1780, and it 
was here that General Greene relieved Gates of the command of thf 
American army. 



628 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MISCELLANIES. 
THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY IN AMERICA. 

Sir Humphrey Gilbert is entitled to the honor of planting the first English 
colony in America. His first expedition, on which he had expended much of liis 
private fortune, failed — from what cause is uncertain. 

The second expedition, undertaken four years afterwards, was still more un- 
fortunate ; for it lost to the world the gallant and accomplished projector of the 
expedition. Five vessels sailed from Plymouth on Tuesday, the 11th of June, 
1583. Two days afterward, the vice-admiral complained of sickness aboard, and 
returned with the finest ship in the fleet to Plymouth. The admiral, nevertheless, 
continued his course with his little squadron, and took possession, with the feudal 
ceremony, of Newfoundland, to be held by him as a fief of the crown of Eng- 
land, in accordance with the terms of his charter. 

The looseness of morals displayed by the mariners of that day is truly disgust- 
ing, and increases our wonder at the daring of men who could venture so far 
from home, in such frail barks, with almost a certainty of encountering on the 
great highway, in their fellow-men, greater perils than were presented by all the 
terrors of the deep. Robbery by sea was too common, and often committed in 
violation of the most sacred obligations, even upon persons engaged in the very 
act of relieving the distress of the depredators. Gilbert seems to have been 
cursed with a remarkably riotous and insubordinate company. The sick and dis- 
affected were left at Newfoundland, to be sent home with the Swallow, and tlie 
admiral proceeded with his three remaining barks. 

On Tuesday, the 20th of August, they sailed from the harbor of St. John's, and 
on the 29th, in about latitude 44 degrees, the largest remaining vessel, by the care- 
lessness .of the crew, struck, and went to pieces, and the other barks were forced 
by a high sea and a lee shore to struggle for their own preservation, which they 
accomplished with difficulty — alleging, at the same time, that they could see none 
of the crew of the wreck floating upon timbers, but all seemed to have gone down 
when the ship broke up. A few, however, escaped to Newfoundland in the ship's 
pinnace, as was afterwards discovered. 

This calamity, followed by continual storms, in an unknown and shoaly sea, 
enhanced by an extreme scantiness of provisions, and want of clothes and com- 
forts in the two little barks which yet remained, induced the admiral, at the ear- 
nest solicitation of his men, to return homeward. Sir Humplirey Gilbert was 
vehemently persuaded by the crew of the Golden Hind to remain with them dur- 
ing the voyage ; but, as some malicious taunts had been thrown out by some 
evil-disposed person, accusing him of being afraid of the sea, he chose to continue 
to sail in his little pinnace, tlie Squirrel, which was burdened beyond her strength. 

After the vessels had left the Azores to the south, and reached the latitude of 
England, they encountered violent and continued storms. On Monday, the 9tli 
of September, the Squirrel was nearly cast away, but recovered, and the admiral 
was seen sitting abaft with a book in his hand, and heard to cry out to those in 
the Hind, " We are as near to heaven by sea as by land." That same night, at 
12 o'clock, the Squirrel being in advance, her light suddenly disappeared, and 
her hardy crew, with their gallant commander, sleep forever in the deep. The 
Hind reached Falmouth in safety, but after encountering imminent peril to the 
last moment 



NORTH CAROLINA. 629 

The daring spirit of the mariners of that day is amazing. Sir Walter Raleigh,' 
the step-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, so far fr6m being intimidated by the 
melancholy fate of his relative, or disheartened by the unprofitable and disastrous 
termination of most of the voyages to America, undertook in the very next year 
an expedition to the coast of the present United States. He easily obtained one 
of tlie usual unlimited patents from Elizabeth, and, leaving the cold north, with 
its barren snows, its storms, icebergs, and certain evils, together with its imagin- 
ary wealth, he spread his sails for the sweet south, where he was sure to find a 
fertile soil and a delightful climate, though his ship's company might not all be 
enriched by the discovery of gold. 

On the 2d of July they found shoal water, " and smelt so sweet and strong a 
smell, as if they had been in the mjdst of some delicate garden abounding with 
all kinds of odoriferous flowers." 

On the 13th, they entered Ocracock Inlet, on the coast of the present State of 
North Carolina, and landed on Wocoken Island. They commenced an inter 
course with the natives, who proved to be bold, confiding, intelligent, and honor 
able to their friends, but treacherous, revengeful, and cruel towards their enemies. 

The English explored a little the surrounding islands and bays, and returned 
home in September, carrying with them two natives, Manteo and Wanchese. 
The glowing description given by the adventurers, on their return, of the beauty 
of the country, the fertility of the soil, and pleasantness of the climate, delighted 
the queen, and induced her to name the country of which she had taken posses- 
sion, Virginia, in commemoration of her unmarried life. 

It might be expected that so favorable an account would soon lead to a new 
expedition. Accordingly, another was prepared for the succeeding year, con- 
sisting of seven vessels. Ralph Lane was appointed by Raleigh, Governor of the 
colony, which consisted of 108 persons. Sir Richard Grenville took command 
of the fleet, and several learned and accomplished men attended the expedition, 
one of whom has transmitted to posterity many interesting particulars of the na- 
ture of the country, and the habits, manners, and goverumeut of its inhabitants. 

The English soon began to maltreat the harmless, unpretending, and simpl* 
natives, and they, on the other hand, to grow jealous of the power of the over- 
bearing strangers. They soon learned the inordinate passion of the newcomers 
for gold, and, taking advantage of their credulity, inflicted upon them the labor 
of many fruitless expeditions in search of pretended mines — hoping, at the same 
time, by these divisions, to weaken the power of the little colony to such a degree 
that they might be able to destroy it in detachment ; but the English were too 
cautious for this, and went too short a distance, and in force too powerful for the 
Indians to encounter with the great disparity of arms. The greatest advantage 
which accrued from these expeditions, and indeed from the whole attempt at a 
settlement, was the discovery of Chesapeake Bay. 

The little colony, finding no gold, and receiving no supplies from England, 
had begun to despond, when most unexpectedly Sir Francis Drake arrived, on 
his return from his expedition against the Spaniards in South America, with a 
fleet of 23 ships. The sagacity of Drake perceived in a moment what was neces- 
sary for the colony, and his generosity supplied them with provisions, vessels, 
and other things necessary to maintaiu their position, extend their researches, 
ana, if necessary, to return to England ; but the accomplishment of his purpose 
was defeated by a violent storm which suddenly arose, and nearly wrecked his 
whole fleet, driving the vessel of provisions intended for the colony to sea, and 
39 



630 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

destroying the vessels which had been set apart to be left for their use. He would 
have supplied others ; but the colony, with their Governor at their head, earnestly 
requesting permission to return to England, he complied with their wishes. 
Thus terminated the first English settlement in America. 

This little colony, during its sojourn with the Indians, had acquired something 
of their fondness for the use of tobacco, and learned to regard it with almost the 
same superstitious reverence, as a powerful medicinal agent. Upon their return, 
they introduced the use of this plant into England ; and a weed at first disgust- 
i\g and nauseating to all who use it, has become gradually the favorite luxury 
(and indeed with many a necessary of life) of all classes of society, and of both 
tlie young and the old throughout the world — and this, after experience has 
proved that in most cases it is an injury rather than a benefit to the health. 

THE GREATEST AMERICAN. 

The largest man on record was Miles Darden, a native of North Carolina, who 
was born in 1798, and who died in Tennessee in 1857. He was 7 feet and 6 
inches high, and in 1845 weighed 873 pounds. At his death he weighed a little 
over 1000 pounds. In 1839, his coat was buttoned around three men, each of 
them weighing over 200 pounds, who walked together in it across the Square at 
Lexington. In 1850, it required 13^ yards of cloth, 1 yard wide, to make him a 
coat. Until 1853 he was active and lively, and able to bear labor ; but from that 
time was compelled to stay at home, or be hauled about in a two-horse wagon. 
His coffin was 8 feet long, 35 inches deep, 33 inches across the breast, 18 inches 
across the head, and 14 inches across the feet. It required 24 yards of black vel- 
vet to cover the sides and lid of the coffin. Miles Darden was twice married, and 
liis children are very large, though it is probable that none of them will ever attain 
the gigantic weight and size of their father. 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 

Area, 34,000 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 703,708 

(Whites, 291,388 ; Negroes, 412,320) 

Population in 1870, 705,6(i6 

The State of South Carolina, one of the 13 original States of the 
Union, lies between 32*^ and 35° 10' N. latitude, and between 
78° 35' and 83° 30' W. longitude. It is bounded on the north and 
northeast by North Carolina, on the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, 
and on the west by Georgia. The State is almost triangular in shape. 
The Savannah River forms the western boundary, and separates it 
from Georgia; and the coast line is about 200 miles long. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Along the coast, and for about 100 miles inland, the surface is low 
and sandy. Large swamps occupy the lower part of the State, and in 
this district rice is extensively cultivated. A chain of low islands of 
great fertility and beauty extends along the coast, separated from the 
mainland by a series of shallow lagoons, through which navigation is 
maintained between Charleston and Florida, safe from the violence 
and dangers of the sea. These islands extend down the Georgia and 
Florida coast, and produce the famous " Sea Island Cotton." About 
100 miles inland, a large sandy tract occurs, and is known as the 
" Midland country." Beyond this is the " Ridge," a sudden eleva- 
tion, which is overtopped in the northwest by the Blue Ridge Moun- 
tains, which cross this part of the State, and attain their greatest 
height in Table Mountain, 4000 feet above the sea. 

''' From the mouth of the Great Pedee River to that of the Savan- 
nah, the coast of South Carolina is lined with a series of bays, sounds, 

631 



632 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and lagoons, which, though mostly shallow, have sufficient depth to 
allow of an extensive coasting navigation. Commencing at the Great 
Pedee, and proceeding south, we have Winyaw Bay, at the mouth of 
that river ; then, in order. Bull's Bay, Charleston Harbor, St. Helena 
Sound, and Port Royal Entrance, with a number of smaller inlets. 
The harbor of Beaufort is much the best of these, admitting vessels 
drawing 11 feet water; Charleston Harbor is obstructed by a danger- 
ous bar; St. Helena Sound is the most capacious of these inlets, but 
is beset with shoals. Georgetown, at the head of Winyaw Bay, can 
only be reached by vessels of small draught; and Stono Inlet, south 
of Charleston, has but 10 feet water on the bar. The Santee River, 
with its main affluents, the Congaree and Wateree, passes almost di- 
rectly through the middle of the State. It is about 100 miles from 
the junction of the Congaree and Wateree to the mouth of the Santee, 
and about 300 milas from their confluence to their sources in North 
Carolina. The Great Pedee enters the State from North Carolina 
(where it bears the name of Yadkin), and courses through the north- 
east part of South Carolina, about 150 miles, into Winyaw Bay ; the 
Saluda and Broad rivers drain the northwest of the State, and unite 
to form the Congaree ; the Broad River rises in the west of North 
Carolina ; the Edisto and Combahee drain the southwest of the State, 
and flow into the Atlantic after courses of 150 to 200 miles; Lynch's 
Creek is a tributary from the west, and Wacamaw and Little Pedee 
from the east of the Great Pedee ; all have their sources in North 
Carolina. The larger streams run in a southeast direction, and fur- 
nish an inland navigation of about 2400 miles, apart from the creeks 
and inlets of the sea. The Savannah River can be navigated by 
steamboats to Hamburg, and for smaller boats still higher. The 
Wacamaw may be ascended 12 miles, the Great Pedee 200 miles, the 
Congaree and the Wateree about the same distances by steamboats. 
All these rivers are boatable above the distances mentioned, for keel- 
boats. Greenville is the only district in the State without the advan- 
tage of navigation. Water-courses abound in all the districts favor- 
able for mill-sites." * 

MINERALS. 

The Agricultural Bureau of the United States makes the following 
Btatement of the mineral resources of the State in 1868 : 

"Iron of superior quality, in great abundance, is found in Spartan- 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1814. 



SOUTH CAR0LI:NA. 633 

burg, but only used tor plantation purposes ; ore is reported in Abbe- 
ville. Gold is found in Spartanburg, in Pickens (where a company is 
successfully at work, near Walhalla), in Abbeville (where * Horn's 
gold mine,' discovered in 1834, has already yielded $1,000,000, and 
is still worked with profit) ; and in York some mines have lately been 
sold to Northern capitalists, including some California miners. Lead, 
also, is found in Spartanburg, copper and silver in Pickens, very pure 
ochre in Abbeville, and immense beds of kaolin and superior buhr- 
stone. Marl in Barnwell contains a large percentage of lime. This 
district has had several manufactories of cotton, paper, etc., in profit- 
able operation, and some are yet running successfully." 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of South Carolina corresponds with that of the south 
of France, and of Italy. The winter is mild and short, the spring ia 
pleasant, and the heats of the summer are tempered by the cool sea- 
breezes which sweep over the State. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of the State is divided into six varieties; 1. The Tide 
Swamp, which is devoted exclusively to the culture of rice. 2. The 
Inland Swamp, in which grow rice, cotton, corn, and peas. 3. The 
Salt Marsh, in which grows the long cotton. 4. The oak and pine, 
in which grow long cotton, corn, potatoes, etc. 5. The oak and 
hickory, growing short cotton and corn. 6. The Pine Barrens, 
devoted to fruits, corn, etc. 

A publication, recently issued by the State authorities, gives the 
following account of the productions of South Carolina: 

" The usual productions of this State are cotton, the long and short 
staple, rice, both swamp and upland, tobacco, indigo, sugar, wheat, 
rye, corn, oats, millet, barley, buckwheat, peas, beans, sorghum, broom- 
corn, sunflower, guinea corn, sweet potatoes, and Irish potatoes. 
Hemp, flax, and hops grow luxuriantly. Of fruits, our orchards will 
.show apples, pears, quinces, plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cher- 
ries, oranges, lemons, olives, figs, pomegranates, and the American 
date, the persimmons, of many kinds. Of berries, we have the mul- 
berry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, huckleberry, sparkleberry, 
and elderberry. Of nuts, we have the walnut, pecan nut, chestnut, 
hickory, hazel-nut, and chincapin. The grape grows luxuriantly in 



634 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




EICE FIELDS, SOUTH CAROLINA. 



every portion of the State. In our woods and swamps enormous 
vines are found, extending to the topmost branches of the tallest 
forest-trees. Around Aiken, about 500 acres are now planted in 
grapes, and the quantity increases annually. The vines are healthy 
and vigorous. The silkworm thrives well with us, and the 3Io7'us 
multieaulis flourishes without any more care or attention than any of 
our forest-trees, and the growth is so rapid that the leaves can be used 
the second year after planting. The tea-plant is successfully culti- 
vated. Of garden products, we have turnips, carrots, parsnips, arti- 
chokes, mustard, benne, rhubarb, arrow-root, water-melons, musk- 
melons, cucumbers, cabbages, kale, salads, peppers, squashes, tomatoes, 
pumpkins, onions, leeks, okra, cauliflower, beans, peas, radishes, celery, 
etc., etc. — in short, almost whatever can be raised in any garden in 
the world. Of flowers, we have in our gardens whatever the earth 
will yield in beauty and fragrance. The rose is a hedge-plant, the 
japonica blossoms in the open air throughout the winter, the jasmine 
perfumes our thickets, and the violet borders our roads." 
The principal products of the State are about as follows : 

Pounds of rice, 32,304,825 

Bales of cotton, 224,500 

Bushels of wheat, 783,610 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 635 

Bushels of corn, 7,614,207 

" peas and beans, 460,378 

■•' sweet potatoes, 1,342,165 

Pounds of butter, 1,461,980 

The agriculture of South Carolina was much damaged by the war. 
Many of the inland plantations, and nearly all along the coast were 
rained, and the abolition of slavery produced serious losses by greatly 
demoralizing the only class of laborers available. The State is slowly 
recovering from its misfortunes. It has, however, a serious difficulty 
to contend against — the majority of its inhabitants are negroes. 
Whatever we may hope for them in the future, tiie blacks are now in 
a wretched condition of ignorance and degradation, and it will require 
all the energy and genius of the Palmetto State to rise to the position 
to which it is naturally entitled. 

COMMERCE. 

The foreign trade of South Carolina was very large previous to the 
war, owing to her heavy exports of cotton and rice, much of which 
was also shipped to the Northern States. The principal port is 
Charleston. In 1860, the total exports of the State amounted to 
$21,205,337, and the imports to $1,569,570. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Agriculture being almost the exclusive pursuit of the people, manu- 
factures are comparatively neglected in South Carolina, though the 
northwestern part of the State is admirably suited to them, having a 
salubrious climate, and an abundance of fine water-power. In 1870, 
the aggregate capital of the manufactures of this State was $5,400,418. 
The annual product of manufactures and mining was $9,858,981. 

" With the raw material on the spot," says a recent State publica- 
tion, '^ and water-power and fuel everywhere in abundance, no better 
opening for the establishment of factories can anywhere be found than 
in South Carolina. This must be obvious to all reflecting minds. 
We have the cotton, the most valuable manufacturing material in the 
world, growing in fields on the borders of which the stream passes by, 
where the mill would find an effective site : wo have the iron ore in 
abundance, and the fuel near at hand, to make our own metal and 
build our own machinery ; we have the clay for stoneware and pot- 
tery, the fine kaolin for porcelain, and the silica for glass, in many 
portions of the State ; we have the fine-grained and hard woods in 



636 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

our forests for all the branches of cabinet-making ; and we have an 
excellent and ever-ready market for all our produce. The port of 
Charleston is connected by a system of railroads with all parts of the 
State and the whole country, the harbor is safe and capacious, and is 
visited by vessels from all parts of the world. In addition, we have 
the port of Georgetown, and the magnificent Port Royal, situated in a 
rich and fertile region, enjoying* a pleasant and salubrious climate, 
ileep and capacious enough for the manceuvres of the largest war-vessels 
in the world." 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The railroads of South Carolina Avere almost destroyed by the con- 
tending armies during the war, but are now slowly but surely I'ecov- 
ering from their prostration. In 1872, there were 1000 miles of com- 
pleted railroads in the State, constructed at a cost of $25,208,000. 

" A glance at the map," continues the publication from which we 
have just quoted, " will show that a railroad station is within easy 
reach of every corner of the State. The Charleston and Savannah 
Railroad connects us with all the principal Southern cities. The 
South Carolina Railroad runs up to Columbia, the capital of the 
State, and by a branch to Augusta, from thence forming a chain of 
connections with the Western States. The Greenville and Columbia 
Railroad, by its main line and several branches, reaches every western. 
and northwestern section of the State, and by its connection with the 
Blue Ridge Railroad (which for the present terminates at the German 
town and settlement of Walhalla, in Pickens District), will in a few 
years unite us with Cincinnati, in Ohio. The Columbia and Char- 
lotte Railroad traverses the northern sections of the State, and, by the 
Danville Railroad, terminates in Richmond, Virginia. The North- 
eastern Railroad connects with the Wilmington and Manchester Rail- 
road, and is one of the lines of travel from Charleston to New York. 
Thus it will be seen, that this State has a complete net-work of inter- 
communication, whilst connecting with every main avenue of the 
business and travel of this continent by direct lines." 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, there were 11 colleges, 158 academies and other schools, 
and 581 public schools in the State. The University of South Caro- 
lina, at Columbia, was an institution of high reputation, and was 
enjoying great prosperity in I860. The war caused the discontinu- 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 637 

mce of all the schools, many of them having their buildings burned, 
and since the restoration of peace tiie State has been too poor to do 
much for the cause of education. 

The system of public instruction has been revised under the new 
Constitution, and is placed in charge of a State Superintendent, who 
is chosen by the people at each general election for State officers. 
Each county or district is in charge of one School Commissioner, 
chosen biennially by the people of the district. These Commissioners 
constitute a State Board of Education, of which the State Superin- 
tendent is ex-ojicio Chairman. The Legislature is required bv the 
new Constitution to provide a uniform system of public schools. At- 
tendance at these or at private schools is made compulsory upon all 
children between the ages of 9 and 16 years, except in case of bodily 
or mental infirmity. The State is also required to levy taxes for the 
support of these schools, and for the support of a Normal School, 
a State University, an Agricultural College, schools for the Deaf, 
Dumb, and Blind, and a State Reform School. A permanent school 
fund is also established for this i)urpose. 

In 1870, the nuujber of volumes in the libraries of this State was 
546,244. Many libraries were destroyed during the war. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State is provided with a Penitentiary and Lunatic Asylum, 
and the Constitution makes a liberal provision for their support, and 
for the establishment and maintenance of such other charitable and 
penal institutions as may be found necessary. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, the value of church property in this State was |3,276,982. 
Much was destroyed during the Avar, the heaviest losses occurring in 
Charleston and Columbia, where nearly all the church buildings were 
utterly demolished. 

FINANCES. 

On the 31st of October, 1874, the total debt of the State was 
$17,017,651. The expenditures of the Treasury during the same 
year were $1,718,766, and the receipts for the same period were 
.$1,592,075. 



G38 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

There were at the same time 3 National Banks, with a capital of 
$685,000, doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of the State was adopted in 1868. Every 
male citizen of the United States, 21 years old, without regard to 
race, color, or former condition, who has resided in the State one year 
and in the county six months, is a voter. The disfranchised are 
paupers, convicts, persons of unsound mind, and persons disqualified 
by the Constitution of the United States. 

The Government is vested in a Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, 
who must be 30 years old, and two years a resident of tiie State. 
They are elected by the people biennially. The other executive offi- 
cers are a Secretary of State, Treasurer and Receiver-General, Auditor, 
and Attorney-General, elected by the people for four years. The 
Legislature consists of a Senate (of 31 members) and House of Repre- 
sentatives (of 124 members). The Senators* are elected for four years, 
one-half retiring every two years. Representatives are chosen bi- 
ennially. 

"The judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court; in 
two Circuit Courts, viz: a Court of Common Pleas, having civil juris- 
diction, and a Court of General Sessions, with criminal jurisdiction 
only ; in Probate Courts, and in justices of the peace. The General 
Assembly may also establish such municipal and other inferior courts 
as may be deemed necessary. The Supreme Court is to consist of a 
Chief Justice and two Associate Justices, chosen by a joint vote of the 
General Assembly for a term of six years. The Circuit Judges are 
to be chosen in the same manner, and hold office four years. A Court 
of Probate is to be established in each county, the judge of which shall 
be chosen by a vote of the people for a term of two years. Justices 
of the peace are elected by the people, and have jurisdiction of all 
cases where the amount involved does not exceed one hundred dollars." 

The seat of Government is located at Columbia. 

For purposes of government, the State is divided into 30 districts 
or counties. 

HISTORY. 

The State was first settled by a band of French Huguenots under 
Jean Ribault, who, in May, 1562, planted a colony on a beautiful 
island in a spacious inlet, which he named Port Royal. The sur- 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 639 

rounding country he called Carolina, in honor of Charles IX., of 
France. He left 26 persons in this colony, and went back to Europe; 
but the settlers became dissatisfied, mutinied, killed their command- 
ant, abandoned the enterj)rise, and sailed for France in a rude vessel 
which they had built. Their vessel proved a failure, and, after suf- 
fering great hardships and privations, they were rescued by an English 
ship, and carried to Europe. A permanent colony was planted at 
Port Hoyal by the English in 1670. The settlers removed, in 1671, 
to the site of old Charleston, on the west side of the Ashley River, 
and in 1680 again removed to the point of land between the Cooper 
and Ashley rivers, and founded the present city of Charleston. The 
province grew rapidly, and under the general name of Carolina was 
united with the settlements in North Carolina, under one Govern- 
ment, the nature of which we have already described in the last 
chapter. In 1729, the king bought out the proprietors, and South 
Carolina came into existence as a separate royal province. By this 
time it had been well settled by a considerable number of French 
Huguenots, and Swiss, Irish, and German emigrants. The colony 
was greatly harassed during its -infancy by the savages, and united 
with Georgia in putting a stop to the depredations of the Spaniards, 
who had settled Florida and were guilty of many outrages upon their 
English neighbors. 

The province was one of the most prominent in the measures of 
resistance to British aggression adopted by the colonies, and in the 
summer of 1775 repulsed a British fleet under Sir Peter Parker, 
which sought to force an entrance into- Charleston Harbor. The State 
was the scene of many desperate and bloody encounters during the 
war. Charleston was taken by the British, who held the country for 
nearly two years, during which the partisan bands of Marion, Sumter, 
and Pickens maintained a constant and bloody guerilla warfare 
against theni, and against their Tory adherents, of which the State 
contained large numbers. The battles of Camden, Eutaw Springs, 
and the Cowpens were fought in South Carolina, which State main- 
tained its ancient reputation for bravery and patriotism throughout 
the whole strutjsrle. 

The original Constitution of the State was adopted in March, 1776, 
and the Constitution of the United States was ratified in May, 1798. 

The State grew rapidly in wealth and importance after the forma- 
tion of the Federal Union. Negro slavery increased rapidly. The 
number of slaves in 1790 was 107,094, and in 1860, 402,406, while 



040 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the white population had increased only 107 per cent, in 70 years, 
being 140,178 in 1790, and 291,388 in 1860. In the latter year, the 
free and slave negroes constituted nearly 60 per cent, of the whole 
population. 

Being a strictly agricultural community, the State was naturally 
averse to the high tariff system so popular in the manufacturing States 
of the North, and, as we have seen elsewhere in this book, carried its 
opposition to the tariff measures of the General Government to the 
verge of open war. From that time it became the leader of the 
extreme States' Rights party of the South, and upon various occasions 
threatened to secede from the Union. 

In December, 1860, after the election of Abraham Lincoln to the 
Presidency, the State seceded from the Union. The ordinance of 
secession was adopted by the State Convention, on the 20th of 
December, 1860. The forts, arsenals, and public property of the 
United States in South Carolina were seized and occupied by the 
State forces, except Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, which was 
held by a detachment of the Federal army. Hostilities began in the 
bombardment and capture of this fort by the Confederates in April, 
1861. 

During the war Charleston was besieged by the United States army, 
and its harbor blockaded by the navy. Several severe battles occur- 
red in its immediate vicinity, but all the efforts of the fleet to reduce 
its defences wcn'e repulsed. In the summer of 1863, the defences of 
James Island were captured, and from that time the city was sub- 
jected to a severe bombardment, which laid a large part of it in ruins. 
It was held by the Confederates until Sherman's movements com- 
pelled them to evacuate it. As they left it they set fire to it, and 
nearly the whole city was destroyed. It was at once occupied by the 
Union troops. Port Royal Harbor was the scene of a severe naval 
bombardment in the fall of 1861. The Confederate foj'ts defending 
the entrance were captured, and the harbor and its islands held during 
the war. After reaching Savannah at the close of his march from 
Atlanta, Sherman moved his army through this State, from the 
neighborhood of Port Royal to beyond Cheraw. His troops destroyed 
immense quantities of property, and damaged the State to a terrible 
extent. The capital, Columbia, was fired (the origin of the fire still 
remaining a disputed question) and almost entirely destroyed. 

After the close of the war, a Provisional Government was appointed 
by the President. A State Convention was held, a new Constitution 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 641 

framed, and an excellent system of Government established. Con- 
gress, however, denied the right of the President to make such 
changes, and in 1867 abolished the new order of affairs, and organized 
the State into a military district, the command of which was given to 
Major-General Daniel E. Sickles. In August, 1867, General Sickles 
was removed, and General Canby put in his place. 

In January, 1868, a State Convention met at Charleston and 
adopted a Constitution, which was ratified by the people, and on the 
25th of June, 1868, the State was readmitted into the Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns, besides the capital, are Charleston, 
Georgetown, Camden, Greenville, Orangeburg, and Winnsboro. 

COLUMBIA, 

The capital and second city of the State, is situated in Richland district, 
or county, on the east bank of the Congaree, just below the confluence 
of the Broad and Saluda rivers. Latitude 33° 57' N., longitude 81° 
7' W. It is 124 miles north-northwest of Charleston, and 500 miles 
southwest of Washington. 

Columbia is one of the most beautiful cities in the Union. It is 
handsomely built, its streets are well paved, and are broad, straight, 
and shaded with stately trees, among which the magnolia and the live 
oak are conspicuous. It is located on the bluffs of the Congaree, a 
few miles below the falls of that stream, and is noted for the elegant 
mansions and exquisite gardens with which it abounds. The vicinity 
of the city is one of the most highly cultivated portions of the Union, 
and is noted for its model plantations, as well as for its fine scenery. 

The public buildings are among the handsomest in the country. 
The State House is a magnificent edifice, 170 feet long and 60 feet 
wide, and cost nearly three millions of dollars. Tlie Insane Asylum 
is under the control of the State. It is a splendid building and is 
richly endowed. The city buildings are handsome. 

Columbia contains a number of fine public and private schools. 
The South Carolina College, sometimes called the University of South 
Carolina, is a flourishing institution. Here are located a theological 
school of the Presbyterian Churcfi, and a Roman Catholic College. 
The city is supplied with pure water, and is lighted with gas. It is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. It contains a number of churches 
and 3 newspaper offices. In 1870 the population was 9298. 



642 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Columbia is at the head of steamboat navigation on the Congaree 
River, and is connected with all parts of the Union by railways. It 
is the centre of a large cotton trade. 

The city was occupied by the forces of General Sherman on the 
17th of February, 1865. On the same day a disastrous fire occurred, 
which laid a large portion of the city in ashes. 

CHARLESTON, 

The largest city and the metropolis of the State, is situated in Charles- 
ton district, or county, at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper 
rivers, which unite to form its harbor. It is 7 miles from the sea, 
124 miles south-southeast of Columbia, and 540 miles southwest of 
Washington. The city is built upon a plateau elevated about 12 feet 
above the level of the water. The tides rise to a height of 6 feet, 
and sweep by the city with a strong current, thus contributing greatly 
to its healthfulness. 

The Cooper and Ashley rivers are from 30 to 40 feet deep, the 
former is 4200, and the latter 6300 feet wide. The harbor is spacious, 
and will admit vessels drawing 17 feet water. "The coup d'ceil is 
imposing and highly picturesque. Though the grounds are low, 
hardly more than 12 feet above high water, the effect is fine; and the 
city, like Venice, seems, at a little distance, to be absolutely rising out 
of the sea. The bay is almost completely land-locked, making the 
harborage and roadstead as secure as they are ample. The adjuncts 
contribute to form a tout ensemble of much beauty. Directly at the 
entrance of the city stands Castle Pinckney, a fortress which covers an 
ancient shoal. A little south of Pinckney is Fort Ripley, a small 
square work, built of Palmetto logs, and filled with paving stones, 
built in 1862. On the sea-line rises Fort Moultrie, famous, as Fort 
Sullivan, in beating off, and nearly destroying, the British fleet, under 
Sir Peter Parker, in ] 776. On the eastern extremity of the same 
island (Sullivan's), on which Fort Moultrie stands, may yet be traced 
the outline of the fortress which, under Colonel Thompson, with 700 
Carolina rifles, defeated Sir Henry Clinton at the very moment when 
Moultrie drove Parker away from the South. Within the harbor 
the most conspicuous object, and the one also of commanding interest, 
is the ruined walls of Sumter. This fort, with that of Moultrie, 
once constituted the chief defences of Charleston. The events and 
operations of which these massive ruins have formed the chief centre 
and culminating point are too fresh in the public recollection to 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



643 




CHARLESTON. 



require more than a brief retrospect in these pages. The fort, which 
is an octagonal work of solid masonry, stands in the middle of the 
harbor. The armament consisted, at the time of the attack, of 140 
guns. It was occupied by Major Anderson on the night of December 
26, 1860, and at noon of the 27th the Union flag was hoisted over it. 
On the 11th of January following, Governor Pickens demanded a 
surrender of the fort, which being refused, preparations were com- 
menced to attack it. Fire was opened under direction of General G. 
T. Beauregard at 4.30 o'clock A. M., April 11th, 1861, from the 
batteries on James Island. After a defence of thirty-two hours the 
garrison surrendered, and were transported to New York in the 
steamer Baltic. The present condition of the work sufficiently attests 
the warmth of the second attack, August, 1863. On James Island 
are seen the ruins of old Fort Johnson. On the opposite headlands 
of the Haddrill you may trace the old lines which helped in the 
defence of the city eighty years ago, but which are now mostly 
covered by the smart village of Mount Pleasant. These points, 
north, east, and south, with the city lying west of them, bound the 
harbor, leaving an ample circuit of bay — coursing over which, from 



644 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

soutli to north, the eye pursues the long stretch of Cooper River, the 
Etiwando of the red men, along the banks of which, for many miles, 
the sight is refreshed by noble rice-fields, and in many places by the 
mansions and homesteads of the former planters. Steamers ply up 
this river, and return the same day, affording a good bird's-eye view 
of the settlements, along a very picturesque shore line on either hand. 
It was up this river that Mr. Webster distinguished himself by shoot- 
ing an alligator, or rather shooting at him — the alligator diving at 
the shot, and leaving the matter sufficiently doubtful to enable an old 
lawyer and politician to make a plausible case of it. Standing on 
James Island, or on the battlements of Fort Sumter, the eye notes the 
broad stream of the Ashley, winding from west of the city, round its 
southernmost point, to mingle with the waters of the Cooper. The 
Ashley was anciently a region of great wealth and magnificence. It 
is still a river of imposing aspect — broad, capacious, with grassy, 
well-wooded banks, beyond which you may still behold some antique 
and noble edifices." 

The city is regularly built, and is about 2 miles long by about 1| 
miles in width. The streets are not very wide, but are laid off regu- 
larly, and the city is one of the best built in the country. The prin- 
cipal streets are Meeting and King. These run north and south, 
nearly parallel, the whole length of the city. Meeting street is 60 
feet wide, and on it is transacted the principal business of the city. 
It Contains some of the l^indsomest public buildings, and the leading 
hotels. King street is much narrower, and is the principal shopping 
street, 

"A large proportion of the population of Charleston consists of the 
gentry of the contiguous parishes, who, possessing large planting in- 
terests, are sufficiently opulent to maintain abodes in the city as well 
as on their plantations. Here they educate their children, and hither 
they resort in midsummer. This is the secret of something anomalous 
in the life of Charleston. It is resorted to in summer as a watering- 
place by the people of the country. This practice will account for 
some of those characteristics which are thought to be peculiar to the 
city. The planters bring with them wealth and leisure, and these 
naturally beget luxurious tastes and habits. These elevate the tone 
of society, but tend to the disparagement of labor and industry. 
Hence extravagant standards of living, and deficient enterprise as well 
as industry. 

" The city covers a considerable extent of territory, more than its 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 645 

number of people would seem to imply, as in other cities, in conse- 
quence of the suburban character of so many of the residents. The 
dwelling-houses of these are generally isolated, having large open 
grounds on every side, which are used for gardens. Rare exotics, the 
finer fruits, the peach, the nectarine, the orange, fill these spaces, and, 
with the vine, impart a rich, tropical character to the aspect of the 
abode, which itself may be neither very large nor very magnificent. 
Ample piazzas and verandahs, ranging from 1 to 3 stories, give cool- 
ness and shade to the dwelling. The houses are of brick or wood ; 
there are few of stone. Charleston exhibits a peculiar taste in archi- 
tecture. It is like no other city in the Union in this respect. There 
are few regular blocks or rows of bViildings. There is no uniformity. 
Each man has built after his own fashion ; and there are some singu- 
lar emanations of taste; but what is lost in propriety is gained in 
variety, and with fine gardens, open plats of shrubbery, shade and 
fruit trees, the orange, peach, etc., creepers, vines, the rich foliage of 
the magnolia, the oak, the cedar, the Pride of India, girdling the 
white dwellings and the green verandahs, the effect is grateful and 
highly picturesque." Scattered through the city are a number of 
small public squares, the principal of which, the Battery, commands 
a fine view of the harbor. 

The public buildings are numerous and handsome. The most con- 
spicuous are the City Hall, CouH House, Police Court, Custom House, 
Jail, Workhouse, and South Carolina Hall. 

The schools of Charleston have always been famous. They embrace 
all classes, from the public primary school to colleges of a high grade. 
The principal establishments of the higher class are the Military 
Academy, conducted by the State (one-half of its pupils being State 
or free students) ; the Charleston College, founded in 1788; and the 
Medical College of the State of South Carolina. The city contains 
several fine libraries, among which are the Mercantile, Apprentices, 
and City Libraries. The Art Society and Historical Society are ex- 
cellent institutions, and each possesses a valuable collection of works 
relating to its objects. 

The benevolent establishments are well conducted. They consist 
of an Almshouse, an Orphan Asylum, and a Hospital, together with 
several humane and charitable societies. The cemeteries are among 
the most beautiful in the world, and are greatly admired. 

The city contains over 30 churches, several fine hotels-, about 4 daily 
newspaj)ers, and several weeklies. It is lighted with gas, arid is sup- 
40 



64G OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

plied with water. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, 
the population was 48,956. 

Daring the late war, the city was subjected to a severe bombard- 
ment from the United States batteries on the bay islands, and was se- 
verely injured. It is now slowly recovering from this damage, and 
the old buildings are being replaced with better and more convenient 
edifices. 

Charleston is connected with the principal cities of the Union by 
railway, and by steamere with the Atlantic and Gulf ports. It is the 
centre of a large coasting trade, and possesses some foreign commerce. 
It exports more rice than any other city in the Union, and is next to 
New Orleans and Mobile in its exportation of cotton. It has also a 
large trade in tobacco, lumber, and flour. Considerable shipping is 
owned in the port. The commerce of the city was entirely destroyed 
by the late war, but is now rapidly reviving. 

Charleston was settled about the year 1679, by an English colony 
acting under a charter from the British Crown. The expedition was 
led by William Sayle, who became the first Governor. Some years 
later the settlers were joined by a number of French Huguenots, who 
had been exiled from their native country on account of their religion. 
Its growth was greatly retarded by the fierce fevers incident to the 
southern coast, and by many other difficulties; but it surmounted 
these, and by 1731 contained 600 houses and 5 churches. It took an 
active part in the troubles of the Revolution, and, although it con- 
tained a large number of persons devoted to the royal authority, sided 
with the colonies. On the 24th of June, 1776, a British fleet under 
Sir Peter Parker, consisting of 9 ships of war, attacked the American 
fort on Sullivan's Island, which commanded the entrance to the har- 
bor. The fort was unfinished and badly armed, and was garrisoned 
by only 400 men under Colonel Moultrie. The British were repulsed 
with severe loss, and came near losing their fleet. In 1778, a severe 
fire consumed 252 houses. On the 1st of April, 1780, Charleston was 
besieged by the British under Sir Henry Clinton. It was defended 
by General Lincoln and a small American force, who held out until 
May 12th, when they surrendered, half the city being in ruins and the 
people starving. The British held the city until 1782. In 1783, 
Charleston was incorporated as a city. In 1796, it was again ravaged 
by a fire, which destroyed nearly a third part of the city and property 
to the amount of $2,500,000. 

Charleston was the centre of the Secession movement which resulted 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 647 

in the civil war. The beginning of hostilities — the bombardment and 
capture of Fort Sumter — occurred here. The harbor was closely- 
blockaded during the war, and the defences of the city were frequently 
attacked by land and sea, and the city itself was subjected to a severe 
and destructive bombardment. After a long and desperate siege, it 
was recaptured by the United States forces on the 18th of February, 
1865. 

MISCELLANY. 

AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF SERGEANT JASPER. 

Jasper had a brother, who had joined the British, and who held a similar rank 
in the army. To this brother he was warmly attached, and actually ventured 
into the British garrison at Ebenezer to see him. His brother was exceedingly 
alarmed, lest he should be seized and hung as an American spy ; for his name 
was well known to many of the British officers. "Do not trouble yourself," 
said Jasper ; " I am no longer an American soldier." 

"Thank God for that, William," exclaimed his brother, heartily shaking him 
by the hand ; "and now only say the word, my boy, and here is a commission 
for you, with regimentals and gold to boot, to fight for His Majesty, King 
George." 

Jasper shook his head, and observed, that though there was but little encour- 
agement to fight for his country, he could not find it in his heart to fight against 
her. And there the conversation ended. After staying two or three days with 
his brother, inspecting and hearing all that he could, he took his leave, returned 
to the American camp by a circuitous route, and told General Lincoln all that he 
had seen. 

Soon after he made another trip to the English garrison, taking with him his 
particular friend, Sergeant Newton, who was a young man of great strength and 
courage. His brother received him with his usual cordiality ; and he and his 
friend spent several days at the British fort without giving the least alarm. On 
the morning of the third day, his brother observed that he had bad news to tell 
him. 

"Ay ! what is it ? " asked "William. 

"Wliy," replied his brother, "here are ten or a dozen American prisoners, 
brought in this morning, as deserters from Savannah, whither they are to be sent 
immediately ; and, from what I can learn, it will be apt to go hard with them — 
for it seems they have all taken the king's bounty." 

" Let us see them, "-said Jasper. So his brother took him and his friend New- 
ton to see them. It was indeed a melancholy sight to see the poor fellows hand- 
cuffed upon the ground. But when the eye rested on a young woman, wife of 
one of the prisoners, with her child, a sweet little boy of five years, all pity for 
the male prisoners was forgotten. Her humble garb showed that she was poor ; 
but her deep distress, and sympathy with her unfortunate husband, proved that 
she was rich in conjugal love, more precious than all gold. She generally sat on 
the ground opposite to her husband, with her little boy leaning on her lap, and 
lier coal black hair spreading in long, neglected tresses on her neck and bosom. 
Sometimes she would sit, silent as a statue of grief, her eyes fixed upon th» 



648 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

earth : then she would start with a convulsive throb, and gaze on her husband's 
face with looks as piercing sad as if slie already saw him struggling in the halter, 
herself a widow, and her son an orphan. While the child, distressed by his 
mother's anguish, added to the pathos of the scene by the artless tears of childish 
suffering. Though Jasper and Newton were undaunted in the field of battle, 
their feelings w^ere subdued by such heart-stirring misery. As they walked out 
into the neighboring wood, the tears stood in the eyes of both. Jasper first broke 
silence. "Newton," said he, "ray days have been but few ; but I believe their 
course is nearly finished." 

" Why so, Jasper ? " 

" Why, I feel that I must rescue those poor prisoners, or die with them, other- 
wise, the remembrance of that poor woman and her child will haunt me to my 
grave." 

"That is exactly what I feel, too," replied Newton ; " and here is my hand and 
heart to stand by you, my brave friend, to the last drop. Thank God, a man 
can die but once ; and why should we fear to leave this life in the way of our 
duty?'^ 

The friends embraced each other, and entered into the necessary arrangements 
for fulfilling their desperate resolution. 

Immediately after breakfast, the prisoners were sent on their way to Savannah, 
under the guard of a sergeant and corpoial, with 8 men. They had not been 
gone long, before Jasper, accompanied bj' his friend Newton, took leave of his 
brother, and set out on some pretended errand to the upper country. They had 
scarcely got out of sight of Ebenezer, before they struck into the woods, and 
pushed hard after the prisoners and their guard, whom they closely dogged for 
several miles, anxiously watching an opportunity to make a blow. The hope, in- 
deed, seemed extravagant ; for what could two unarmed men do against ten, 
equipped with loaded muskets, and bayonets ? However, unable to give up their 
countrymen, our heroes still travelled on. 

About 2 miles from Savannah, there is a famous spring generally called the 
Spa, w^ell known to travellers, who often stopped there to quench their thirst. 
"Perhaps," said Jasper, "the guard may stop there." Hastening on through 
the woods, they gained the Spa, as theii last hope, and there concealed them- 
selves among the thick bushes that grew around the spring. Presently, the 
mournful procession came in sight of the spring, where the sergeant ordered a 
halt. Hope sprung afresL in the bosoms of our heroes, though no doubt mixed 
with great aiarms ; for "it was a fearful odds." The corporal, with his guard 
of four men, conducted the prisoners to the spring, while the sergeant, with the 
other four, having grounded their arms near the road, brought up the rear. The 
prisoners, w^earicd with their long walk, were permitted to rest themselves on 
the earth. Poor Mrs. Jones, as usual, took her seat opposite to her husband, and 
her little boy, overcome with fatigue, fell asleep in her lap. Two of the corporal's 
men were ordered to keep guard, and the other two to give the prisoners drink 
out of their canteens. These last approached the spring, where our heroes lay 
concealed, and, resting their muskets against a pine tree, dipped up water. 
Having drunk themselves, they turned away with replenished canteens, to give 
to tlie prisoners also. "Now, Nevi^ton, is our time," said Jasper. Then, burst- 
ing like lions from their concealment, they snatched up the two muskets that 
were resting against the pine, and in an instant shot down the two soldiers who 
were upon guard. It was now a contest who should get the loaded muskets that 



SOUTH CAROLINA, 649 

fell from the hands of the slain ; for by this time a couple of brave Englishmen, 
recovering from their momentary panic, had sprung and seized upon the mus- 
kets ; but before they could use them, the swift-handed Americans, with clubbed 
guns, levelled a final blow at the heads of' their brave antagonists. The tender 
bones of tlie skull gave way, and down they sunk, pale and quivering, without a 
groan. Then hastily seizing the muskets, which had thus a second time lallen 
from the hands of the slain, they tlew^ between their surviving enemies and their 
weapons, grounded near the road, and ordered them to surrender ; which they 
mstantly did. They then snapped the handcuflFs off the prisoners, and armed 
them with muskets. 

At the commencement of the fight, poor Mrs. Jones had fallen to the earth in a 
swoon, and her little son stood screaming piteously over her. But, when she 
recovered, and saw her husband and his friends freed from their fetters, she be- 
haved like one frantic with joy. She sprung to her husband's bosom, and, with 
her arms round his neck, sobbed out, "My husband is safe — bless God, my hus- 
band is safe." Then, snatching up her child, she pressed him to her heart, as 
she exclaimed, " Thank God ! my son has a father yet." Then, kneeling at the 
feet of Jasper and Newton, she pressed their hands vehemently, but in the full- 
ness of her heart she could only say, "God bless yon! God Almighty bless 
you ! " 

For fear of being retaken by the English, our heroes seized the arms and regi- 
mentals of the dead, and, with their friends and captive foes, recrossed the Sa- 
vannah, and safely joined the American army at Parisburgh, to the inexpressible 
astonishment and joy of all. 



GEORGIA. 

Area, 58,000 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 1,057,286 

(Whites, 591,588. Negroes, 465,698) 

Population in 1870, 1,184,109 

The State of Georgia, the most southern of the original members 
of the Union, lies between 30° 21' 39" and 35° N. latitude, and be- 
tween 81° and 85° 53' 38" W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by North Carolina and Tennessee, on the east by South Caro- 
lina, and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Florida, and on the 
west by Florida and Alabama. The Savannah River separates it from 
South Carolina, and the Chattahoochee forms a j)art of the western 
boundary, separating the lower half of the State from Alabama and 
Florida. The greatest length of Georgia, from north to south, is 
about 300 miles, and its greatest width, from east to west, about 250 
miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Along the coast, and for about 100 miles inland, the surface is 
flat and marshy, resembling the lower part of South Carolina. Rice 
is largely cultivated here. A fine rolling country occupies the centre 
of the State, while the northern and northwestern parts are 'traversed 
by the ranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which vary in height 
from 1200 to 4000 feet. The southeastern part contains a series of 
swamps, having a circuit of about 180 miles, known under the 
general name of Okefonokee Swamp. This is one of the wildest and 
rankest tracts in the South, and abounds in alligators, lizards, cranes, 
snakes, etc. The coast is lined with a chain of islands, similar to 
those of South Carolina, which produce the Sea Island cotton. The 
650 



GEORGIA. 651 

waters lying between these islands and the shore constitute an inner 
passage along the coast, and are navigable for light draft vessels. 

The coast is deeply indented with inlets, some of which afford good 
harbors. 

The Savannah River, which separates the State from South Caro- 
lina, is formed by the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers. It is about 500 
miles long, and is navigable for large steamboats to Augusta, 230 
miles from the sea. Ships ascend to Savannah, about 15 miles from 
its mouth. It is lined with fine cotton and rice plantations, and 
above Augusta is an excellent mill stream. The Ogemhee River flows 
almost parallel with it, and empties into Ossabaw Sound, a short dis- 
tance south of Savannah. It is navigable for small vessels for 30 or 
40 miles, and for flat-boats to Louisville, near the centre of the ea-stern 
part of the State. Its principal branch, the Cannouchee, is navigable 
for small vessels for 50 miles. The Altamaha River flows into the 
Atlantic, south of the Ogeechee. It is formed by the Oconee and 
Ocmulgee, which, rising in the northern part and flowing through 
central Georgia, unite about 100 miles from the sea, and form the 
Altamaha. The main river is ascended by ships to Darien, not far 
from its mouth. The Ocmulgee is navigable for small steamers to 
Macon, and the Oconee to Milledgeville, the capital of the State — each 
nearly two hundred miles from the sea. The Santilla and St Marys 
drain the extreme southeastern part of the State, and are navigable 
for small vessels for about 30 or 40 miles, and much higher for flat- 
boats. T]ie Chattahoochee River rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains, 
in Habersham county, in the extreme northeastern corner of the State. 
Flowing southwest to West Point, it strikes the boundary between 
Georgia and Alabama, and turns to the south, washing the western 
shore of the State to its southern extremity, where it empties into the 
Appalachicola River, of Florida. It is about 550 miles long, and is 
navigable for steamers, from November to June, to Columbus, 350 
miles from its mouth. The rapids begin at Columbus. The upper 
part of the river flows through the gold region of Georgia, and is a 
fine mill stream. The Flint River Is its principal branch. It rises 
in the western part of the centre of the State, and flows southwest into 
the Chattahoochee, just above the mouth of that river. It is about 
300 miles long, and is navigable for steamers to Albany. The other 
rivers are the Tallapoosa and Coosa, the sources of the Alabama, in 
the northwest, the Hiawassee, one of the sources of the Tennessee, in 
the north, and the Ocklockony and Suwanee and their branches, in the 
south, which flow into Florida. 



652 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MINERALS. 

The minerals of this State are gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, man- 
ganese, titanium, graphite, antimony, zinc, granite, marble, gypsum, 
limestone, coal, sienite, marl, bun-stone, soapstone, slate, jasper, ame- 
thyst, chalcedony, cornelian, agate, rose quartz, garnets, and several 
others more or less valuable. Diamonds are sometimes found. The 
gold region lies in the northern part of the State, principally in and 
around Lumpkin county. Until the discovery of gold in California, 
it was the principal source of our supply. Previous to the wai', the 
General Government maintained a branch mint at Dahlonega, in the 
centre of the gold region. In 1852, $476,788 were coined at this 
mint. These mines are far from being exhausted, and are worked 
now with considerable profit. 

" The white marble quarries of Cherokee county are of great extent, 
a portion of them affording statuary marble. The slate quarries of 
Polk county are now attracting much attention. The slate is con- 
sidered equal to the Welsh, and is now being shipped to New York. 
The quarry is of enormous extent. Hydraulic cement, nearly white 
in color, and of excellent quality, is made near Kingston, Bartow 
county. The indications of petroleum in Floyd county are strong. 
That section has been thrown up in the wildest confusion. The 
formation is the lower silurian, abounding in fossils, and both the 
limestone and shale are highly bituminous. Iron ore abounds iu 
Bartow and other counties." 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of Georgia is the most delightful of any of the far 
Southern States. The southern and southeastern parts are cooled 
by the sea breeze, and the mountain regions are, though severe in 
winter, delightfully cool in summer. The spring comes early and is 
pleasant. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil along the coast and the rivers is fertile, and produces 
almost any variety of foocL About 65 or 70 miles from the coast, the 
Pine Barren region begins. This soil is natnrally poor, but is easily 
fertilized. It produces valuable timber and naval stores. In the 
southwestern part of the State, the soil is light and sandy, but, 
although fertile, is easily worn out, and requires careful manuring. 



GEORGIA. 653 

In the middle counties the soil consists of a red loam originally fer- 
tile, but greatly exhausted by the bad system of agriculture pursued 
in the State. The northern part of the State is very fertile, and will 
produce cotton, but is much better adapted to the growth of grain, to 
which it is principally devoted. Cotton is raised in the central and 
southern counties, and rice along the coast and the lower parts of the 
principal rivers. The great extent of navigable rivers in this State 
renders it easy to bring the crops to market, and thus lightens the bur- 
dens of the producer. Grain is extensively grown in this State. The 
greater part of the cotton region can be tilled by white labor, but here 
and elsewhere, rice requires a cultivation which would be fatal to 
white laborers. 

The agricultural interests of Georgia were fearfully damaged by the 
civil war, and the State is but slowly recovering from its losses. The 
statistics of 1869, the latest available, are very imperfect. They are 
as follows : 

Acres of improved land, 8,062,758 

Bushels of wheat, . . : 2,170,000 

" rye, 73,000 

" oats, 1,200,000 

" Indian corn, 27,500,000 

" barley, 13,300 

" potatoes, 248,000 

" peas and beans, 1,965,212 

Tons of hay, 48,000 

Kumber of horses, 198,300 

" mules and asses, 200,150 

" milch cows, 301,180 

" young cattle, 780,350 

swine, • . 2,150,300 

Value of domestic animals, $45,372,734 

Bales of cotton 495,000 

Pounds of rice (estimated), 30,000,000 

COMMERCE. 

At the commencement of the civil war, Georgia was building up 
a valuable and growing trade with the Northern States and with 
Europe. In 1860, the foreign exports of the State amounted to 
$18,483,038, and the imports to $782,061. 

MANUFACTURES. 

With an enterprise which won her the title of the " Empire State 
of the South," Georgia was making great progress in manufactures 



654 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

when the war broke out. Nearly all her establishments were either 
entirely destroyed, crippled, or forced to suspend operations by the 
events of the struggle. The State possesses unusual advantages 
for manufactures, and there can be little doubt that it will in a few 
years begin to develop this branch of its industry with its old energy. 
In 1870, there were 3836 establishments in Georgia devoted to manu- 
factures, raining, and the mechanic arts, employing a capital of $13,- 
930,125. There were 34 cotton mills, (30 of which were driven by 
water-power), with a capital of $3,433,265, yielding an annual pro- 
duct of $3,648,973; and 11 woollen factories, with a capital of 
$894,135, yielding an annual product of $352,583. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 2108 miles of completed railroads in Georgia. 
The principal towns of the State are connected by railroad. T^^ o 
main lines extend across the centre of the State, from Savannah lo 
Macon and Columbus, and from Augusta to Atlanta and Chattanoogii, 
Tenn. Three roads centre at Savannah, three at Augusta, three at 
Columbus, three at Macon, and four at Atlanta. By means of these 
and their branches, all parts of the State and the Union may be 
reached with ease and rapidity. Nearly every road in the State was 
destroyed during the war, but almost all have been restored since the 
return of peace. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, the State contained 31 colleges, averaging over 100 students 
each; 1603 academies and other schools, with 55,000 pupils; and 
246 public schools, with 11,150 pupils. The schools were broken 
up by the war, and it was not until very recently that anything was 
done to restore them. 

The present Constitution places the system of public education 
under the control of a State School Commissioner, appointed by the 
Governor and confirmed by the Senate, for a period of four years. A 
permanent school fund has been authorized, which now amounts to 
$242,000, and the Legislature is required to establish at least one or 
more common schools in each school district of the State as soon as 
possible, and to levy taxes for their support. 

The University of Georgia is located at Athens, and was founded 
in 1801. It includes Franklin College, and is in a prosperous con- 



GEORGIA. 655 

dition. It is an excellent school, and possesses a library of 13,000 
volumes, a valuable and complete chemical apparatus, and one of the 
best cabinets of mineralogy and geology in the Union. 

Oglethorpe University, at Milledgeville ; Mercer University, at Ren- 
field ; Emory College, at Renfield ; and the Wesleyan Female College, 
at Macon, are the other prominent schools. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary, at Milledgeville, was established in 1811, 
and was provided with fine and commodious buildings of granite. It 
was destroyed during the war, but has been partially rebuilt since 
the peace. 

The State Lunatio Asylum is located at Medway, near Milledge- 
ville. It was established in 1842. Blacks as well as whites are ad- 
mitted. The institution is provided with ample and substantial build- 
ings, and is now doing well. 

The Academy for the Blind, at Macon, is an excellent institution. 
It is provided with handsome brick buildings, and is in successful 
operation. 

The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, in Murray county, in the 
northern part of the State, was closed during the war, and has not 
yet been reopened. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 2698 churches in Georgia. The total value of 
church property was $3,561,955. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874, the debt of the State amounted to $8,105,500, having 
been increased since 1867. The State, according to the assertion 
of the Governor, possesses valuable assets to the amount of $12,000,- 
000. In 1874, the receipts of the State Treasury amounted to 
$2,817,723, and the expenditures to $1,814,494. The finances of 
Georgia are in a very unhappy condition. A portion of the public 
debt was overdue in 1870, and no provision had been made for its 
payment, and the credit of the State had been considerably damaged 
by the quarrels between the Governor and the Treasurer. 

In 1868, there were 8 National Banks in Georgia, with an aggre- 
gate capital of $1,600,000. 



656 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of tlie State was ratified by the people on 
the 20th of April, 1868. Every male person, born in the United 
States, or who has been naturalized, or who has legally declared his 
intention to become a citizen of the United States, twenty-one years 
old, who has resided in the State one year, and in the county thirty 
days, who has paid taxes, and every male citizen of the United States, 
who was a resident of this State at the time of the adoption of this 
Constitution, is entitled to vote at the elections. Soldiers and sailors 
in the service of the United States, idiots, insane persons, and convicts 
are excluded from the ballot. The Government is vested in a Gover- 
nor, chosen by the people for four years, a Secretary of State, 
Treasurer, Comptroller-General, and Attorney-General, elected for 
four years by the General Assembly, and a Legislature, composed of a 
Senate (of 44 members) and House of Representatives (of 175 mem- 
bers). Senators are elected for four years, one-half retiring biennially, 
and Representatives for two years. 

" The Judicial powers of the State are vested in a Supreme Court, 
Superior Courts, Courts of Ordinary, Justices of the Peace, Comniis- 
sioned Notaries Public, and such other courts as may be establisiied 
by law. The Supreme Court consists of three judges, and has juris- 
diction only for the trial and correction of errors on appeal from 
lower courts. The judges are to be appointed, those of the Supreme 
Court for 1 2 years, and those of the Superior Courts for 8 years." 

The seat of Government is located at Atlanta. 

For purposes of government, Georgia is divided into 132 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Georgia was the last settled of the thirteen original colonies. It 
was at first included within the charter of Carolina, and was the 
object of rival claims on the part of Spain and England. On the 9th 
of July, 1732, George II. of England, after whom the province was 
named, granted it to a corporation, who were styled " Trustees for 
settling the colony of Georgia." It was designed to make this colony 
a refuge for the respectable poor of England. The first colony was 
planted at Savannah, in the spring of 1733, by General James Ogle- 
thorpe, but the condition of military service was attached to the 
possession of lands by the colonists, and had the effect of driving the 
best settlers from the colony, and in 1734 the system was changed, 



GEORGIA. 657 

and fifty acres in fee simple were offered to each settler. This offer 
drew a number of emigrants to the colony from Europe, chiefly from 
Germany and Scotland. In 1739, war broke out between England 
and Spain, and General Oglethorpe, with 1000 militia from Georgia 
and Florida, and a band of Indian allies, invaded Florida, and made 
an unsuccessful attempt to capture St. Augustine. In 1742, the 
Spaniards revenged this invasion by sending 36 ships and 3000 men 
into Georgia. Fort St. Simon, on the Altamaha River was taken, 
and Fort Frederica, on St. Simon's Island, would have fallen, had 
not the Spaniards, becoming alarmed at a stratagem of Oglethorpe, 
retired into Florida. Peace was restored soon after. 

The early years of the colony were marked by troubles caused by 
the restrictions imposed by the Trustees. These and the prohibition 
of slavery occasioned so much discontent amongst the settlers that there 
was danger that the colony would be abandoned. In 17C2, the Trus- 
tees surrendered their charter to the crown, and Georgia became a 
royal province. Privileges similar to those granted the other colonies 
were allowed it, not the least of which was the permission to import 
and hold negro slaves. After this the colony grew rapidly, and rice 
and cotton were largely cultivated. In 1775 the population num- 
bered 75,000 souls. In this year its exports amounted to $517,385, 
and its imports to |558,885. 

Georgia was prompt to give her support to the measures of protect 
tion and resistance, adopted by the other colonies, and made liberal 
contributions of men and money to the cause during the Revolution. 
In 1778, the British captured Savannah, and in 1779 took Augusta 
and Sunbury. From these points they overran the State, compelling 
many of the principal inhabitants to abandon their homes and flee for 
their lives. In 1779, the American forces made an effort to retake 
Savannah, but without success, and the British continued to hold the 
State until the close of the war. 

The State Government was established and a Constitution adopted 
in 1777, and a second Constitution in 1785. The Federal Constitu- 
tion was ratified on the 2d of January, 1788. 

The Creeks and Cherokees, dwelling on the north and west frontiers 
of the State, gave considerable trouble by their hostilities, but in 1791, 
treaties were concluded with them which established the boundaries 
of the Sta,te, and put a stop to the troubles. In 1802, the Creeks 
ceded to the United States the lands which they held, and in the 
southwest part of this State, which Avere assigned by the General 



658 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Government to Georgia. In the same year, the State ceded to the 
United States all its claims to the lands west of its present limits. 
This territory is now embraced in the States of Alabama and Missis- 
sippi. In 1838 the Creeks M'ere removed beyond the Mississippi, 
by the General Government, and Georgia came >nto possession of 
their lands, which now form the northern counties' of the State. 

At the outbreak of the civil war Georgia had reached a high de- 
gree of prosperity, which she was destined to lose during the struggle. 
The State seceded from the Union on the 19th of January, 1861. 
From the commencement of the war it began to suifer. Its coast was 
at the mercy of the navy of the United States, and was greatly dam- 
aged during the early part of the war. In the winter of 1862 the 
western armies commenced to operate in the northwestern part of the 
State, and from this time until the capture of Atlanta this section was 
the scene of -i constant warfare. The battles of Chickamauga, between 
Rosecrans and Bragg, and the campaign between Sherman and John- 
ston, occurred in this State. In the fall of 1864 the Confederates «\'ere 
forced to evacuate Atlanta, which was at once occupied by Sherman. 
The inhabitants were driven out, and the city burned. After destroy- 
ing Atlanta, Sherman marched southward to Savannah, which he 
reached and occupied on the 24th of December, 1864, ravaging the 
plantations along his march, destroying railroads, bridges, factories, 
and mills, carrying off provisions of all kinds, and marking his way 
by a wide belt of ruin. It is said by competent State authorities that 
the destruction of property in Georgia during the war amounted to 
$400,000,000. 

After the restoration of peace a Provisional Governor was appointed 
by the President, and a new State Government put in operation. 
Congress repudiated all these acts, and made the State a part of the 
Third Military District, the command of which was given to Major 
General Pope, who was succeeded by Major General Meade. In 
March, 1868, a State Convention was held, and a new Constitution 
adopted, which was ratified by the people in April, and the State was 
readmitted into the Union on the 25th of June, 1868. Owing, how- 
ever, to the failure of the Constitution to admit the negroes to all the 
privileges possessed by the whites, Congress, on the 22d of December, 
1869, passed a bill declaring Georgia not reconstructed, and handed 
the State over to the military authorities again. After an exciting 
contest the terms imposed by Congress were complied with, and the 
State was readmitted into the Union on the 14th of July, 1870. 



GEORGIA. 659 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Beside the capital, the principal cities and towns of Georgia are, 
Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, Rome, West Point, Dalton 
Americus, Kingston, Marietta, Albany, Brunswick, and Darien. 

ATLANTA, 

Capital and fourth city of the State, is situated in Fulton county, 7 
miles southeast of the Chattahoochee River, 171 miles west of Augusta. 
The location is high and healthy. Four of the principal railroads of 
the State terminate here, and it is to this that the city owes its rapid 
growth. Previous to the introduction of railways, it was an unim- 
portant country village. It was incorporated as a city in 1847, and 
at the outbreak of the civil war had a population of about 10,000. It 
was occupied by the Confederate forces at the outset of the war, and 
was one of their most important posts. It was attacked by General 
Sherman in the summer of 1864, and several severe battles were 
fought in its vicinity. On the 2d of September it was captured by 
Sherman, M'ho banished the inhabitants into the Southern lines. On 
the night of the 15th of November he caused the city to be burned, 
on the eve of his setting out on his "March to the Sea." Since the 
close of the war Atlanta has been almost entirely rebuilt. Owing to 
its position as a railroad centre, and the location of the capital of the 
State here, it is rapidly recovering its former trade and importance. 

It is well built and regularly laid out. The principal buildings 
are the City Hall, the Medical College, and the Opera House, pur- 
chased in 1870 by the State, and now being fitted up as a State House. 
It contains 5 churches, several excellent public and private schools, 
and 9 newspaper offices. Three monthly magazines are also pub- 
lished here. The city is lighted with gas, is supplied with water, and 
is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1868 it became the capital 
of the State. In 1870 the population was 21,789. 

SAVANNAH. 

The largest city in the State, is situated in Chatham county, on the 
south bank of the Savannah River,. 18 miles from the sea, and 188 
miles east-southeast of Milledgeville. It is situated on a sandy plain 
about 40 feet above low-water mark, and is one of the most interest- 
ing cities in the South. Its streets are wide and straight, and at 
every other corner there is a public square, usually circular or oval in 



660 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




SAVANNAH. 



shape, planted with the Pride of India. The streets are broad, un- 
paved, and densely shaded with magnificent trees. Broad and Bay 
streets have handsomely turfed promenades in the centre, with car- 
riage ways on each side. There is also a broad walk on each side of 
these streets. Its beautiful streets have gained for Savannah the 
name of " the Forest City " of the South. The squares are orna- 
mented with handsome fountains, statues, monuments, etc. In John- 
son's Square stands a handsome monument erected to the memories of 
Generals Greene and Pulaski. It is of pure white marble, and stands 
on the spot where Pulaski fell in the attack on the city by the Ameri- 
can army in 1779. It cost $22,000 in gold. 

The city is handsomely built, many of the residences being of brick. 
The majority are of wood, however. In the business edifices brick 
and stone are extensively employed. 

The Public Buildings are in keeping with the rest of the city. 
The principal are the Exchange, the Court House, the State Arsenal, 
the Custom House, the Jail, the Lyceum, Oglethorpe and St. Andrew's 
Halls, the Armory, the Theatre, and the Chatham Academy. 



GEORGIA. Gvil 

The schools are excellent, and the free schools are among the best 
in the South. The Benevolent and Charitable Institutions comprise 
the Orphan Asylum, the Union Society, founded by Whitfield, the 
Hibernian and Seaman's Friend Societies, the Georgia Infirmary, and 
the Savannah Hospital. The State Historical Society possesses a fine 
library. The city contains about 18 churches, a public library, sev- 
eral reading rooms, and 3 newspaper offices. It is lighted with gas, 
is supplied with pure water, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
It is considered one of the healthiest cities in the South ; and is im- 
proving in this respect in consequence of the improved manner of 
cultivating the land in the vicinity. It is a favorite winter resort for 
invalids. In 1870 the population was 28,235. 

In the vicinity is the Cemete7'y of Bonaventure, one of the most re- 
markably beautiful spots in the world. 

Savannah is connected with all parts of the State, and with Charles- 
ton, S. C, by railway. Steamers navigate the Savannah to Aqgusta, 
and an active coast trade is maintained with the Northern and South- 
ern ports of the Union. The chief articles of export are cotton, rice, 
lumber, and naval stores, of which large quantities are shipped an- 
nually from this port. The trade of the city is growing rapidly. 

Savannah was founded by General Oglethorpe, in 1732 or 1733. 
It was captured by the British in December, 1778, and was evacuated 
by them in 1783. In 1796, and again in 1820, it suffered severely 
from fire. In December, 1864, it was captured by the United States 
army, under General Sherman, and was held by the Federal Govern- 
ment until the close of the civil war. On the 28th of January, 1865, 
a severe fire destroyed a considerable portion of the city. 

AUGUSTA, 

The second city of the State, is situated in Richmond county, on the 
west bank of the Savannah Hiver, 120 miles north-northwest from 
Savannah, 230 miles from the mouth of the river by its course, and 
136 miles northwest of Charleston. It lies at the head of navigation 
on the Savannah, and controls to a great extent the lucrative trade of 
upper Georgia. It is one of the handsomest cities in the South, and 
is laid off regularly, with broad, straight streets crossing each other at 
right angles. Broad street is the main thoroughfare, and is lined 
with substantial buildings. It contains the principal stores, the 
hotels, the banks, and tiie markets, and is the fashionable promenade. 
41 



a32 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MISCELLANY. 

THE "EMPRESS" OF GEORGIA. 

Among the Georgia settlers was a man by the name of Thomas Bosomworth, 
a chaplain in the regiment ot Oglethorpe. It appears that he was an artful and 
avaricious man. In 1747, he laid a plan either to destroy the colony or acquire 
a fortune. Among a number of Indians present at Frederica, a small English 
settlement, not far from Savannah, in December, was an Indian king by the name 
of Malatche. Bosomworth suggested to him the idea of being crowned in imperial 
form, by those of his tribe who were with him : accordingly, a paper was drawn 
up, filled with royal ceremonies, acknowledging Malatche Opiya Meco to be the 
rightful, natural prince and emperor of the dominions of the Creek Nation ; vest- 
ing him with powers to make laws, frame treaties, declare war, convey lands, 
and transact all affairs relating to the nation ; binding themselves, on the part of 
their several towns, to abide by and fulfil all his contracts and engagements. 
This paper being signed and sealed by the pretended kings and chiefs, and wit- 
nessed in due form, Malatche requested that a copy of it might be sent over to 
the king of England, for his sanction, and to have it put on record among the 
archives of his great ally. 

Bosomworth had thus accomplished an important object. He had some time 
before married Mary Musgrove, a half-breed Indian. He now drew up a deed 
of conveyance in the common form, from Malatche Opiya Meco, Emperor of the 
Upper and Lower Creek Nations, to Thomas and Mary Bosomworth, of the 
Colony of Georgia, "for, and in consideration of ten pieces of stroud, twelve 
pieces of duflles, two hundred weight of powder, two hundred weight of lead, 
twenty guns, twelve pair of pistols, and one hundred weight of vermilion ; war- 
ranting and defending to the said Thomas and Mary all those tracts of land 
known by the names of Hussoope, or Ossabaw, Cowleygee, or St. Catherines, 
and Sapelo islands, with their appurtenances, etc., to the said Thomas and Mary 
his wife, their heirs and assigns, as long as the sun shall shine, or the waters run 
in the rivers, forever. Signed on the 4th day of the windy moon, corresponding 
with the 14th of December." 

His next object was to induce Mary to claim to be the elder sister of Malatche, 
and of having descended in a maternal line from an Indian king, .who held from 
nature the whole territories of the Creeks ; and Bosomworth now persuaded her 
to assert her right to them, as superior not only to the trustees, but also to that 
of the king. 

Accordingly, Mary assumed the title of an independent Empress. A meeting 
of the Creeks was summoned, before which she set forth her claims. The Indians 
l)ecame fired through her eloquence, and escorted her towards Savannah to prose- 
cute her claim. 

A messenger was dispatched to notify the president and council of the royal 
lamily's approach. On receiving this intelligence, the council felt embarrassed. 
Mary was an artful and eloquent woman ; tlie English were few in number, and 
small their means of defence. The militia were ordered under arms. Captain 
Noble Jones, at the head of a troop, was dispatched to prevent, if possible, tlieir 
entrance into Savannah armed. Having met them, he ordered them to stop and 
lay down their arms. At first they refused ; but his determined appearance at 
length prevailed, and they laid aside their arms, upon which Thomas Bosom- 



GI'OIIGIA, 



663 



worth, in liis canonical robes, with his queen by his side, followed by the kino- 
and chiefs, marched into the town. * 

The inhabitants were struck with terror at tlie sight of this ferocious tribe of 
savages. When they advanced up to the parade, they lound the militia drawn 
up under arms to receive them, by whom they were saluted with fifteen cannon, 
and conducted to the president's house. Bosomworth being ordered to with' 
draw, the Indian chiefs, in a friendly manner, were requested to declare their in 
tention in paying this visit in so large a body, without being sent for bv any 
person in authority: the warriors, as they had been instructed, answered that 
Mary was to speak for them, and that they would abide by whatever she said • 
that they had heard that she was to be sent like a captive over the great waters 
and tliey were come to know on what account they were to lose their queen '• 
that they intended no harm, and begged that their arms might be restored to 
them ; and after consulting with Bosomworth and his wife, they would return 
and amicably settle all public affairs. To please them, their guns were returned 
but strict orders were issued to allow them no ammunition, until the council 
should see more clearly into their dark designs. On the day followin-^ tlie 
Indians, having had some private conferences with Mary, were observed, with 
sullen countenances, to march in a tumultuous manner through the streets evi- 
dencing a hostile temper, apparently determined on mischief: all the men bein- 
obliged to mount guard, the women and cliildren were terrified and afraid to re- 
main in the houses by themselves, expecting every moment to be murdered and 
scalped. During this confusion, a false rumor was circulated, that they had cut 
off President Stephen's head with a tomahawk, which so exasperated the inhabi- 
tants that it was with difficulty tlie officers could restrain the troops from firing 
upon the savages : perhaps the exercise of the greatest prudence was never more 
requisite to save the town from being deluged with blood. Orders were given to. 
lay hold on Bosomworth, to whom it was insinuated that he was marked as the 
first victim in case of extremities ; and he was carried out of the way, and closel v ,0 
confined, upon which Mary, his beloved queen, became outrageous and frantic ,. 
and threatened tlie thunder of her vengeance against the magistrates, and thr 
whole colony : she ordered all white persons to depart immediately from her ter- 
ritories, and at their peril to refuse ; she cursed Oglethorpe and his fraudulent 
treaties, and, furiously stamping her foot upon the earth, swore by her Maker that 
the whole globe should know that the ground she stood upon was her own. To, ^Y 
prevent any ascendancy by bribes over the chiefs and warriors, she kept tlie 'i- 
leading men constantly under her eye, and would not suffer them to utter a sen- d 
tence on public affairs, but in her presence. 

The president, finding no peaceable agreement could be made with the Indians 
while under tiie baleful influence of their pretended queen, ordered her to be 
seized and confined. To allay the storm of indignation excited by this, a least 
was made for the Indians, at which the evil designs of Bosomworth were un- 
folded in a speech by the president. This had a temporary effect. Even Malatche 
seemed satisfied. But wishing to see Bosomworth and his wife alone for a lew 
minutes, the artful couple again seduced the aged chief, who returned to the 
council full of indignation, insisting on the rights of the queen. Upon this, the 
president rose, and in a short but plain address, so set forth the impositions of 
Bosomworth and Mary, that the Indians said they were satisfied; their eyes were 
opened, and tliey now offered to smoke the pipe of peace. Accordingly, pijies 
and rum were brought, and they joined hand in hand and smoked to-ether 
Presents were distributed, and all appeared satisfied and happy. 



664 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

But in the midst of this friendly interview, Marj^ who by some means had 
contrived to escape, rushed in lil<e a fury, and insultingly told the president that 
slie would soon convince him that the Indians were her people, and that he had 
no business with them. 

The president advised her quietly to retire to her lodgings, or he would send 
her to prison. Upon this Malatche took fire ; and, swinging his arms, declared 
that no one should touch the queen. The house was filled in a moment with 
tumult ; every Indian having his tomahawk in his hand, and the president and 
council expecting nothing but instant death. At this critical juncture. Captain 
Noble Jones with his guard interposed, and required the Indians to surrender ; 
they did so with great reluctance. Mary was conveyed to a safe place. Bosom - 
worth was sent for ; but for a time treated the council with great indignity. At 
length, through the interposition of Bosomworth's brother, the diflicuity was 
settled. This rash and wicked man was forgiven, and the idle claims of Mary 
were relinquished. 

They were, however, afterwards renewed ; Bosomworth himself instituted a 
suit in England, founded upon his deed from the Indians. This case was in the 
courts of Great Britain twelve years. In 1759, a decision was made at the Court 
of St. James, granting to Bosomworth and his wife the island of St. Catherines. 
Bosomworth and Mary took possession of the island. There, some time after, 
Mary died, and Bosomworth married his chambermaid. Finally, the remains of 
these two were deposited in the same graveyard, on the island for which they 
ihad 60 long contended. 



FLORIDA. 

Area, 59,268 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 140,425 

(Whites, 77,748; Kegroes, 62,677.) 

Population in 1870, 187,748 

The State of Florida is situated between 25° and 31° N. latitude, 
and between 80° and 87°, 44' W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by Alabama and Georgia, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, 
on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by the Gulf of 
Mexico and Alabama. The southern part of the State forms a large 
peninsula. In the eastern part, Florida is about 385 miles long from 
north to south. Its width along its northern border is about 250 
miles from east to west. The average width of the peninsula is about 
80 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

" Florida," says Professor De Bow, "is generally level, probably 
never elevated more than 250 or 300 feet above the sea, and the south- 
ern part of the peninsula is covered with a large sheet of water, called 
the Everglades, of an immense extent (filled with islands), which it is 
supposed may be rendered available by drainage. The central por- 
tion of the peninsula is somewhat elevated, the highest point being 
about 171 feet above the ocean, and gradually declining towards tlie 
coast on each side. The country between the Suwanee and Chatta- 
hoochee is elevated and hilly, and the western portion of the State is 
level. The lands of Florida are almost sui generis, very curiously 
distributed, and may be designated as high hummock, low hummock, 
swamp, savanna, and the different qualities of pine land. High 
hammock is usually timbered with live and other oaks, magnolia, 

665 



666 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

laurel, etc., and is considered the best description of land for general 
purposes. Low hummock, timbered with live and water oak, is sub- 
ject to overflow, but when drained is preferred for sugar. Savannas, 
on the margins of streams, and in detached bodies, are usually verv 
rich alluvions, and yielding largely in dry, but needing ditching and 
dyking in ordinary seasons. Harsh savannas, on the borders of tide 
streams, are very valuable, when reclaimed, for rice or sugar-cane." 

Southwest of Florida, is a chain of small rocky islands, called the 
Florida Keys. They are inhabited principally by wreck-^rs, and by 
persons engaged in the fisheries and the manufacture of salt. The 
largest and most important of these is Key West, which is strongly 
fortified, and is one of the chief naval stations of the Union. 

The Sea Islands extend from South Carolina and Georgia, along 
the northeast coast of Florida, and are among the finest and most 
productive parts of the State. The Everglades 'cover an immense 
area, about 160 miles long, and 60 miles broad. Professor De Bow 
speaks of them as a vast lake, filled with innumerable islands of all 
sizes, which are covered with a low dense undergrowth, out of which 
occasionally rises a huge pine or palmetto. The water is 6 or 8 feet 
deep, and is filled with a long rank grass which grows from a vegeta- 
ble deposit at the bottom. The banana and plantain grow well in 
this region. 

The principal bays are Pensacola, Choctawhatchie, St. Andrew's 
St. Joseph's, Appalachicola, Appalachie, Waccasassa, Tampa, Char- 
lotte Harbor, Oyster, and Ponce de Leon bays, all on the west side. 
Pensacola Bay affords an excellent harbor, and is the principal naval 
station of the Republic in the Gulf of Mexico. 

The rivers of the State are the Perdido, a small stream separating 
Florida from Alabama on the west ; the Escambia, Yell-sow, Choctaw- 
hatchie, Ocklockonee, and Suwanee, which rise in Alabama and Geor- 
gia and flow into the Gulf of Mexico on the south, none of them be- 
ing over 50 or 60 miles in length. The others are the CarlosahatcJiie, 
through which Lake Okeechobee discharges its waters into the Gulf, 
the Withlacoochee and Tampa, on the west, and the St. Mary's (partly 
separating the State from Georgia), the St. John's, and Indian rivers, 
emptying into the Atlantic on the east. The Indian River is a mere 
inlet from the ocean entering the State at its southeast part, and ex- 
tending north and south. It is about 100 miles long, and of very 
unequal breadth. The St. John's is the principal river of Florida. 
It rises in a marshy tract near the central part of the peninsula, and 



FLORIDA. 



6 67 




ST. JOHN'S KIVEU. 

flows in a generally northwest course into the Atlantic in the northern 
part of the State. It is over 200 miles long, and is navigable for 
steamers to Pilatka, about 60 miles. Vessels drawing 8 feet of water 
ascend the river for 107 miles. The country along the greater portion 
of the stream is a region of cypress swamps and pine barrens. The 
Appalachicola is navigable for vessels to its head. 

A chain of lakes extends through the centre of the peninsula. The 
most southern of these is Lake Okeechobee, about 20 miles long. 



CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild and pleasant. It partakes largely of the 
characteristics of the torrid zone, on the borders of which the State 
lies. It is of great benefit to invalids. A writer in the New York 
Observer thus speaks of it : 

" As to the most desirable localities for invalids, the most accessible 
are on the St. John's River and St. Augustine. The interior or cen- 
tral portion of the peninsula may present a climate even better for 



668 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

pulmonary invalids; but those parts of the country are not supplied 

with suitable accommodations, and are not much visited 

'' Range of tiie thermometer and tne weather. The Army Mateoro- 
logical Register gives the monthly mean temperatui'e for 20 years at 
8t. Augustine, and for 31 years at West Point, N. Y., as follows : 





Jan. Pi;b. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


Mm/. Ocl. i\"ov. Dec. 


St. Augustine.. 


..57-03 59-94 


63-34 


68-78 


73-50 71-88 64-12 57-26 


West Point 


..28-28 28-83 


37-63 


48-70 


59-82 53-04 42-23 31-98 



** Most of the common garden vegetables flourish all winter, oranges 
ripen on the trees, roses bloom, and mocking-birds sing. A few times 
we have frost — three times, I believe, last winter. Do not suppose 
there are no changes of temperature, though there are fewer than in 
any other State. There are many, and, at times, they are sudden ; 
but the thermometer rarely goes down to freezing, and the sliock is 
far less to a delicate constitution than M'here it goes far below. Dur- 
ing the greater part of the time the sun shines brightly, and invalids 
can be in the open air. This is the greatest benefit of the climate. I 
have known many who dared not set foot on the ground from Novem- 
ber to April at the North, who have spent part of every day walking, 
riding, playing croquet, or hunting and fishing. Often, parties are 
formed who go down the peninsula, camping out, and, as they get 
beyond the reach of frost within 100 miles south of St. Augustine, 
such life is most enjoyable for those who Imve strength for it. Much 
of the time during every winter we sit with open doors and windows. 
Above all things, it is important for those who come here for health 
to keep as much as possible in the open air." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is generally sandy. In the hummocks, however, it is 
mixed with clay. It is fertile, and yields abundant returns with 
judicious culture. The best lands in the State are in the marshes. 
With a proper system of drainage they could be made the most pro- 
ductive spots in America. 

The natural growth of the State is very rich. The live oak an ! 
other varieties of this tree, so highly prized by ship-builders ; the 
Cyprus, pine, hickory, dogwood, magnolia and laurel abound. Tlu; 
timber trade of the State is very valuable, and is growing in impor- 
tance every year. 

*' Cotton, corn, sugar-cane, rice, potatoes, and fruits are the princi- 



FLORIDA. 669 

pal crops, but under the present system of culture yields are small 
and agriculture not profitable. In a number of counties cotton has 
been the specialty, but under present prices its production will doubt- 
less decline in favor of other crops. Sugar-cane is considered a good 
crop, and is getting more in favor ; it is easily cultivated, and, as our 
Leon corresj)ondent says, ' would be a good crop for white labor.' 
In Baker county, sea-island cotton and sugar-cane are the chief pro- 
ductions. Duval county, sweet potatoes, corn, and sugar-cane; corn 
yielding twenty bushels per acre, sweet potatoes one hundred to two 
hundred bushels, sugar-cane two hundred gallons syrup and two 
hundred pounds of sugar; the latter is the most profitable crop. In 
Alachua, sea-island cotton is the specialty, of which our reporter 
says: 'The price of this cotton last year ranged from 40 cents to 
f 1.60 per pound ; this year, from 35 to 90 cents. The average yield 
is about eighty-five pounds of lint per acre, but as high as four 
hundred pounds have been raised. At 50 cents, with the present 
labor, it is a paying crop. Cotton is a hard crop to raise, takes the 
whole year, and, for the labor expended, is the least paying crop in 
the country. During the past season ninety-nine out of every 
hundred have lost money. Corn produces an average of eight 
bushels on pine lands, and fifteen bushels on hummocks. Sugar-cane 
does well, but is raised for home consumption only.' Wheat is not 
grown as a crop in Florida, though a correspondent writes from Levy 
county, that he thinks it would do well on their hummock lauds ; and 
our Manatee reporter says he has sown a package sent from this 
department, and it now looks as well as he has ever seen wheat in 
Maryland or elsewhere. There are a variety of natural grasses grow- 
ing throughout the State, and, as a general rule, cattle are pastured 
on the wild lands and without expense, frequently the whole year 
round. Among the grasses named by our correspondents are, 
Bermuda grass, crab-grass, crow-foot, joint-grass, carpet-grass, M-ire- 
grass, etc. Our Levy county correspondent writes : — ' The grasses 
are all wild; stock runs out all the year in the woods. They are 
gathered in the spring, and penned every night until about August, 
when they are again turned out to run during the fall and winter. 
While kept up they are branded, and the cows are milked, though 
they are generally small, and give but little milk, from one to three 
quarts per day.' " * Tropical fruits are easily cultivated in this State. 

* Agricultural Eeport for February, 1868. 



mo OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Oranges and lemons are raised in considerable quantities; also, 
bananas, citrons, figs and other fruits, and it is believed that coffee 
can be successfully cultivated in the southern part. 

The agricultural wealth of the State may be given as follows : 

Acres of improved land, 750,000 

Bushels of Indian corn, 2,500,000 

Pounds of tobacco 250,000 

Bales of cotton, 50,000 

Pounds of rice, 425,000 

Bushels of peas and beans, 65,000 

sweet potatoes, 800,000 

Hhds. of cane sugar, 1,500 

Number of horses, 12,000 

milch cows, 63,000 

" asses and mules, 9,000 

" swine, 160,000 

" sheep, 30,000 

The undergrowth of the State, as we have remarked, is very rank. 
Huge alligators and snakes abound in the swamps; the rivers are well 
stocked with fish ; and turtle, oysters and wild fowl abound along 
the coast. 

COMMERCE. 

This State has little or no foreign commerce. Its trade is almost 
entirely with the States north of it, and its exports consist of cotton, 
rice, naval stores, and fruits. In 1860 the exports of the State 
amounted to $1,330,230, and the imports to $336,931. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Very little attention is paid to manufactures. In 1870 the capital 
invested in them amounted to $1,679,930. The annual product was 
valued at $4,685,403. The lumber trade almost monopolized this, 
the value of sawed and planed lumber being $2,236,780. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872 there were 466 miles of completed railroads in Florida, con- 
structed at a cost of about $9,000,000. The principal towns are con- 
nected with each other, and with all parts of the Union by railroad. 



FLORIDA. 671 



EDUCATION. 



In 1870 there were 223 public schools in Florida, with 10,132 pupils, 
and ] 54 other schools and academies, with over 10,000 ])upils. They were 
nearly all closed by the war. The new Constitution makes provision 
ior a system of public free schools, which are to be supported by a 
special tax levied by the Legislature, and a permanent school fund 
has been created. The system is in charge of a State Superintendent 
of Public Instruction. This officer, and the Secretary of State and 
Attorney-General, constitute the State Board of Education. Two 
State seminaries, the east Florida and west Florida, have been estab- 
lished. The State Superintendent, in his report for 1870, says free 
schools are gaining in favor with the people. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

This State has no penitentiary or charitable asylums. The Consti- 
tution makes provision for them, and the Governor strongly recom- 
mends their establishment. Criminals are supported in idleness in 
the county prisons, by the State, which receives no return for this 
outlay. The Governor, in his message for 1868, declared that this 
expense was so heavy that he was compelled to pardon many criminals 
in order to save the State from bankruptcy. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870 there were 390 churches in Florida, and the value of church 
property was $426,520. Many of the churches were destroyed 
during the war. 

FINANCES. 

On the 1st of January, 1874, the State debt amounted to $1,620,- 
809, including $276,325 in outstanding Comptroller's wai-rants and 
Treasurer's certificates. The receipts of the Treasury for the year 
1874 were $280,837, and the expenditures $254,328. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of the State was ratified by the people in 
May, 1868. Every male person twenty-one years old, without 
regard to race, color, nationality, or previous condition, who is a 
citizen of the United States, or who shall have legally declared hi? 



672 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

intention to become a citizen of the United States, and who shall have 
resided in the State one year, and in the county six months, is entitled 
to vote at the elections. Persons coming of age, or becoming citizens 
after 1880, will not be allowed to vote without being able to read and 
write, but no one who is an elector previous to that year shall be 
afterwards deprived of the elective franchise because of such ignorance. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, 
and a Legislature consisting of a Senate (of 24 members, chosen for 
four years, one-half retiring biennially), and an Assembly (of 63 
members, elected for two years). The Seminole Indians are entitled 
to one member in the Assembly. He must be a member of that tribe, 
and chosen by the qualified electors thereof The Governor and 
Lieutenant-Governor are chosen for four years by the people. The 
Executive officers are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by 
the Senate. The Legislature meets annually. 

The courts of the State are the SujDreme Court, seven Circuit 
Courts, and a County Court in each county. All the judges are 
appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Su- 
preme Court consists of a Chief Justice and two Associate Justices. 

For purposes of Government the State is divided into 37 counties. 
The seat of government is located at Tallahassee. 

HISTORY. 

Florida was discovered by the Spaniards, on Easter Sunday, Pas- 
cua Floi'ida, and partly on this account, and partly because of its natu- 
ral beauty, was given its present name, which signifies "the flowery." 
It was first visited by Ponce de Leon, in 1513. Subsequently, Vas- 
quez, a Spaniard (in 1520), Verazzani, a Florentine (in 1523), and De 
Geray, a Spaniard (in 1524), made voyages to it. In 1526, Charles 
v., of Spain, granted all the lands between Cape Florida and the Rio 
Panuco to Pampilo de Narvaez, who, in 1528, landed at Appalachee 
with a considerable military force. He was stoutly resisted by the 
Indian tribes, and was finally shipwrecked and drowned on the coast, 
near the mouth of the Panuco. Only ten of his followers returned to 
Europe. In 1539, Florida was explored by Fernando de Soto, who 
penetrated as far into the continent as the Mississippi River. Some 
years later a colony of French Huguenots was established in Florida. 
The Spaniards attacked them in 1564, and hanged many of them on 
the trees. Having driven out the French, they built a fort on the 



FLORIDA. 673 

spot. It was subsequently taken by a French expedition, and the 
garrison hanged, in retaliation for the original murders. In 1565, 
the Spaniards founded the city of St. Augustine, now the oldest Euro- 
pean settlement in the Union. They held it until 1586, when it was 
captured by the Englisli under Sir I raneis Drake. • 

In 1696, Pensaoola was settled by the French. The English had 
claimed the northeastern part of the country nearly a century before, 
and now made frequent inroads upon the Spanish settlements. In 
1702, an expedition from Carolina made an unsuccessful attempt to 
capture St. Augustine, and the next year took Fort St. Mark. The 
expedition of Oglethorpe, and the counter invasion of Georgia by the 
Spaniards, have already been related in the preceding chapter. 

In 1763, Spain ceded the whole of Florida to Great Britain, in 
exchange for the Island of Cuba, which had been captured by the 
English. The country was now divided into two provinces, the Appa- 
lachicola River being the dividing line. Many settlers came over from 
Carolina, and a number of emigrants arrived from Italy and the islands 
of the Mediterranean. The English held the country during the 
Revolution, and sent out many privateers from it, and incited the 
Indians to hostilities against the Americans in Carolina and Georgia. 
In 1778, General Prevost invaded Georgia, from this State, and cap- 
tured Savannah and other towns. This withdrawal of his forces, 
however, left Forida at the mercy of the Spaniards, who at once 
entered it, and in 1781 captured Pensacola, and occupied a consid- 
erable part of the province. The treaty of 1783 restored Florida to 
Spain, upon which the majority of the inhabitants abandoned it, and 
removed to the United States. The cession of Louisiana to the 
United States, by France, gave the former country a claim to the 
country west of the Perdido River, which now comprises the extreme 
southern end of Alabama. This section was promptly occupied by 
the Federal army. During the second war with England, it was 
ascertained that the British had been allowed by the Spaniards to fit 
out an expedition against the United States from Pensacola. General 
Jackson at once entered Florida with his army, and captured Pensacola. 
He retook the town in 1818, and also Fort St. Mark, but they were 
restored to Spain, who, in 1819, sold the whole province to the United 
States. The American authority was established in Florida, in 1821. 
Emigrants at once commenced to flock thither, and the territory began 
to prosper. The growth of Florida Avas much impeded by the war 
rv^hich broke out in 1835, between the Government and the Seminole 



674 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Indians, who occupied the best lands in tlie State, and refused to allow 
the whites to settle upon them. The war lasted until May, 1858, 
when the Semiuoles agreed to remove to the West, and were at once 
conveyed thither. The war cost the Government over $30,000,000 
and thousands of lives. 

Florida was organized as a territory in 1819, and admitted into 
the Union as a slaveholding State, on the 3d of March, 1845. It 
vSeceded from the Union on the 10th of January, 1861, and joined the 
Southern Confederacy. The State authorities, in January, 18G1, 
seized the navy yard and the forts at Pensacola, with the exception of 
Foi't Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island, in Pensacola Bay, which was 
held by its commander. Lieutenant Slemmer. It was afterwards 
strongly reinforced, and on several occasions bombarded the Confed- 
erate Avorks at Pensacola. 

The State suffered much during the war. Key West, the Tortugas, 
and Fort Pickens were held by the Government from the beginning 
of the struggle, and afforded ready means of entering its territory ; 
while the possession of Port Royal, in South Carolina, by the National 
forces, placed northeasern Florida at their mercy. A large part 
of tiie plantations were ruined, several towns were destroyed, and 
others more or less injured, and several severe battles were fought 
within the limits of the State. Slavery was abolished by the result 
of tlie war, but by that time desertions and disease had greatly 
reduced the negro population. At the close of the civil war, a Pro- 
visional Government was established by the President of the United 
States, which was the next year repudiated by Congress. In 1867, 
the State was made a part of the Third Military District, the head- 
quarters of which were at Atlanta, Georgia. In January, 1868, a 
State Convention assembled at Tallahassee, and adopted a Constitution, 
which was ratified by the people on the 6th of May, and Congress, 
approving this action, readmitted the State into the Union on the 25th 
of June, 1868. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Beside the capital, the principal towns are, Pensacola, Key West 
City, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Quincy, and Monticello. 

TALLAHASSEE, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Leon county, about 25 miles 
from tlie Gulf of Mexico, and 194 miles east of Mobile. Latitude, 



FLORIDA. 675 

30° 28' N.; longitude, 84° 36' W. The city lies on elevated ground, 
is regularly laid out, and contains several tasteful public squares. It 
is well built, and is regarded as one of the healthiest and pleasantest 
cities in the South. It lies in the heart of the most populous and fer- 
tile portion of the State, and is connected with the Atlantic and Gulf 
coasts, and with Savannah, Ga., by railway. It contains the State 
House, Cowt House, a jail, a Land Office of the United States, several 
churches, several fine schools, and 2 newspaper offices. It is gov- 
erned by a Mayor and Council. Its importance is due solely to its 
being the capital of the State. In 1870 the population was 2023. 

PENSACOLA 
Is situated in Escambia county, on the west shore of Pensacola Bay, 
about 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, 180 miles west of Talla- 
hassee, and 64 miles east of Mobile. It is one of the principal places 
in the State, and now that it has railway communication with the rest 
of the Union, is rapidly growing in its commercial importance. It 
possesses an admirable harbor, admitting vessels drawing 21 feet of 
water. The town is a naval station of the United States, and con- 
tains an important navy yard. The entrance to the harbor is de- 
fended by Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island, and Forts Barrancas 
and McRea on the mainland. 

The city presents rather a decayed appearance, and bears many 
marks of its Spanish origin. The houses are mostly old-fashioned 
and of wood ; the streets are generally unpaved, and the sidewalks 
are frequently of wood. The principal building is the Custom 
House. There are several churches and schools, and 2 newspaper 
offices in the city. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 
the population was 3347. 

"Pensacola was permanently settled by the Spaniards about the year 
1699. The French made frequent efforts to drive away the Spaniards, 
and in 1719 captured the place, and held it-until 1723, when they re- 
stored it to Spain. In 1763 all Florida, including Pensacola, passed 
into the hands of the British. Pensacola was besieged and re-captured 
by the Spanish in 1781. In 1783 the whole province was restored 
to Spain. In 1814 the city was attacked and captured, with its adja- 
cent forts, by General Jackson, whose object was to drive out the 
British who had been allowed by the Spaniards to establish them- 
selves there. In 1818 the Spaniards being either unable or unwilling 
to put a stop to the inroads of the Indians from Florida into the 



676 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

United States, General Jackson again took possession of the city, and 
obliged the Spanish Governor, who had taken rernge in Fort Barran- 
cas, to surrender that work. In 1821 Pensacola became a city of the 
Union by the purchase of Florida. In January, 1861, after the se- 
cession of Florida from the Union, the State troops took possession of 
the navy yard. Forts Barrancas and McRea, and the other Govern- 
ment property. The United States forces, under Lieutenant Slem- 
mer, occupied Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island, 'and held it until 
reinforced. The Southern forces at once laid siege to Fort Pickens, 
Avhich was also defended by a naval force. The siege of this fort, and 
the blockade of Pensacola, lasted during the greater portion of the 
civil war. 

ST. AUGUSTINE 

Is situated in St. .John's county, on the north shore of Matanzas 
Sound, 2 miles from the Atlantic, from which it is separated by Anas- 
tasia Island, It is 200 miles east by south from Tallahassee. It 
possesses but little trade, although its barbor is safe and large. Large 
ships cannot enter it, however, as there is but 9 or 10 feet of water on 
the bar. It is reached by steamer from Jacksonville. It contains 
the county buildings, several churches and schools, and 1 newspaper 
office. In 1870 the population was 1717. 

St. Augustine is the oldest town in the United States, and one of 
the most interesting. It was settled by the Spaniards in 1564. The 
site was originally a shell hummock, scarcely 12 feet higher than the 
surface of the sea. The town formerly stood in a grove of orange 
trees, but in 1834 a great frost destroyed these. Frost, however, is 
very rare in this part of Florida. Many winters pass without the 
slightest mark of it, and snow is almost unknown. 

"St. Augustine is built along the seaward side of a narrow ridge 
of land, situated between a salt marsh and estuary half a mile from 
the beach, two miles from the ocean, in sight of the bar and light- 
house, and in hearing of the surf The soil is sandy loam and decom- 
posed shell, and is very productive. Approaching by a bridge and 
crossing the St. Sebastian River and marsh, the stranger enters a well- 
shaded avenue, flanked by gardens and orange-groves, which leads 
directly to the centre of the quaint old city. Here is the public 
square, a neat enclosure of some two acres, facing which^ on either 
side, stand the Court House, the market and wharf, the Protestant 
Episcopal Church — a plain building, in the pointed style, handsomely 



FLORIDA. ' 677 

furnished — and, immediately opposite, the venerable Roman Catholic 
Church, a striking edifice of seemingly great antiquity, but built only 
about eighty years ago. It is of the periwig pattern, and in the worst 
possible taste. One of its bells bears date 1682. Connected with 
this church is a small convent and school. A minute's walk brings 
us to the sea-wall or breakwater, a broad line of massive masonry, 
built about 1840 by order of Government, at great cost, for the pro- 
tection of the city, but v/hose chief use is that of affording to the in- 
habitants the pleasantest promenade in fine weather. This wall ex- 
tends half a mile southward to the now deserted barmcks and masra- 
zine, and as far northward as Fort Marion (formerly Castle of St. 
Mark), a picturesque and decayed fortress, which once commanded 
the whole harbor, looming up out of the flat landscape, grand as a 
Moorish castle, and forming the most conspicuous and interesting 
relic of the Spanish occupation. Parallel to this sea-wall, run north 
and south, with short intersections, the three principal streets or lanes, 
long, narrow, without pavement or sidewalk, irregularly built up with 
* dumpy ' but substantial houses, rather dingy and antediluvian, mostly 
of stone, or with the lower stories stone and the upper of wood. 
They have invariably the chimneys outside, and are ornamented with 
projecting balconies and latticed verandahs, from which the gay paint 
has long since faded, being all toned and weather-stained into one 
sombre gray hue, which, in keeping with the surroundings, is the joint 
result .of age, neglect, sun, and saline air. Every house is separated 
from its neighbor by more or less of garden plot, ill protected by bi'oken 
fence and crumbling wall, wherein they raise two or more crops of 
vegetables every year, figs in perfection, and roses in unmeasured 
abundance. St. Augustine is sometimes styled the ' Ancient City.' 
Its appearance is in strict keeping with its venerable age, seen in the 
unequivocal marks of decay or decrepitation. Perhaps the friable na- 
ture of the common building material contributes to this ruinous ap- 
pearance, all the older houses being constructed of a stratified concrete 
of minute shell and sand called 'coquina,' in blocks conveniently ob- 
tained, and easily worked, hardening by exposure, but abrading and 
crumbling in course of time. Coquina houses are invariably dark, 
and always damp in winter, on which account frame dwellings, though 
not so cool, for summer houses, are much preferred by the innovating 
Yankees. But the Minorcan, or sub-Spanish population, still adhere 
to their traditions, and refuse to be reformed. They build for the 
summer time — the longest season. Northerners seeking in Florida a 
42 



678 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




AUGUSTINE. 



mild climate generally prefer St. Augustine; and with the best reason. 
The proximity of the Gulf Stream renders it warmer in winter and 
cooler in summer than the settlements on the St. John's River. It 
is at present the most southern habitable place on the eastern coast ; 
and it has peculiar advantages over all other towns in East Florida — 
in its churches, its company, and its comforts. Good society may be 
always had there ; the citizens are hospitable, and among the visitors 
are always some agreeable persons, cultivated and distinguished. Vi- 
sitors begin to arrive about the holidays. From the middle of March 
to the middle of April is the height of the season, and then the ho- 
tels are crowded. Deliciously fresh and mild is the atmosphere during 
the first spring heats. Then the soft south Avind fills the senses with 
a voluptuous languor, and the evening land breeze comes laden with 
the fragrance of orange-blossoms and the breath of roses. A moon- 
light w^alk upon the sea-wall suggests the Mediterranean, and the al- 
lusion is heightened by the accents of a foreign tongue. The effect 
of these happy climatic and social conditions is very noticeable. The 
most morose tempers seem to lose their acerbity, and even the despair- 
ing invalid catches the contagion of cheerfulness. Two-thirds of the 
population of St. Augustine are of Spanish origin, and still speak the 
Spanish language. The women are pretty, modest, dark-eyed bru- 
nettes ; dress neatly in gay colors, are skilful at needle-work, and 
good housewives. The men exhibit equally characteristic traits of 
race and nationality. The people are generally poor. There are no 



FLORIDA. 679 

manufactures. The town produces little, and exports nothing — its 
chief support, since the loss of its orange-groves, being derived from 
Government offices, and receipts from strangers. It has one saw-mill, 
rarely running." 

KEY WEST CITY, 

In Monroe county, in the most populous town in the State. It is 
situated on the island of Key \yest, about 60 miles southwest of Cape 
Table, latitude 24° 33' N. ; longitude 81° 40' W. It is a well-built 
town, of nearly 700 houses. The streets are 50 feet wide and cross 
each other at right-angles. It contains 4 churches, 5 schools, and a 
fine Marine Hospital belonging to the United States. 

About 30,000 bushels of salt are made annually at Key West by 
solar evaporation. Large quantities of sponges, turtles, and fish are 
exported to the Atlantic cities. The principal business of the place, 
however, is wrecking. About forty-five or fifty vessels are annually 
wrecked in trie vicinity of the island, and the inhabitants derive an 
annual profit of about |200,000 from the salvages and other perqui- 
sites of these vessels. This business is conducted under equitable and 
strict laws, and is pf benefit to ship-owners as well as to the islanders. 

Key West was first settled in 1822. It is one of the most import- 
ant military stations of the United States, as it is the key to the 
Florida Pass and the Gulf of Mexico. The harbor is larnie and safe, 
and will admit vessels drawing 22 feet of water. Its. entrance is de- 
fended by Fort Taylor, a powerful work. The steamers from Charles- 
ton and New York touch at this port once a week, and furnish the 
only regular communication with the mainland. In 1870 the popu- 
lation was 5000. 



ALABAMA. 

Area, 50,722 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 946,244 

(Whites, 526,431 ; Kegroes, 419,813) 

Population in 1870, 996,992 

The State of Alabama is situated between 30° 10' and 35° N. 
latitude, and between 85° and 88° 30' W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Georgia, on the south by 
Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by Mississippi. 

TOPOGEAPHY. 

The northeast part of this State is occupied by the southwest end 
of the Alleghany Mountains, which terminate here. They gradually 
sink down into a fine rolling country, which covers the whole surface 
of the State to within sixty miles of the Gulf, -where it becomes level. 

The principal rivers are the Alabama, Tennessee, Tombigbee, Black 
Warrior, and Coosa. The Perdido separates the State from Florida 
in the southeast, and the Choctawhatchie, Pea, Yellow, Connecuh, 
and Escambia rivers rise in the southern part of the State, and flow 
south into Florida. 

The Alabama River, the most important stream in the State, is 
formed by the Coosa and Tallapoosa, which unite about 10 miles 
above Montgomery. It flows in a generally southwest direction, and 
empties through Mobile Bay into the Gulf of Mexico. About 45 
miles above Mobile, it is joined by the Tombigbee. Below this, it 
is called the Mobile River. It is navigable at all seasons for first- 
class steamers. The Tallapoosa is navigable for a short distance, and 
the Coosa for about 160 miles. The length of the main stream is 
680 



ALABAMA. 681 

about 300 miles. Its tributaries are the Cahawba aikl Tombigbee, 
besides several small streams. 

Mr. Russell, the correspondent of the London Times, draws the 
following picture of this celebrated river in its prosperous times : 

" The vessel was nothing more than a vast wooden house, of three 
separate stories, floating on a pontoon which upheld the engine, with 
a dining-hall or saloon on the second story surrounded by sleeping- 
berths, and a nest of smaller rooms up-stairs ; on the metal roof was 
a * musical ' instrument called a ' calliope,' played like a piano by keys, 
which acted on levers and valves, admitting steam into metal cups, 
where it produced the requisite notes — high, resonant, and not un- 
pleasing at a moderate distance. It is 417 miles to Mobile, but at 
this season the steamer can maintain a good rate of speed, as there is 
very little cotton or cargo to be taken on board at the landings, and 
the stream is full. 

" The river is about 200 yards broad, and of the color of chocolate 
and milk, with high, steep, wooded banks, rising so much above the 
surface of the stream, that a person on the upper deck of the towering 
Southern Republic, cannot get a glimpse of the fields and country 
beyond. High banks and bluffs spring up to the height of 150 or 
even 200 feet above the river, the breadth of which is so uniform as 
to give the Alabama the appearance^of a canal, only relieved by sud- 
den bends and rapid curves. The surface is covered with masses of 
drift wood, whole trees, and small islands of branches. Now and 
then a sharp, black, fang-like projection standing stiffly in the current 
gives warning of a snag, but the helmsman, who commands the whole 
course of the river, from an elevated house amidships on the upper 
deck, can see these in time; and at night pine boughs are lighted in 
iron cressets at the bows to illuminate the water. 

" The captain, who was not particular whether his name was spelt 
Maher, or Meaher, or Meagher [les trois se disent), was evidently a 
character — perhaps a good one. One with a grey eye full of cunning 
and of some humor, strongly-marked features, and a very Celtic 
mouth of the Kerry type. He soon attached himself to me, and 
favored me with some wonderful yarns, which I hope he was not 
foolish enough to think I believed. One relating to a wholesale 
destruction and massacre of' Indians he narrated with evident gusto. 
Pointing to one of the bluffs, he said that some thirty years ago the 
whole of the Indians in the district being surrounded by the whites, 
betook themselves to that spot, and remained there without any 



G82 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




A BLUFF ON THE ALABAMA RIVER. 



means of escape, till they were quite starved out. So they sent down 
to know if the whites would let them go, and it was agreed that they 
should be permitted to move down the river in boats. When the day 
came, and they were all afloat, the whites anticipated the boat-mas- 
sacre of Nana Sahib at Cawnpore, and destroyed the helpless red-skins. 
Many hundreds thus perished, and the whole affair was very much 
approved of. 

" The value of land on the sides of this river is great, as it yields 
nine to eleven bales of cotton to the acre — worth 10^. a bale at present 
prices. The only evidences of this wealth to be seen by us consisted 
of the cotton sheds on the top of the banks, and slides of timber, with 
steps at each side down to the landings, so constructed that the cotton 
bales could be shot down on board the vessel. These shoots and stair- 
cases are generally protected by a roof of planks, and lead to unknown 
regions inhabited by niggers and their masters, the latter all talking 
politics. And so they talk through the glimmering of bad cigars for 
hours. 

" The management of the boat is dexterous, — as she approaches the 
landing-place, the helm is put hard over, to the screaming of the 
steam-pipe, and the Avild strains of 'Dixie' floating out of the throats 
of the calliope, and as the engines are detached, one wheel is worked 
forward, and the other backs water, so she soon turns head up stream, 
and is then gently paddled up to the river bank, to which she is just 
kept up by steam — the plank is run ashore, and the few passengers 
who are coming in or out are lighted on their way by the flames of 
pine in an iron basket, swinging above the bow by a long pole. Then 



ALABAMA. 683 

we see them vanishing into black darkness up the steps, or coming- 
down clearer and clearer till they stand in the full blaze of the beacon, 
which casts dark shadows on the yellow M'ater. The air is glistening 
with fire-flies, which dot the darkness with specks and points of flame, 
just as sparks fly through the embers of tinder or half-burned paper. 

"Some of the landings were by far more important than others. 
There were some, for example, where an iron railroad was worked 
down the bank by windlasses for hoisting up goods; others where the 
negroes, half-naked, leaped ashore, and rushing at piles of fire-wood, 
tossed them on board to feed the engine, which, all uncovered and 
open to the lower deck, lighted up the darkness by the glare from the 
stoke-holes, which cried forever ' Give, give !' as the negroes cease- 
lessly thrust the pine-beams into their hungry maws. I could under- 
stand how easily a steamer can ' burn up,' and how hopeless escape 
would be under such circumstances. The whole framework of the 
vessel is of the lightest resinous pine, so raw that the turpentine oozes 
out through the paint ; the hull is a mere shell. If the vessel once 
caught fire, all that could be done would be to turn her round, and 
run her to the bank, in the ho[)e of holding there long enough to 
enable the people to escape into the trees ; but if she were not near a 
landing, many must be lost; as the bank is steep down, the vessel 
cannot be run aground ; and in some places the trees are in eight or 
ten feet of water. A few minutes Nvould suffice to set the vessel in a 
blaze from stem to stern ; and if there were cotton on board, the 
bales would burn almost like powder. The scene at each landing 
was repeated, with few variations, ten times till we reached Selma, 
110 miles distance, at 11.30 at night. 

"Selma, which is connected with the Tennessee and Mississippi 
rivers by railroad, is built upon a steep, lofty bluff, and the lights in 
the windows, and the lofty hotels above us, put me in mind of the old 
town of Edinburgh, seen from Princes Street. Beside us there was a 
huge storied wharf, so that our passengers could step on shore from 
any deck they pleased. 

"'The cabin of one of these steamers, in the month of May, is not 
favorable to. sleep. The wooden beams of the engines creak and scream 
' consumedly,' and the great engines themselves throb as if they would 
break through their thin, pulse covers of pine, — and the whistle sounds, 
and the calliope shrieks out ' Dixie ' incessantly. So, when I was up 
and dressed, breakfast was over, and I had an opportunity of seeing 
the slaves on board, male and female, acting as stewards and stew- 



684 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ardesses, at their morning meal, which they took with much good 
spirits and decorum. They were nicely dressed — clean and neat. I 
was forced to admit to myself that their Ashantee grandsires and 
grandmothers, or their Kroo and Dahomey progenitors, were certainly 
less comfortable and well clad, and that these slaves had other social 
advantages, though I could not recognize the force of the Bishop of 
Georgia's assertion, that from slavery must come the sole hope of, and 
machinery for, the evangelization of Africa. I confess I would not 
give much for the influence of the stewards and stewardesses in 
Christianizing the blacks. 

" The river, the scenery, and the scenes were just the same as yes- 
terday's — high banks, cotton slides, wooding-stations, cane-brakes — 
anil a very miserable negro population, if the specimens of women and 
children at the landings fairly represented the mass of the slaves. 
They were in strong contrast to the comfortable, well-dre&sed domestic 
slaves on board, and it can well be imagined there is a wide difference 
between the classes, and that those condemned to work in the open 
fields must suffer exceedingly." 

The Toinbigbee River, or, as it is familiarly called by the natives, the 
Bigbee, rises in Tishomingo county, in the extreme northeast of the 
State of Mississippi, and flows southward to Columbus, in that State, 
where it turns to the east, enters the State of Alabama, and flows 
southeast to Demopolis, where it receives the waters of the Black 
Warrior, after which it flows south into the Alabama River, 45 miles 
north of Mobile. It is 450 miles long, and is navigable for steamers 
to Columbus, Miss., 366 miles from Mobile. Flat-bottomed steam- 
boats can ascend to Aberdeen, 40 or 50 miles above Columbus. The 
Tonibigbee flows through a fine, fertile country, and its banks are 
lined with cotton plantations. Its principal branch, the Black 
Warrior, extends into the northeast part of the State, and is navigable 
for 150 miles, to Tuscaloosa, 305 miles from its mouth. It flows 
through a country rich in mineral resources. The Tennessee River 
has 130 miles of its course in Alabama, flowing westward across the 
northern part of the State. It will be described in another chapter. 

3Iobile Bay divides the extreme southwest part of the State in half. 
It extends southward from the mouth of the Mobile River to the 
Gulf, with which it communicates by two channels separated by 
Daiiphin Island. It is 35 miles long, and from 3 to 15 miles wide. 
It was the scene of a desperate naval battle between the Federal and 
Confederate fleets, in which the latter was destroyed by Admiral 



ALABAMA. 685 

Farragut. It communicates with Mississippi Sound on the west, and, 
in connection with that body of water, which is protected from the 
waves of the Gulf by a chain of low, sandy islands, furnishes an 
inner and safe water route from Mobile to Lake Pontchartrain and 
New Orleans. 

SOIL, CLIMATE, MINERALS, PRODUCTS, AND 
MANUFACTURES. 

" The soil varies with the geographical locality and elevation. The 
mountain region of the north is well suited to grazing and stock- 
raising, and is interspersed with valleys of excellent soil. The 
undulating surface of the central portion is well watered, and, 
especially in the river bottoms, highly charged with fertilizing 
elements. The valley of the Alabama is one of the richest on the 
continent. The removal of the canebrakes of Marengo and Greene 
counties, has disclosed soil of surpassing quality. Toward the coast the 
vegetation becomes decidedly tropical. Cotton is the great staple, but 
sugar-cane is cultivated on the neck between Mississippi and Florida, 
and indigo has been produced in considerable quantities. Oaks in 
great variety, poplars, hickories, chestnuts, and mulberries, cover the 
northern and central parts, while in the south the pine, cypress, and 
loblolly are the prevailing species. 

" The climate varies with the latitude, approaching within seven 
degrees of the tropics. The southern coast is strongly assimilated to 
the torrid zone in its temperature. The nights, however, are alleviated, 
even in the hottest weather, by the Gulf breezes. During the coldest 
seasons the rivers, even in the north, are seldom frozen, and the 
general winter temperature of the State is very mild. The low lands 
near the rivers are malarious, but the State generally is remarkable 
for salubrity. 

"The agricultural statistics of 1860 disclose an advance, in ten 
years, of fifty per cent, in the amount of land brought under cultiva- 
tion, and of nearly two hundred per cent, in the value of farms and 
farm implements. 

" Live stock presents some enlargement of aggregate numbers, and 
more than doubles in value. Animal products, such as butter, cheese, 
wool, honey, and slaughtered animals, have increased fifty per cent. 
Cereals, tobacco, cotton, potatoes, and hay show like increment. 
Market garden products nearly double in value, while orchard pro- 
ducts increase nearly fifteen fold. Like the neighboring Gulf States, 



686 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

an injudicious cultivation of cotton, tobacco, and other heavy staples, 
has somewhat exhausted the lertility of portions of the land. Tillage 
and rotation of crops will remedy the mischief and restore the elements 
of productiveness. The agricultural development of Alabama awaits 
the final adjustment of the system of labor, the State possessing ele- 
ments promising a bright future. 

" The mineral resources of Alabama are sufficiently known to 
indicate their abundance and variety. The central region is under- 
laid by vast beds of iron ore, alternating with thick coal measures 
of great extent. The juxtaposition of these minerals favors mining 
operations and the processes of preparing iron for market. Lead, 
manganese, ochres, and marbles, are found in different localities, and 
even gold is reported. Sulphur and chalybeate springs are of frequent 

occurrence. 

"The returns of 1870 show 2188 manufacturing establishments, 
with capital of $5,714,032, producing articles valued at $13,040,644, 
at an outlay for labor and raw material of $9,280,805 ; the margin 
of profits was $3,759,839, or over 50 per cent, on the capital 
invested. A new era in manufacturing enterprise may be expected in 
the reorganization of labor now in progress in this and other States, 
in which this great industrial interest will find its true position and 
influence in the social system." * 

In 1^69 there were 6,385,724 acres of improved land in Alabama. 
In the same year the agricu\t«;riii( etatistics were as follows : 

Bales of cotton 510,000 

Pounds of rice (esiiuia'.ed), 300,000 

Bushels of wheat, 930,000 

Indian corn, 30,200,000 

" neao and beans, 65,780 

" sweet potatoes (estimated), . . . 5,000,000 

" oats, 567,000 

Tons of hay, 68,000 

Pounds at butter, 6,028,478 

Kamber of horses, 165,063 

" mules and asses, 140,687 

" milch cows, 270,537 

sheep, 680,960 

swine 2,500,000 

young cattle, 600,347 

Value of domestic animals, $49,111,911 



* Report of the General Land Office. 



ALABAMA. 687 

COMMERCE. 

Alabama, having 1500 miles of river navigation, and one of the 
best harbors on the Gulf (Mobile), possesses considerable commerce. 
The export of cotton and lumber is very large. In 1860 the total 
value of the exports of the State was $38,670,183 (making Alabama 
the third State in the Union as regards the value of its exports that 
year), and that of the imports, $1,050,310. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872 there were 1671 miles of completed railroads in Alabama, 
constructed at a cost of about $40,000,000. The capital and the prin- 
cipal towns are connected with each other, and with all parts of the 
Union. The great railroad route between Memphis and the Eastern 
States extends across the northern part of the State, and there is a 
main route direct from Mobile to the Ohio River. The roads of the 
State were almost destroyed during the war, but are slowly regaining 
their former prosperity. 

EDUCATION. 

Alabama was one of the most enterprising States in the South in 
the cause of education previous to the war. In 1870 the State con- 
tained 9 colleges, with about 1000 students; 2812 public schools, with 
about 62,000 pupils; and 148 academies and other schools, with about 
10,000 pupils. 

The University of Alabama is located near Tuscaloosa. It was a 
flourishing institution previous to the war, and held a high rank 
amongst the colleges of the country. Its buildings were destroyed by 
fire in 1865. Measures were at once taken to restore them upon a 
larger and more perfect plan. 

The schools of the State were generally closed by the war, many 
of them having been destroyed during the struggle. The new Con- 
stitution places the educational system of the State in the hands of a 
State Board of Education, consisting of the State Superintendent of 
Public Instruction, the Governor of the State, who is* a member ex 
qffieio, and two members from each Congressional District. They 
also constitute a Board of Regents of the State University. The 
Board meets annually at Montgomery, at the opening of the session 
of the Legislature, and sits for the transaction of business for a period 
not to exceed 20 days. The Board is required to establish one oi 



688 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

more free public schools in each school district. A permanent school 
fund is established, and the Legislature is required to levy taxes for 
the support of the public schools. 

In 186D the State contained 395 libraries, with 13,050 volumes. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Wetumpka, and contains about 
200 prisoners, three-fourths of whom are negroes. The penitentiary 
is let out to contractors, and is self-supporting. The convicts are put 
to work, outside the prison, on railroads, and in the iron and coal 
mines, a guard being kept over them. 

The Insane Hospital is at Tuscaloosa. It was established in 1852, 
and opened for the reception of patients in July, 1861. It is an ex- 
cellent institution, is well managed, and is prosperous. In 1866 
there were 151 patients under treatment here. Those who are able to 
pay their expenses are charged a moderate sum. The institution will 
accommodate 350 patients. 

The Institution for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind is at Talladega. It 
contains 40 pupils, who are being instructed in the various branches 
of a good education. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1860 there were 1875 churches in the State, but many of these 
were destroyed during the war. 

FINANCES. 

The total bonded debt of the State in July, 1874, was |10,452,593. 
The receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending September 
30th, 1874, were $1,870,757, and the expenditures $1,624,363. 

There were 2 National Banks in the State, with a capital of $500,- 
000, in 1868. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of the State was adopted by the people in 
February, 1868. Every male citizen, 21 years old, who has resided 
in the State six months, and has taken the oath to support the Con- 
stitution and laws of the United States, and of Alabama, are entitled 
to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 



ALABAMA. 689 

Secretary of State, Treasurer and Receiver-General, Auditor and At- 
torney Genera], and a General Assembly, consisting of a Senate and 
House of Representatives. The Executive officers are elected by the 
people, and all except the Auditor, who is chosen for four years, hold 
office for two years. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, 
Chancery Courts, Courts of Probate, and such inferior courts as the 
General Assembly may see fit to establish. The Supreme Court con- 
sists of three judges, and has appellate jurisdiction only. All the 
judges in this State are chosen by the people. 

For purposes of government the State is divided into 52 counties. 

The seat of Government is at Montgomery. 

HISTORY. 

The word Alabama is an Indian expression, signifying, " Here we 
rest." The first white man who entered the State was Fernando de 
Soto, who traversed it in 1540, defeating the Indians who sought to 
oppose his progress in several severe battles. He found the savages 
less barbarous and more civilized in this part of the country than in 
the other sections visited by him. He crossed the State from the 
northeastern part to Maubila, said to have occupied the present site 
of Choctaw Bluff, just above the confluence of the Tombigbee and 
Alabama rivers. " This place consisted of eighty handsome houses, 
each sufficiently capacious to contain a thousand men. They were 
encompassed by a high wall, made of immense trunks of trees, set 
deep in the ground and close together, strengthened with cross-tim- 
bers and interwoven with lai^e vines." After De Soto's arrival in 
the town, he and his followers were treacherously attacked by the In- 
dians to the number of ten thousand. A battle ensued, which lasted 
nine hours, and resulted in the destruction of six thousand Indians 
and the town of Maubila. The Spaniards suffered terribly, and lost 
eighty men, forty-five hoi'ses, and all their baggage and camp equi- 
page. After this De Soto proceeded northward to the Mississippi 
River. 

In 1702, Bienville, the French Governor of Louisiana, entered 
Mobile Bay, and built a fort and trading-post at the mouth of Dog 
River. He called the post Fort St. Louis de la Mobile. This was 
for nine years the seat of government, but in 1711, the French 
ascended to the head of the bay, and founded the present city of 
Mobile. Bienville made treaties of friendship and alliance with the 



690 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

neighboring Indian tribes, and for awhile the colony prospered, but 
finally the colonists became so much harassed by the English, who 
incited the Indians against them, that they abandoned Mobile. Negro 
slaves were first brought into the colony by three French ships of war, 
m 1721. 

The treaty of 1783 surrendered the French possessions in Alabama 
to Great Britain. 

" George Johnson, the first British Governor, organized a military 
government, garrisoned the fort at Mobile, and that of Toulouse, up 
the Coosa. The first English inhabitants of Mobile died in great 
numbers, from habits of intemperance, exposure, and contagious dis- 
orders, introduced by the military. The exports of Mobile, in 1772, 
were indigo, raw hides, corn, cattle, tallow, rice, pitch, bear's oil, lum- 
ber, fish, etc. Cotton was cultivated in small quantities. The charter 
granted to Georgia comprised within its limits all the territory west- 
ward to the Mississippi. That State, considering its title to these 
lands as perfect, made grants to various companies, for the purpose of 
settlement. Two sets of these, known as the ' Yazoo Grants/ have 
acquired a celebrity in history. By the first, five millions of acres in 
Mississippi were granted to the South Carolina Yazoo Company ; 
seven millions to the Virginia Yazoo Company ; and 3,500,000 
acres in Alabama to the Tennessee Company. The United States 
authorities opposed these grants, and the several companies having 
failed to pay the purchase money, Georgia rescinded her patents. 
Several years afterwards, Georgia made other and more considerable 
grants. These sales raised a storm throughout the country ; they were 
denounced by General Washington, in his message to Congress, and, 
eventually, they were declared null and void. 

"Alabama, at this period, was almost entirely in the occupation of 
the natives. There was a garrison of Spanish troops at Mobile, and 
also at St. Stephens, on the Torabigbee, with trading-posts upon the 
Oconee, and on other points in the south and west. The whole country 
west of the present limits of Georgia, to the Mississippi, was now pur- 
chased by the United States, and, in 1817, was erected into the * Mis- 
sissippi Territory.' Fort Stoddard was built near the confluence of 
the Alabama and Tombigbee, and the county of Washington laid out, 
embracing a space out of which 20 counties in Alabama and 12 in 
Mississippi have since been made. 

" At the period of the second war with Great Britain, Alabama was 
a theatre of Indian warfare, as a great part of the State was then 



ALABAMA. 691 

inhabited by a number of tribes of Indians, of whom the Creeks were 
the principal. In 1812, the Creeks having been stirred up to war by 
Tecumseh, the celebrated Shawnee warrior, commenced hostile opera- 
tions. In August, they fell on Fort Mimms ; the garrison made a 
desperate resistance, but out of three hundred men, women, and 
children, only seventeen survived the massacre. The adjoining States 
were now roused to action. In November, General Jackson, assisted 
by Generals Coffee, Floyd, and Claiborne, entered the Indian country, 
and defeated the Indians at Talladega, where 290 of their warriors 
were slain. In November, General Floyd attacked the Creeks on 
their sacred ground, at Autossee. Four hundred of their houses were 
burned, and 200 of their bravest men were killed, among whom were 
the kings of Autossee and Tallahassee. 

" The last stand of the Creeks was at Tohopeka, a place called the 
^ Horse-Shoe Bend.'' Here the Indians fought desperately, but were 
entirely defeated with the loss of nearly 600 men. The victory 
ended in the submission of the remaining warriors, and in 1814, a 
treaty of peace was concluded, and the Creeks have now removed 
westward of th*Mississippi. In 1816, a cession was obtained from 
the Indians of all the territory from the head waters of the Coosa 
westward to Cotton Gin Point, and to a point running thence to 
Caney Creek on the Tennessee. The territorial government being 
established, the seat of government was located at St. Stephens. 
William W. Bibb was appointed Governor, and tlie first legislature 
was convened in 1818. 

" The floodgates of Virginia, the two Carolinas, Tennessee, Ken- 
tucky, and Georgia were now hoisted, and the mighty streams of 
emigration poured through them, spreading over the whole territory 
of Alabama. In 1819, Alabama was admitted into the Union as a 
sovereign State. The General Assembly convened at Huntsville, and 
W. W. Bibb was inaugurated Governor." * 

The State grew rapidly in wealth and population. In 1860, it was 
the fourth State of the South in importance, and the second in the 
amount of cotton produced. Slavery was the basis of its agriculture. 

On the 11th of January, 1861, the State seceded from the Union, 
and joined the Southern Confederacy. In the spring of 1862, after 
the fall of Fort Donnelson and Memphis, the northern part of the 
State became the scene of constant military operations, and continued 

* Barber's History «f all the Western States, p. 573. 



692 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to be torn by the two armies till near the close of the war. The 
losses in the upper counties were immense, and the central counties 
were frequently desolated by raiding parties. The forts (Gaines and 
Morgan) defending the entrance to Mobile Bay were besieged and 
taken by the United States forces in 1865, and in the same year the 
victory of Mobile Bay, the severest naval battle of the war, was won 
by the National forces under Admiral Farragut. 

The Southern Congress first met at Montgomery, the capital of the 
State, and there organized the new Confederacy. Montgomery was 
the capital of the Confederacy until its transfer to Richmond in May, 
1861. 

After the close of the war a Provisional Government was established 
in Alabama, by the President of the United States. It was over- 
turned by Congress, and in 1867 was included in the Third Military 
District. In November, 1867, a Convention met at Montgomery, 
and framed a State Constitution, which was ratified by the people on 
the 4th of February, 1868, and on the 25th of June, 1868, Congress 
readmitted the State into the Union. 

• 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State are, 
Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, Selma, Kingston, Tuscumbia, 
Decatur, Cahawba, and Marion 

MONTGOMERY, 

The capital and second city in the State, is situated in Montgomery 
county, on the east bank of the Alabama River, Latitude 32° 21' N., 
longitude 86° 25' W. It is 197 miles (by road) northeast of Mobile, 
or 331 miles by water, and 839 miles southwest of Washington. 
The city is located on rising ground, which increases in elevation as 
it recedes from the river. It is regularly laid out, is well built, and 
contains a number of handsome buildings. 

The State House is the principal building. It stands on Capitol 
Hill, at the head of Market street, and though small in size, is an 
imposing structure. It was in this building that the Provisional 
Government of the Southern Confederacy was organized. The other 
prominent buildings are the churches, the Court House, the Theatre, 
and the Exchange Hotel. The schools of the city are numerous. The 
city contains many handsome private residences. It is lighted with 



ALABAMA. 



693 




CAPITOL AT MONTGOMERY. 



gas, and is supplied with pure water from artesian wells in the centre 
of the city. 

Montgomery is a place of considerable trade. It has direct com- 
munication by railway with all parts of the State and Union, and has 
water transportation along the navigable portion of the Alabama and 
its tributaries. The Alabama is never closed by ice, and very rarely 
suffers from drought. Large steamers ply between Montgomery and 
Mobile during the entire year. I^arge steamers also ascend the Coosa 
River, as far as Wetumpka. About 75,000 bales of cotton are an- 
nually shipped from Montgomery. 

Several newspapers are published in Montgomery. The city is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 
10,588. 

Montgomery was settled about the year 1792. It was a place of 
considerable importance during Jackson's operations against the Creek 
Indians, in 1813-14. In 1847 it became the capital of the State. 
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States met at Mont- 
gomery in February, 1861, and there, in the same month, Jefferson 
Davis was inaugurated ''President of the Confederate States." The 
city continued to be the capital of the Confederacy until May, 1861. 
In April, 1865, the Confederates, upon evacuating the place, set fire 
to the cotton warehouses, and burned them together with 80,000 bales 
of cotton. A week later the arsenal, railway depots, and foundry 
were destroyed by the United States troops. 
43 



694 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MOBILE, 

The largest city of Alabama, and the metropolis of the the State,, is 
situated on the west bank of the Mobile River, just above its entrance 
into Mobile Bay. It is 197 miles southwest of Montgomery, 30 miiles 
from the Gulf of Mexico, 165 miles east by north from New Orleans, 
and 1033 miles southwest of Washington. 

The city is built upon a level plain, about 15 feet above high water 
in the bay, and is laid oft* with tolerable regularity. The streets are 
wide, and in the^ business portion of the city are paved. They are 
shaded with fine trees. In this portion the city is compactly built. 
In the upper portion it is scattered ov^er a great deal of ground. The 
general appearance of the city is handsome, though there are no very 
fine public buildings. The business houses are generally plain. The 
private residences of the city will compare favorably with anything in 
the Union. As a rule they stand in the midst of large grounds, and 
the orange and finer fruits form a proniinent part of the foliage with 
which they are surrounded. Government street is the most attractive 
in the city, and is the favorite promenade. 

The principal public building is the Custom House, a showy edifice 
of white marble. The others, the Municipal Buildings, the Theatre, 
tlie Markets (the handsomest in the South), the Odd Fellows' and 
Tem-perance Halls, and the Battle House, the principal hotel. 

The churches are numerous and handsome. The Benevolent Insti- 
tutions are, the Blind Asylum, the Citi/ Hospital, the Roman Catholio 
Male and Female Orphan Asylums, the Protestant Orphan Asylum, 
the United States Marine Hospital, and several societies for the relief 
of the poor and suffering. 

The schools of the city are excellent. There are 14 large public 
schools, and a number of private seminaries. The Mobile College is a 
flourishing institution. Spring Hill College, 6 miles from the city, is 
rpo-arded as one of the schools of Mobile. It is controlled by the 
Roman Catholic Church. 

The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with spring water, 
brought from a distance of 2 miles in iron pipes. It possesses an effi- 
cient police force, and a steam fire engine department. It is governed 
by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the jjopulation was 32,184. 

The position of Mobile has made it a place of great commercial im- 
portance. It is the natural outlet of the great cotton country lying 
north of it, and watered by the Alabama and its tributaries. The 



ALABAMA. 



695 




THE LAXDIXG, MOBILE. 



citj extends along the river sliore for more than two miles east and 
west. The bay is shallow and difficult of navigation, and it is dan- 
gerous for vessels drawing more than 7 feet of water to attempt to 
reach the city. Large vessels lie near the mouth of the bay, and their 
cargoes are sent down to them on lighters or schooners. Mobile is 
the second cotton port of the Union, ranking next to New Orleans in 
the amount of its shipments of this great staple. A large portion of 
its shipments are made direct to Europe. Previous to the civil war 
it exported annually about 632,000 bales of cotton. It is rapidly re- 
newing its former importance. Considerable shipping is owned in the 
port. There is daily communication by steamboats with the towns 
on the Alabama and its tributaries, and with New Orleans by way of 
Lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain. A considerable trade is maintained 
by sailing vessels with the Atlantic and Gulf ports. The harbor is 
defended by Forts Morgan and Gaines. 

Mobile was settled in 1702 by the French under Bienville, and -was 
for many years the capital of the Colony of Louisiana. Its early his- 
tory is very interesting, but must be passed over here. In 1723 the 
seat of government was removed to New Orleans. In 1763 Mobile, 
with all that portion of Louisiana lying east of the Mississippi, and 



01)6 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

north of Bayou Iberville, Lakes Maurepas and Pontehartrain, passed 
into the possession of Great Britain by the terms of the Treaty of 
Paris. In 1780 the fort and town were captured by the Spaniards, 
and in 1783 the occupancy of the place was confirmed to Spain by the 
cession to that Power of all the British possessions on the Gulf of 
Mexico. In April, 1813, the town was surrendered by the Spaniards 
to the United States forces under General Wilkinson, and since then 
it has remained in the possession of the Republic. In 1819 Mobile 
was incorporated as a city. It then contained a population of 800. 
During the civil war Mobile was one of the principal ports of the 
Confederates. It was blockaded by the United States forces during 
the war. In the spring of 1865 Forts Morgan and Gaines were re- 
duced by the United States army, and the Confederate fleet, under 
Admiral Buchanan, was defeated and destroyed by the squadron of 
Admiral Farragut, in the desperate battle of Mobile Bay. These suc- 
cesses on the part of the United States forces resulted in their occupa- 
tion of the city of Mobile. 

MISCELLANY. 

BATTLE OF THE HORSE-SnOE BEND. 

The Creeks concentrated their forces at the great bend of the Tallapoosa, usu- 
alVy called Horae-Shoe by the whites, and Tohopeka by the Indians, a word in 
their language said to signify a horse-shoe. The peninsula formed by the bend 
contained about 100 acres, on which was a village of some 200 houses. About 
lOOiO Indians, from the adjoiniug districts, had fortified themselves on the penin- 
sula with great skill, having a formidable breastwork built of large logs. They 
hud also an ample supply of provisions and ammunition. 

Oa the 16th of March, 1814, General Jackson, having received considerable 
reinforcements of volunteers from Tennessee, and friendly Indians, left Fort 
Strother with his whole disposable force, amounting to about 3000 of every de- 
scription, on an expedition against this assemblage of Indians. He proceeded 
down the Coosa 60 miles to the mouth of Cedar Creek, where he established a 
post called Fort Williams, and proceeded on the 24th across the ridge of land di- 
viding the waters of the Coosa from the Tallapoosa ; and arrived at the great 
bend on the morning of the 27th, having the three preceding days opened a pas- 
sage through the wilderness of 52 miles. On the 26th, he passed the battle ground 
of the 22d of January, and left it 3 miles in his rear. General Coffee was de- 
tached, with 700 cavalry and mounted gunmen, and 600 friendly Indians, to cross 
the river below the bend, secure the opposite banks, and prevent escape. Having 
crossed at the Little Island ford, 3 miles below the bend, his Indians were ordered 
silently to approach and line the banks of the river, while the mounted men oc- 
cupied the adjoining heights, to guard against reinforcements, which might be 
expected from the Oakfusky towns, 8 miles below. Lieutenant Bean, at the same 
time, was ordered to occupy Little Island, at the fording place, to secure any that 
might attempt to escape in that direction. In the meantime, General Jackson, 



ALABAMA. 697 

with the artillery and infantry, moved on in slow and regular order to the isthmus, 
and planted his guns on an eminence 150 yards in front of the breastwork. On 
perceiving that General Coffee had completed his arrangements below, he opened 
a fire upon the fortification, but found he could make no other impression with 
his artillery thau boring shot-holes through the logs. General Coff'ee's Indians, 
on the bank, hearing the roaring of the cannon in front, and observing consider- 
able confusion on the peninsula, supposing the battle to be nearly won, crossed 
over and set fire to the village, and attacked the Creeks in the rear. At this mo- 
ment General Jackson ordered an assault upon the works in front. The regular 
troops, led bj"^ Colonel Williams, accompanied bj^ a part of the militia of General 
Dougherty's brigade, led on by Colonel Russell, presently got possession of a 
part of the works, amid a tremendous fire from behind them'. The advance guard 
was led by Colonel Sisler, and the left extremity of the line by Captain Gordon 
of the spies, and Captain M' Marry, of General Johnson's brigade of West Ten- 
nessee militia. The battle for a short time was obstinate, and fought musket to 
musket through the port-holes ; Avhen the assailants succeeded in getting posses- 
sion of the opposite side of the works, and the contest ended. The Creeks were 
entirely routed, and the whole margin of the river strewed with the slain. The 
troops under General Jackson, and General Coffee's Indians, who had crossed 
over into the peninsula, continued the work of destruction as long as there was a 
Creek to be found. General Coffee, on seeing his Indians crossing over, had 
ordered their places to be supplied on the bank by his riflemen ; and every Indian 
that attempted to escape by swimming the river, or crossing the Little Island be- 
low, was met and slain by General Coffee's troops. The battle, as long as any 
appearance of resistance remained, lasted five hours ; the slaughter continued 
until dark, and was renewed the next morning, wiien 16 more of the unfortunate 
savages were hunted out of their hiding places and slain. Five hundred and 
fifty-seven warriors were found dead on the peninsula ; among whom was their 
famous prophet Manahell, and two others, the principal instigators of the war ; 
250 more were estimated to have been killed in crossing the river, and at other 
places, which were not found. General Jackson's loss was 26 white men, and 
S3 Indians, killed ; and 107 white men, and 47 Indians, wounded. 

This decisive victory put an end to the Creek war. In the short period of five 
months, from the 1st of November to the 1st of April, 2000 of their warriors^ 
among whom were their principal prophets and kings, had been slain, most of their 
towns and villages burned, and the strong places in their territory occupied by 
the United States troops. After this battle, the miserable remnant of the hostile 
tribes submitted. Weatherford, the principal surviving chief and prophet, who 
led the Indians at Fort Minims, accompanied his surrender with this address to 
General Jackson : 

"I fought at Fort Minims — I fought the Georgia army — I did you all the injury 
I could. Had I been supported as I was promised, I would have done you more. 
But my warriors are all killed. I can fight no longer. I look back with sorrow 
that I have brought destruction upon my nation. I am now in your power. Do 
with me as you please. I am a soldier." 



• MISSISSIPPI. 

Area, 47,156 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 791,305 

(Whites, 353,901 ; Negroes, 437,404.) 
Population in 1870, 827,992 

The State of Mississippi is situated between 30° 20' and 35° N. 
latitude, and between 88° 12' and 91° 40' W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Alabama, on the south by 
the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana, and on the west by Louisiana and 
Arkansas, from which it is separated by the Mississippi River. Its 
extreme length, from north to south, is about 400 miles, and its 
average width, from east to west, about 150 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern and eastern sections of tlie State constitute a fine 
rolling country, which, extending westward, approaches the jNlississippi 
in many parts in high bluffs or in high hills. The southern part of 
the State is level. Much of the State is marshy, while the country 
along the Yazoo and Sunflower rivers is almost a continuous swamp, 
and exceedingly fertile. The northeastern counties are fine prairie 
land, and the southeastern covered with a dense growth of pine, known 
as the " Piney Woods." 

The Mississippi River, already described, washes the entire western 
shore of the State. Its tributaries in this State are, beginning on the 
north, the Yazoo, Big Black, and Homochito, and a number of small 
streams. The Yazoo is formed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie 
and Yallobusha rivers, at Leflore, in Carroll county. The general 
direction of the main stream and its branches is southwest. The former 
698 



MISSISSIPPI. 699 

flows into the Mississippi about twelve miles above Vicksburg. It 
is 290 miles long, and flows through a country remarkable for its 
fertility. It is navigable for its entire length for steamers, at all sea- 
sons of the year. It is very tortuous in its course, fully equalling the 
3Iississippi in this respect. Its principal branch, the Talfehatchie, is 
said to be as' long as the Yazoo, and is quite as serpentine in its 
course. It is navigable lor 100 miles. The Sunfioioer River flows 
into the Yazoo near its mouth. The Big Black River rises in Choc-, 
taw county, flows southwest for 200 miles, and empties into the 
Mississippi at Grand Gulf. It is navigable for 50 miles. The country 
along its banks is highly fertile and is lined with fine cotton planta- 
tions, but is sickly. The Pearl River rises in the central part of the 
State and flows southwest to Jackson, the capital of the State, where 
it changes its course, and flows southeast, through Lake Borgne, into 
the Gulf of Mexico. It forms the west boundary between the ex- 
treme southern part of Mississippi and Louisiana. It is 250 miles 
long, and is only navigable at high water, in consequence of being 
obstructed by numerous sand-bars and accumulations of drift-wood. 
The southeast part of the State is watered by the Pascagoula, whicii 
is formed by the union of the Chickasawbay and Leaf rivers, 
which in their turn receive the waters of numerous small streams. 
Light-draft steamers ascend the Pascagoula and the Leaf to a point 
100 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. 

A chain of low islands extending along the southern coast, at some 
distance from the mainland, encloses a number of small soimds, of 
which Mississippi Sound and Biloxi Bay are the principal. Lake 
Borgne lies partly in this State, and receives the waters of the Pearl 
R< ver. 

CLIMATE. • 

The climate varies in the northern and southern parts of the State. 
In the former it is mild and pleasant in the summer, but severer in 
winter than the climate of the northeastern part of South Carolin:!. 
The writer can testify that northern Mississippi in winter deserves any 
title rather than that of the "Sunny South." P^ine apples and whettt 
nre raised here. The climate of the southern part is hot and trying. 
Tropical fruits ripen thoroughly here. The fig and the orange grow 
to great perfection without requiring shelter. Cotton and Indian corn 
are raised here. 



700 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



a:^ 




PICKING COTTON. 



SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The northeast part of the State, as we have said, is occupied by fi:;e 
prairie lands. Here tlie soil consists of a rich black loam. In t!;e 
southeast it is sandy. Fruits flourish here. The best lands lie be- 
tween the Tennessee border and the Big Black River, particularly 
between the Yazoo and its tributaries and the Mississippi. 

Previous to the war cotton was the great staple, this State producing 
more of tiiat article than any other member of the Union. The Re- 
port of the United States Bureau of Agriculture for March, 1868, thus 
speaks of the capacity of the State for producing other staples : 

" In ^le rich alluvial soils of Washington county, ' wheat Avas 
grown during the war, and its yield was thirty bushels per acre.' 
White and red varieties have been grown to some extent in Yazoo; 
white preferred, as less liable to rust. In Leake, a preference is given 



MISSISSIPPI. 701 

to the hardier red wheat. Red wheat is preferred in Winston. In 
Pike, little attention is paid to wheat, 'though the grain is plump 
and the bran is thinner than in more northern latitudes.' In De Soto, 
' wheat has never been to any extent an article made for market, 
though the county has two or three times before 1860 sent the first to 
the St. Louis mai'ket. In 1860, fully half the flour consumed was 
grown here; in 1866 and 1867, very little was grown, though the 
land in wheat in 1867 yielded a good crop. A very large breadth 
of land is now in wheat.' The usual time of sowing is between the 
15th of October and first of November, though many sow in the 
early part of October, and some in the latter portion of September. 
The time of harvesting is generally the last week in May; early 
varieties, with good season, are cut somewhat earlier. The length 
of the season is variously stated, from six to twelve months. The 
fact is, that stock are never fed to any appreciable extent, with the 
exception of horses and mules. Sheep and cattle pick up their living 
in the winter months, as in summer. It is true that sheep and horned 
stock, as well as horses, are sometimes treated to occasional winter 
pasturage upon rye or barley sown in September. With this help it 
is possible to keep large flocks of sheep, with little expense ; and 
other kinds of farm animals may be brought through the winter in 
good condition without other feed. The price of pasturage is 
estimated at very low rates; in some counties as low as $2 or $3 per 
season, while others' range higher, up to $1 per month. Figs and 
peaches everywhere abound, growing rapidly and bearing profusely 
and surely. Until lately no profit was derived from them, and now 
only on the line of railroad running lengthwise thi'ough the State. 
Formerly peaches Avere pecuniarily profitable only in port-making. 
The crop is very sure in the southern part of the State ; in the north- 
ern, it is sometimes injured by frosts. Apples do pretty well, if kinds 
are selected which suit the climate. Small fruits produce in great 
abundance. The pear is apt to blight, but is favorably mentioned in 
some localities. Grapes do well in the poorest soils, and are free 
from disease." 

Since the war much of the land that was formerly planted in cotton 
has been devoted to raising wheat and corn. 

In 1869 there were 5,065,755 acres of cultivated land in Mississippi. 
The other agricultural returns for the same year were as follows : 

Bales of cotton, 725,000 

Pounds of rice (estimated), 400.000 



702 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of wheat, 267,000 

" Indian corn, 30,000,000 

" peas and beans, 1,988,806 

" • sweet potatoes (estimated), . . . 4,500,000 

Tons of hay, 40,000 

Pounds of butter, 5,006,610 

Number of liorses, 117,870 

" mules and asses, 121,960 

" milch cows, 300,101 

" sheep, 500,340 

" swine, • . 1,750,101 

" young cattle, 600,708 

Value of domestic animals, $49,891,692 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Mississippi has no foreign commerce of her own. Her cotton is 
exported from Mobile and New Orleans, and her imports are drawn 
mainly through New York and New Orleans. Lumber and naval 
stores are becoming prominent articles of export. 

But little attention is paid to manufactures, agriculture being the 
principal pursuit of the people. In 1870 the State contained 1731 
manufacturing establishments, employing a capital of $4,501,714, and 
yielding an annual product of $8,154,758. Of the above 265 were 
saw-mills, producing $2,160,677 worth of lumber. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872 there were in Mississippi 900 miles of completed railroads, 
constructed at a cost of about $28,000,000. The main line of travel 
froiH New Y'ork to New Orleans, and froin the west to tliat city, passes 
through the centre of the State from the Tennessee line southward 
into Louisiana. Another line, from Vicksburg to the Alabama line, 
crosses the centre of the State, from west to east, and tiie road from 
^Mobile to the Ohio River, extends from north to south, through 
almost the entire eastern tier of counties, while the northeast county 
is crossed by the great line from Memphis to Chattanooga, Tenn.,and 
the Atlantic States. These roads place all points of the State within 
rapid communication with each other, and with the whole country. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, there were in the State, 19 colleges, with over 1300 stu- 
dents; and 1545 other schools, with over 40,000 pupils. The school 
Bystem of this State was one of the best in the South, but was entirely 
broken up by the civil war. 



MISSISSIPPI. 703 

The new Constitution makes a liberal provision for the cause of 
education. The school system is placed under the control of a State 
Superintendent and a Board of Education, who nominate to the State 
Senate suitable persons for the office of County Superintendent. Each 
county constitutes a separate school district, also each city of more 
than 5000 inhabitants. The State Board and Superintendent have 
power to prescribe the course of studies for the schools. The immedi- 
ate management of the schools is confided to local Boards of School 
Directors appointed by the County Superintendents. The Constitu- 
tion requires an annual taxation by the County Supervisors upon the 
taxable property of each district, of not more than ten mills on the 
dollar, for school-house purposes, and of not more than five mills on 
the dollar for a teachers' fund. It is hoped that the new system will be 
fairly inaugurated within the present year. 

The University of Mississippi, at Oxford, was the principal institu- 
tion of learning in the State previous to the Avar, and held a deser- 
vedly high rank in the South. It was closed during the war, but has 
since resumed its exercises with success. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Asylum for the Blind contains about 21 pupils, and is 
located at Jackson. The Insane Hospital is at the same place, and 
contains about 150 patients. The Deaf and Dumb of the State have 
been for some years cared for at the Louisiana Asylum at Baton 
Rouge. The State Penitentiary, at Jackson, contains at present about 
350 prisoners, and is in a rather embarrassed condition. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874 the public debt due by the State amounted to $3,558,629. 
The total receipts of the Treasury of the State were $2,255,824, of 
which $795,936 was in uncurrent funds. The disbursements for the 
same period were $1,238,140. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The State election, under the provisions of the Reconstruction Act, 
.ook place on the 30th of November, and the 1st of December, 1869, 
and at this election the new Constitution of the State was ratified by 
the people. On the 17th of February, 1870, the State was readmitted 
into the Union. 

The State Government is vested in a Governorj Lieutenant-Gov- 



704 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ernor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, and 
Attorney-General, and a Legislature consisting of a Senate of 33 mem- 
bers, and a House of Representatives of 107 members. 

By the terms of the Constitution, all male inhabitants of this State, 
except idiots and insane persons, and Indians not taxed, citizens of 
the United States, or naturalized, 21 years of age, who have resided 
in the State six months, and in the county one month, are entitled to 
vote at the elections, unless disqualified by reason of crime. 

There is a Supreme Court, consisting of three judges appointed by 
the Governor. These elect one of their number to the office of Chief 
Justice. It is a high court of errors and appeals. The State i^ 
divided into 15 districts, each possessing its Circuit Court presided over 
by a judge, and having criminal jurisdiction and jurisdiction in civil 
suits at common law. The judges of these courts ate prohibited from 
practising law in any of the State or United States courts during their 
terms of office. For the purposes of Chancery Courts, the State is 
divided into 20 districts, for each of which a Chancellor is to be ap- 
pointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate. A Chancery Court is to be held in each county four times 
a year. 

The seat of Government is located at Jackson. 

HISTORY. 

Fernando de Soto and his companions, who entered the State in 
1540, were the first Europeans who trod the soil of Mississippi. At 
that time the present territory of the State was divided between the 
Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians. La Salle descended the 
Mississippi River from the Illinois country to the Gulf in 1681, and 
in 1700, Iberville, the Frence Governor of Louisiana, planted a 
colony on Ship Island, on the Gulf coast, from which the settlement 
was removed to Biloxi on the mainland. In 1716, Bienville, then 
Governor of Louisiana, established a post on the Mississippi River, 
an 1 called it Fort Rosalie. In 1700, Iberville had designated this 
spot as a good site for a town, and had called it Rosalie, in honor of 
R )salie Countess of Pontchartrain, of France. The present city of 
Natchez occupies this site. 

In 1729, the Natchez Indians, becoming alarmed at the growing 
power of the French, resolved to exterminate them. On the 28th of 
November, of this year, they fell upon the settlement at Fort Rosalie, 
and massacred the garrison and settlers, 700 in number. When the 



MISSISSIPPI. 705 

news of this terrible tragedy reached New Orleans, Bienville resolved 
to retaliate severely upon the aggressors. He applied to the Chicka- 
saws, the enemies of the Natchez, for assistance, and was furnished 
by them with 1600 warriors. With these and his own troops, Bien- 
ville besieged the Natchez in their fort, but they escaped under cover 
of the night, and fled west of the Mississippi. They were followed 
by the French and forced to surrender; after which, they were taken 
to New Orleans, and transported to the Island of St. Domingo, and 
sold as slaves. Being a small nation, these measures literally exter- 
minated them. 

It was well known to the French that the Chickasaws, a powerful 
tribe dwelling in the fertile regions of the upper Tombigbee, had in- 
cited the Natchez against them, and Bienville resolved to turn his 
arms against them. In 1736, he sailed from New Orleans to Mobile 
with a strong force of French troops and 1200 Choctaw warriors. 
Upon reaching Mobile, he ascended the Tombigbee River, in boats, 
lor 500 miles, to the southeastern border of the present county of 
Pontotoc. The site of his landing is now known as Cotton Gin Port. 
Tlie Chickasaw fort, a powerful stronghold, was about 25 miles from 
this point. Having taken measures to secure his boats, Bienville ad- 
vanced against the enemy. He made a determined assault on the 
hostile fort, but was repulsed with a loss of 100 men, which so dis- 
couraged him that he dismissed the Choctaws with presents, threw his 
cannon in the Tombigbee, and reembarking in his boats, floated down 
the river to Mobile, whence he returned to New Orleans. 

" One important part of the plan of the campaign against the 
Chickasaws was to have the cooperation of a force of French and In- 
dians from Canada. D'Artaguette, the pride and flower of the French 
at the North, procured the aid of ' Chicago,' the Illinois chief from 
the shore of Lake Michigan. His lieutenant was the gallant Vin~ 
cennes, from the settlement on the Wabash. These heroes came down 
tiie river unobserved to the last Chickasaw bluff, and from thence 
penetrated into the heart of the country. On the 10th of May they 
encamped, it is supposed, about six miles east of the present town of 
Pontotoc, near the appointed place of rendezvous with the force of 
Bienville. Having waited for some time in vain for intelligence from 
the chief coqamaiider, the Indian allies of D'Artaguette became impa- 
tient for war and plunder, and could not be restrained, when D'Arta- 
guette consented to lead them to the attack. He drove the Chicka- 
saws from two of their fortified villages, but was severely wounded in 



706 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

his attack on the third. His allies, the red men of Illinois, dismayed 
at this check, fled precipitately, and D'Artaguette was left weltering 
in his blood. Vincenncs, his lieutenant, and the Jesuit Scnat, their 
spiritual guide and friend, refusing to fly, shared the captivity of their 
gallant leader. They were treated with great care and attention by 
the Chickasavvs, who were in hopes of obtaining a great ransom from 
Bienville, then advancing into their country. After his retreat, tiie 
Chickasaws, despairing of receiving anything for their prisoner.-, tor- 
tured and burnt them over a slow fire, leaving but one alive to relate 
their fate to their countrymen." 

In 1763 the French possessions east of the Mississippi, and tiie 
Spanish province of Florida, passed into the hands of the English. 
In 1783 the country north of the 31st parallel was included within 
the limits of the United States. The territory of Georgia extended 
under its charter to the Mississippi; and in 1795 was sold to the 
* General Government by the Legislature of Georgia. In 1798 the 
territory of Mississippi was organized, and on the 10th of December, 
1817 was admitted into the Union as a State. 

On the 9th of January, 1861, the State seceded from the Union and 
joined the Southern Confederacy, of which Jefferson Davis, an emi- 
nent citizen of Mississippi, was chosen President. In 1862 the 
northern part of tiie State became the scene of military operations, 
and continued to be occupied at various times by the two armies until 
the close of the war. The bloody battles of luka, and Corinth, and 
a number of minor conflicts, were fought in this part of Mississippi. 
In 1862 the city of Vicksburg, on the Mississippi River, which was 
said to be the strongest place in the South, was attacked by the 
Federal fleet. From this time until its capture by General Grant in 
July, 1863, it was the object of the most persistent efforts of the 
United States forces. During the operations connected with the siege 
of this place, severe battles M'cre fought at Jackson, Champion Hills, 
and other points back of the city. The State was traversed repeatedly 
by raiding parties of cavalry from the Union lines, which inflicted 
great damage upon it. The destruction of property caused by the war 
was immense. Industry of all kinds was paralyzed, and at the close 
of the struggle the state of affairs was made temporarily worse by the 
abolition of slavery, which threw the labor system into confusion. 

Upon the return of peace a Provisional Government was established 
in the State by the President of the United States. It was repudiated 
and abolished by Congress, and in ] 867 the State was made a part 



MISSISSIPPI. 



707 




JACKSON. 

of the Fourth Military District. It remained subject to military rule 
until the close of the year 1869, when it was readmitted into the 
Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The cities and towns, besides the capital, are, Vicksburg, Natchez, 
Columbus, Holly Springs, Grenada, Oxford, Canton, Raymond, Port 
Gibson, and Corinth. There are no large cities in Mississippi. 



JACKSON, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Hinds county, on the right 
bank of the Pearl River. Latitude, 32° 23' N. ; longitude, 90= 8' 
W. It is 45 miles east of Vicksburg, and 1010 miles southwest of 
Washington. It is built on a level plain, is regularly laid out, and 
contains some handsome buildings, but is indifferently built in the 
main. The State House is a handsome structure, as is also the Gov- 
ernor's Mansion. The other public buildings are, the St'de Liuiatic 
Asylum, the Penitentiary, and the United States Land, Office. It con- 
tains several churches and schools, and 3 newspaper offices, and is 
lighted with gas. In 1870 the population was 4234. 

Jackson is the point of intersection of the railway line from the 
'North and West with that from Vicksburg to Meridian, Mobile, etc., 
and previous to the war possessed a considerable trade, shipping an- 
nually about 30,000 bales of cotton. It is gradually recovering this 



708 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





/4: 



I 




NATCHEZ. 



trade. The Pearl River is navigable from its mouth to the city for 
small steamers. 

Jackson suffered severely from the war. It was twice captured by 
the Federal armies, and its streets were the scene of severe battles. 
Tlie city and public buildings were greatly damaged by the effects of 
tlie cannonading and by fire. 

NATCHT^.Z, 

Tlie second city in the State, is situated in Adams county, on the east 
bank of the Mississippi River, 100 miles southwest of Jackson, and 
279 miles (by water) northwest of New Orleans. It is situated on a 
bluff, 200 feet in height, overlooking the river and the great cypress 
swamps of Louisiana. The business portion of the city is located 
along the river shore. This portion is known as Natchez- under-the- 
Hill, and it is here that the river trade, which is the principal source 
of the city's prosperity, is conducted. The retail stores and private 
residences are located on the bluff. 

The city proper is regularly laid out and well built. The principal 
public buildings are handsome edifices. They are the Cowt House, 
Orphan Asylum, and Masonic Hall. The streets are wide, and are 
well shaded. The private residences are among the handsomest in 
the South, and are pleasantly situated in the midst of gardens adorned 
with flowers, orange trees, etc. There are 6 churches, a hospital, a 
number of schools, and 2 newspaper offices in the city. 



iMISSlSSlPPI. 711 

MISCELLANIES. 

EXTERMINATION OF THE NATCHEZ INDIANS. 

This remarkable tribe, the most civilized of all the original inhabitants of the 
States, dwelt in the vicinity of the present city of Natchez. 

Their religion, in some respects, resembled that of the fire-worshippers of 
Persia. Fire was the emblem of their divinity ; the sun was their god : theit 
chiefs were called " suns," and their king was called the " Great Sun." In their 
principal temple a perpetual fire was kept burning by the ministering priest, who 
likewise offered sacrifices of the first fruits of the chase. In e.xtreme cases, thev 
offered sacrifices of infant children, to appease the wrath of the deity. When 
Iberville was there, one of the temples was struck by lightning and set on fire. 
The keeper of the fane solicited the squaws to throw their little ones into the fire 
to appease the angry divinity, and four infants were thus sacrificed before the 
French could prevail on them to desist from the horrid rites. 

After Iberville reached the Natchez tribe, the Great Sun, or king of the con- 
federacy, having heard of the approach of the French commandant, determined 
to pay him a visit in person. As he advanced to the quarters of Iberville, he 
was borne upon the shoulders of some of his men, and attended by a great retini:o 
of his people. He bade Iberville a hearty welcome, and showed him the most 
marked attention and kindness during his stay. A treaty of friendship was con- 
cluded, with permission to build a fort and to establish a trading-post among 
them ; which was, however, deferred for many years. 

A few stragglers soon after took up their abode among the Natchez ; but no 
regular settlement was made until 1716, when Bienville, Governor of Louis^iana, 
erected Fort Rosalie, whicli is supposed to have stood near the eastern limit of 
the present city of Natchez. 

Grand or Great Sun, the chief of the Natchez, was at first the friend of the 
whites, until the overbearing disposition of one man brought destruction en the 
Whole colony. The residence of the Great Sun was a beautiful village, called 
the White Apple. Tliis village spread over a space of nearly 3 miles in extent, 
and stood about 12 miles south of the fort, near the mouth of Second Creek, and. 
3 miles east of the Mississippi. M. de Chopart, the commandant, was guilty of 
great injustice toward the Indians, and went so far as to command the Great Sun 
to leave the village of his ancestors, as he wanted tlie ground for his own pur- 
poses. The Great Sun, finding Chopart deaf to all his entreaties, formed a plot 
to rid his country of the tyrant who oppressed them. Previous to the tragedy, 
the Sieur de Mace, ensign of the garrison, received advice of the intention of the 
Natcliez, through a young Indian girl who loved him. She told him, crying, 
that her nation intended to massacre the French. Amazed at this stor}^ he ques- 
tioned his mistress. Her simple answers, and her tender tears, left him no room 
to doubi of the plot. He informed Chopart of it, who fortiiwith put him under 
arrest for giving a false alarm. The following is from ■' Monette's History of the 
Valley of the Mississippi : " 

"At length the fatal day arrived. It was November 29th, 1729. Early in the 
morning Great Sun re]>aired, with a few chosen warriors, to Fort Rosalie, and 
all were well armed with knives and other concealed weapons. 

"The company had recently sent up a large supply of powder and lead, ai,d 
provisions for the use of the post. Tlie Indians had recourse to stratagem to pi o- 
44 



712 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

cure a supply of ammunition, pretending that they were preparing for a grait 
hunting excursion. Before they set out, they wished to purchase a supply /,)f 
ammunition, and they had brought corn and poultry to barter for powder a.id 
lead. Having placed the garrison off' their guard, a number of Indians were per- 
mitted to enter the fort, and others were distributed about the company's waje- 
house. Upon a certain signal from the Great Sun, the Indians immediately drtw 
their concealed weapons, and commenced the carnage by one simultaneous and 
fuiiotis massacre of the garrison, and all who were in and near the warehouse. 

"Other parties, distributed through the contiguous settlements, carried on tlie 
bloody work in every house as soon as the smoke was seen to rise from the houses 
near the fort. 

"The massacre commenced at 9 o'clock in the morning, and before noon tiie 
whole of the male population of the French colony on St. Catharine (consisting 
of about 700 souls) were sleeping the sleep of death. The slaves were spared for 
the service of the victors, and tlie females and children were reserved as prison- 
ers of war. Chopart fell among the first victims ; and, as the chiefs disdained to 
stain their hands with his despised blood, he was dispatched by the hand of a 
common Indian. Two mechanics, a tailor, and a carpenter were spared, because 
they might be useful to the Indians. 

"While the inassacre was progressing, the Great Sun seated himself in the 
spacious warehouse of the company, and, with apparent unconcern and com- 
placency, sat and smoked his pipe while his warriors were depositing the heads 
of tlie French garrison in a pyramid at his feet. The head of Chopart Avas placed 
in tlie centre, sui'mounting those of his officers and soldiers. So soon as the 
warriors informed the Great Sun that the last Frenchman had ceased to live, he 
commanded the pillage to commence. The negro slaves Avere employed in 
bringing out the plunder for distribution. The powder and military stores were 
reserved for public use in future emergencies. 

" While the ardent spirits remained, the day and the night alike presented one 
continued scene of savage triiUmph and drunken revelry. AVith horrid yells they 
spent tlieir orgies in dancing over the mangled bodies of their enemies, which lay 
strewed in every quarter where they had fallen in the general carnage. Here, 
iniburied, they remained a prey for dogs and hungry vultures. Every vestige 
of the houses and dwellings in all the settlements were reduced to ashes. 

"Two soldiers only, who happened to be absent in the woods at the time of 
the massacre, escaped to bear the melancholy tidings to New Orleans. As they 
approached the fort and heard the deafening yells of the savages, and saw the 
columns of smoke and flame 'ascending from the buildings, they well judged the 
fate of their countrymen. They concealed themselves until they could procure a 
boat or canoe to descend the river to New Orleans, where they arrived a few 
days afterward, and told the sad story of the colony on the St. Catharine. 

"The same fate was shared by the colony on the Yazoo, near Fort St. Peter, 
and by those on the Washita, at Sicily Island, and near the present town of 
Monroe. Dismay and terror were spread over every settlement in the province. 
New Orleans was filled with mourning and sadness lor the fate of friends and 
countrymen. 

" The whole number of victims slain in this massacre amounted to more than 
200 men, besides a few women and some negroes, who attempted to defend their 
masters. Ninety-two women and 155 children were taken prisoners. Among 
the victims Avere Father Poisson, the Jesuit missionary ; Laloire, the principal 



Mississirn. 713 

tigent of the company ; j\I Kollys and Son, wlio had purchased M. Hubert's in- 
terest, and had just arrived to take possession." 

When the news of this terrible disaster reached New Orleans, tlie Frencli com- 
menced a war of extermination against the Natcliez. The tribe eventually were 
driven across the Mississippi, and finally scattered and extirpated. The Great 
Sun and his principal war chiefs, falling into the hands of the French, were 
shipped to St. Domingo and sold as slaves. Some of the poor prisoners were 
treated with excessive cruelty ; four of the men and two of the women were pub- 
licly burned to death at New Orleans. Some Tonica Indians, who had brought 
down a Natchez woman, wliom they had discovered in the woods, were allowed 
to execute her in the same manner. The unfortunate woman was led forth to a 
platform erected near the levee, and, surrounded by the whole population, was 
slowly consumed by the flames! She supported her tortures with stoical forti- 
tude, not shedding a tear. "On the contrary," says Gayarre, "she upbraided 
her torturers with their want of skill, flinging at them every opprobrious epithet 
she could think of." 

The scattered remnants of the tribe sought an asj'lum among the Cliickasawa 
and other tribes wlio were hostile to the French. Since that time, the individu- 
ality of the Natchez tribe has been swallowed up in the nations with whom they 
were incorporated. Yet no tribe has left so proud a memorial of their courage, 
their independent spirit, and their contempt of death in defence of their rights 
and liberties. The city of Natchez is their monument, standing upon the field 
of their glory. Such is the brief history of the Natchez Indians, who are now 
considered extinct. In refinement and intelligence they were equal, if not su- 
perior, to any other tribe north of Mexico. In courage and stratagem they were 
inferior to none. Their form was noble and commanding ; their stature was sel- 
dom under 6 feet, and their persons were straight and athletic. Their counte- 
nance indicated more intelligence than is commonly found in savages. The head 
Avas compressed from the (»s frontis to the occiput, so that the forehead appeared 
high and retreating, wliile the occiput was compressed almost in a line with the 
neck and shoulders. This peculiarity, as well as their straight, erect form, is 
ascribed to the pressure of bandages during infancy. Some of the remaining in- 
dividuals of the Natchez tribe were in the town of Natchez as late as the year 
1782, or more than half a century after the Natchez massacre. 

MASON, THE OUTLAW. 

Among the incidents in the early history of the Mississippi Territory was the 
violent deatli of the notorious robber. Mason. This fearless bandit had become 
tiie terror of the routes from New Orleans and Natchez through the Indian na- 
tions. After the organization of the Territorial Government, and tlie opening of 
roads through the wilderness to Tennessee, the return of traders, supercargoes, 
and boatmen to the Northern settlements, with the proceeds of their voyage, was 
• in foot and on horseback, in parties for mutual protection, through the Indian 
nations ; and often rich treasures of specie were packed on mules and horses over 
these long and toilsome journeys. Nor was it a matter of surprise, in a dreary 
wilderness, that bandits should infest such a route. It was in the year 1802, 
when all travel and intercourse from New Orleans and the Mississippi Territory 
was necessarily by way of this solitary trace, or by the slow-ascending barge and 
keel, that Mason made his appearance in the Mississippi Territory. 



714 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

L )ng accustomed to robbery and murder upon the Lower Ohio, during the 
Spanish dominion on tlie Mississippi, and pressed by tlie rapid approacli of the 
American population, he deserted the "Cave in the Rocl<," on the Ohio, and be- 
gan to inlest the great Natcliez Trace, where the ricli proceeds of the river trade 
were tlie tempting prize, and where he soon became the terror of every peaceful 
traveller through the wilderness. Associated with him were his two sons and a 
few other desperate miscreants ; and the name of Mason and his band was known 
and dreaded from the morasses of the southern frontier to the silent shades of the 
Tennessee River. The outrages of Mason became more frequent and sanguinary. 
One day found him marauding on the banks of the Pearl, against the life and 
fortune of the trader ; and, before pursuit was organized, tiie liunter, attracted by 
the descending sweep of the solitary vulture, learned the story of another robbery 
and murder on the remote shores of the Mississippi. Their depredations became 
at last so frequent and daring, that the people of the territory were driven to 
adopt measures for their apprehension. But such was the knowledge of the wil- 
derness possessed by the wily bandi^, and such his untiring vigilance and activity, 
that for a time he baffled every attempt for his capture. 

Treachery at last, however, effected what stratagem, enterprise, and courage 
had in vain attempted. A citizen of great respectability, passing with his sons 
through tlie wilderness, was plundered by the bandits. Their lives were, how- 
ever, spared, and they returned to the settlement. Public feeling was now ex- 
cited, and the Governor of the Territory found it necessary to act. Governor 
Claiborne accordingly offered a liberal reward for the robber. Mason, dead or 
alive. The proclamation was widely distributed, and a copy of it reached Mason 
himself, who indulged in much merriment on the occasion. Two of his band, 
however, tempted by the large reward, concerted a plan by which they might 
obtain it. An opportunity soon occurred ; and while Mason, in company with 
the two conspirators, was counting out some ill-gotten plunder, a tomahawk was 
buried in his brain. His head was severed from his body and borne in triumph 
to Wasliington, then tlie seat of the Territorial Government 

The heail of Mason was recognized by many, and identified by all who read 
the proclamation, as the head entirely corresponded with the desci'iption given 
of certain scars and peculiar marks. Some delay, however, occurred in paying 
over the reward, owing to the slender state of the treasury. Meantime, a great 
assemblage from all the adjacent country had taken place, to view the grim and 
ghastly head of the robber chief. They were not less inspired with curiosity to 
see and converse with the individual whose prowess had delivered the country 
of so great a scourge. Among those spectators were the two J'oung men, who, 
unfortunately for these traitors, recognized them as companions of Mason in the 
robbery of their father. 

It is unnecessary to say that treachery met its just reward, and that justice was 
also satisfied. The reward was hot only withheld, but the robbers were im- 
prisoned, and, on the full evidence of their guilt, condemned and executed at 
Greenville, Jefferson county. 

The band of Mason, being thus deprived of their leader and two of his most 
efficient men, dispersed and fled tiie country. Thus terminated the terrors which 
had infested the route tlirongli the Indian nations, known to travellers as the 
'' Natchez and J^ashville Trace. ' 



LOUISIANA. 

Area, 41,346 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 708,002 

(Whites, 357,629. Negroes, 350,373) 

Population i]i 1870, 726,915 

The State of Louisiana is situated between 29° and 33° N. latitude, 
and between 88° 50' and 94° 20' W. longitude. It is bounded on 
the north by Arkansas and Mississippi, on the east by Mississippi and 
the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the 
west by Tf^as. Its extreme length from east to west is about 292 
miles, an * its extreme width from north to south about 250 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the entire State is low and flat, its highest point 
being less than 200 feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico. The 
southern portion is so low that it is always subject to overflows, when 
tl'e rivers are full. In the northern part, the country is slightly 
rolling, except in the northwest, where it is converted into a series 
of extensive marshes by the Ked River and its tributaries. 

The Gulf coast is extensive, and is cut up into innumerable bays, 
lakes, bayous, and inlets. The principal are, Lake Borgne in the 
southeast, which is, strictly speaking, a bay tiirough which Lake 
Pontchartrain discharges its waters into the Gulf. Black Lake Bay 
lies south of this. On the southern coast are (beginning on the east) 
West, Barataria, Timbalier, Terre Bonne, Pelto Lake, Caillou, Atcha- 
falaya. Cote Blanche, Vermilion bays, and Mermenteau, Calcasieu 
and Sabine lakes. The majority of these afford excellent harbors. 
They are principally the extensions of the rivers with which lower 

715 



716 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Louisiana is cut up. A number of low islands lie along the coast. 
Some of them are productive, while others are worthless. 

Small lakes are very numerous in the southern part of the State, 
the whole of which is more or less marshy. 

Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain lie in the southeast part of the 
State, near the city of New Orleans. Lake Maurepas is but an 
extension of the Amite River and flows into Lake Pontchartrain, 
which in its turn pours its waters through Lake Borgne into the 
Gulf. Lake Pontchartrain is about 40 miles long and from 8 to 24 
miles wide, and has a maximum depth of from 16 to 20 feet. It is 
navigable for steamers, and is connected with New Orleans by a 
canal. Several pleasant towns lie on its shores. 

The Mississippi River, already described, forms the eastern bound- 
ary of the northern half of this State, as far as the southern line of 
the State of Mississippi. It then flows southeast through the centre 
of lower Louisiana, and empties into the Gulf of Mexico, in the 
extreme southeast corner of the State. It receives the waters of the 
Red River just above the Mississippi line, and j)ours its own flood 
into the Gulf through several channels besides its own mouths. 
1 hese channels are called bayous, and leave the main stream below 
fl-.e mouth of the Red Riv^er, and west of the Mississippi. They 
e:npty into the Gulf in the southern part of the State, and are almost 
all of them navigable for steamers. In this way New Orleans lias 
;ibundant direct water communication with the southwest parishes. 
The principal of these are the Atchafalaya and Lafourciie rivers or 
bayous, the former 250, and the latter 150 miles long. The former 
is more properly an outlet of the Red than of the Mississippi, and is 
believed to have been the original channel of the Red River. The 
Red River, already described, flows across the State from nortiiwest to 
southeast. It is navigable for steamers to the border of Arkansas. 
Its principal branch, the Washita, flows into it near its mouth, and is 
500 miles long. It is navigable for large steamers to Gamden in 
Arkansas, 300 miles from its mouth. The Washita, in its turn, re- 
ceives the waters of the Tensas, a short distance above its mouth. 
This river is 250 miles long, and navigable for 150 miles. The Teche 
River, or Bayou, commences a short distance southeast of Alexandria, 
on tiie Red River, and flows southeast into the Gulf of Mexico. It 
is about 200 miles long, is very tortuous, and flows through a low, 
flat prairie region in which cotton and sugar grow to great perfection. 
It is navigable at high water for nearly its entire length. The Cal- 



LOUISIANA. 71? 

easieu River, about 250 miles long, drains the southwest part of the 
State. It is not navigable. The Sabine River, which rises in Texas, 
and has a length of about 500 miles, forms a part of the western 
boundary of Louisiana, and flows into Sabine Lake. It is shallow at 
its mouth, and navigable only for very small steamers at high water. 

MINERALS. 

"In the soil and timber are to be found the chief resources of this 
State, but few minerals, except salt, having as yet been developed or 
discovered, though some coal, iron, and copper are reported to exist 
in Union parish. Timber is abundant in all parts of the State, 
embracing many varieties of oak, ash, cottonwood, cypress, gum, elm, 
sycamore, pecan, hackberry, pine, etc., and presenting great induce- 
ments for development, some of the pine forests capable of producing 
quantities of turpentine. On one of the islands within the limits of 
St. Mary's parish — Petite Anse or Salt Island — there exists an 
immense bed of salt. By boring, parties have prov'cd that the bed 
is half a mile square, and it may extend a mile or more. They have 
gone thirty-eight feet into the solid salt, and find no signs of the 
bottom of the stratum. The surface is about on a level with tide-water, 
and the earth covers the salt from eleven to thirty feet. On the sur- 
face of the salt they found a soil like that of the surrounding marshes, 
and above this sedge or marsh grass in a good state of preservation. 
Above the latter the soil appears to be the workings of the hill-sides 
above." 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild as a general riile, but the winters are severer 
than those of the Atlantic States lying along the same parallel. The 
summers are long, hot, and dry, and cause a poisonous exhalation 
from the marshy soil which is the fruitful source of yellow fever. 
The spring is early and pleasant. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The best soil is along the rivers and in the marshy district. 
Almost all the land in the lower part of the State is fertile, but in the 
northern part, away from the rivers, it is poor. The swamp lands 
are easily drained, and are almost inexhaustible. Tropical fruits grow 
well in the southern parishes, but neither the orange nor the sugar- 
cane thrives above the 31st parallel of north latitude, which marks 
the southern boundary of the western part of the State of Mississippi. 
In the northern part the fruits of the Middle States thrive. 



718 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




GATHERING SUGAR-CANE. 



The "Report of the Bureau of Agriculture for 1868 thus speaks 
of this State : 

" Cotton, sugar, corn, and potatoes are the principal croj>s in 
Louisiana, and before the war the cultivation of the first two named 
was very profitable, but our correspondents uniformly represent the 
jiroduction of cotton as ruinous to the planter during the past year. 
Jackson parisli reports two hundred pounds of lint cotton to the acre, 
fifteen bushels of corn, one hundred and fifty bushels of sweet potatoes, 
and twenty bushels of peas. Tensas parish, one to one and a half 
bales to the acre in good season, fifty to seventy-five bushels of corn ; 
in cultivation, nine acres of cotton allotted to one laborer, and five 
acres of corn. In Union parish about six bales of cotton to the hand 
was expected before the war. In Carroll parish cotton will produce 



LOUISIANA. 719 

six hundred pounds lint to the acre when newly cultivated, and a 
fair laborer can make eight bales of cotton and one hundred bushels 
of corn, yielding about |500 to the hand ; but under the present 
system the average is two and a half bales cotton and twenty-five 
bushels corn to the hand. Prior to the war the parish of Rapides 
produced from 30,000 to 40,000 bales cotton, 15,000 to 18,000 hogs- 
heads sugar, and 30,000 barrels molasses, but the production has 
much deteriorated, though with the labor and capital at command, the 
capabilities are still as great. In the southern tier of parishes sugar, 
rice, and tobacco are made specialties, and fruits are extensively 
grown, with great inducements for the increase of the latter produc- 
tion. 

"Louisiana possesses great capabilities for fruit culture, and the 
climate and soil present strong inducements to persons desiring to 
engage in such production. In St. Mary's parish they have fruits 
of various kinds from April to November: 'The Japan plum grows 
all winter and ripens in April ; dewberries also ripen in April, and 
grow in abundance; strawberries, blackberries, and mulberries ripen 
in May; plums in June; peaches, quinces, and figs in July; and 
grapes and apples in August. The muscadine, a species of scupper- 
nong, grows wild, and ripens in August; pears ripen in August, and 
grow in great perfection ; oranges ripen in October, and usually 
remain good on the trees till December; bananas, limes, and lemons 
ripen in October.' The yield of oranges per acre is enormous. Our 
correspondent writes that Mt is usual to plant about one hundred trees 
to the acre below New Orleans on the river. Some orchards yield 
from 110,000 to |20,000 annually. A full-grown tree will bear 1000 
oranges, and a single tree has been known to yield 5000 oranges. 
Trees commence bearing when five years old, when properly man- 
aged.' What we quote in regard to the capabilities of this parish 
may be said, with slight variation, of most of the lower counties of 
the State, while in the more northern regions many of (lie fruits 
named grow in perfection, and in some localities the aj)ple succeeds 
well. Our Rapides reporter writes : ' I have a second crop of ajiples 
this year. They are hanl, small, and ])0()r, though they are eaten.' 

" In Wasiiington parish a small orchard, chiefly peaches, in one 
season yielded a profit of ^4000, the fruit being early and within close 
proximity to New Orleans markets. Our East Feliciana correspon- 
dent writes: 'This is one of the finest fruit regions in the world. 
Apples, peaches, pears, quinces, plums, figs, grapes, berries, etc., do 



720 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

well, and wild blackberries grow in great abundance, from which 
a superior wine is made. We have, as yet, but few orchards. One 
man this season sold $600 worth of pears from fourteen trees.' 
.Though but little attention has heretofore been given to fruit culture, 
the capabilities of the State are so evident, and the inducements so 
strong, in a pecuniary point of view, that the production must, at an 
early day, become a leading interest of Louisiana." 

The civil war laid prostrate the agricultural interests of the State. 
The plantations in many cases were utterly ruined. The levees of the 
rivers were cut or allowed to give way, and many of the finest cotton 
and sugar fields were thus converted into worthless swamps. It will 
require many years to repair these losses. The returns of the State 
are as follows : 

Bushels of Indian corn, 8,000,000 

Pounds of rice, 16,000,000 

Hhds of sugar, ^ 85,000 

Gallons of molasses, 4,8(»0,000 

Bales of cotton, 400,000 

Bushels of sweet potatoes (estimated), .... 1,100,000 

Number of horses, 65,000 

" asses and mules, 64,000 

" milch cows, . ■ 110,000 

" sheep, 120,000 

" swine, 340,000 

" young cattle, • 210,000 

Value of domestic animals, $16,000,000 

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. 

More attention is being paid to manufactures. In 1870 the capital 
invested in tliem amounted to $18,313,974. 

With respect to its commercial advantages the State is unequalled 
by any portion of the world. The Mississippi and its tributaries 
bring to it the products of nearly one half the Union. New Orleans 
is the princijial port, and is actively engaged in trade with all parts of 
the world. In 1860 the exports of Louisiana amounted to $108,417,798, 
and the imports to $22,992,773. In spite of the losses of the war, 
they were as follows in 1870: exports, $107,657,042; imports, 
$14,993,754. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Within the limits of the State the great abundance of water trans- 
portation does away with the necessity for many railways. In 1868 



LOUISIANA. 



721 




A SUGAR-HOUSE. 



there were 539 miles of completed railway in the State, constructed at 
a cost of about $20,000,000. A main line extends north through Mis- 
sissippi to the States of the East and West, and roads are in construction 
from a point opposite to Vicksburg, Miss., to Shreveport and north- 
eastern Texas, and from Algiers along the Gulf coast to Galveston, 
Texas. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870 there were in Louisiana 13 colleges, with over 1600 students; 
400 academies and other schools, with about 25,000 pupils; and 178 public 
schools, with over 25, "00 jnipils. With the exception of the schools of 
New Orleans, nearly all the educational institutions of the State were 
destroyed or discontinued by the war. Since the return of peace, 
Centenary College, at Jackson, and several academies and private 
schools have been reopened with success. 

The new Constitution establishes a system of public education, and 
requires that at least one free public school shall be opened in each 
parish in the State. A permanent school fund is established, and the 
Legislature is required to levy taxes for the support of the schools. 
Appropriations by the State for the support, assistance, or encourage- 
ment of any private school or private institution of learning, whatso- 
ever, are forbidden. 



722 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

A University, with collegiate, law, and medical departments, is es- 
tablished at New Orleans, and supj)orted in part by the State. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State has but a few charitable institutions of its own, depending 
mainly on similar establishments in the city of New Orleans, to the 
support of which it contributes. 

The Penitentiary is located at Baton Rouge, the old capital. It 
was destroyed during the war, but has since been restored. There 
were 342 males and 12 females confined there in 1870. The institu- 
tion is supported to a great extent by the labor of the convicts, who 
are eny-ao^ed in the manufacture of cotton and woollen p;oods. Two 
hundred looms, with the necessary machinery, are in operation. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870 there were 599 churches in Louisiana, and the value of 
church property was $4,048,525. Tlie greater part of this amount is 
owned in New Orleans. In the rest of the State the loss was heavy 
during the war. 

FINANCES. 

The finances of Louisiana are in a very unfortunate condition. The 
amount of the public debt is disputed, but the Governor estimates 
it at $24,634,407, inclusive of an obligation to issue about $15,000,000. 
worth of bonds. The receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year 
ending November 30, 1870, were $6,537,959 ; while the total expendi- 
tures for the same period amounted to $7,050,636. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of Louisiana was adopted by the people 
April 23d, 1868. Every male ])orson, 21 years old, born in the 
United States, or naturalized, without respect to race, color, or pre- 
vious condition, who has resided in the State one year, and in tlic 
parish ten days, is entitled to vote at the elections. Criminals, and 
certain persons concerned in the Rebellion, are excluded from the 
franchise. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney-General, and a Gen- 
eral Asseniblj, consisting of a Senate (36 members, elected for four 



LOUISIANA. 723 

years, one-half retiring biennially) and a House of Kepresentatives 
(101 members, elected for two years), all chosen by the people. The 
Governor and other State officers are elected for four years. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Court, 
Parish Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. The Supreme Court 
consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, appointed by 
the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for 
a period of eight years. Except in specified cases, this court has ap- 
pellate jurisdiction only. The judges of the other courts are chosen 
by the popular vote. 

The seat of Government is located at New Orleans. Previous to 
the war Baton Rouge was the capital. 

The State is divided into 48 parishes. 

HISTORY. 

In 1691 La Salle discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River, 
and took possession of the country in the name of the King of France. 
In 1699 Iberville attempted to form a settlement along the lower 
Mississippi, but his attempt ended in the establishment of the Colony 
of Biloxi, in the present State of Mississippi. In 1712 Louis XIV., 
of France, named the region in honor of himself, and granted it to 
M. Crozat, a wealthy capitalist, who, in 1717, surrendered his charter 
to the Government, complaining that he had not been properly sup- 
ported by the authorities, and that he had suffered such losses in at^ 
tempting to settle the province as almost to ruin him. In 1717 the 
famous John Law, living in Paris, obtained a charter for a bank, and 
for a Mississippi company, to whom the king granted the province. 
A remarkable financial scheme was conceived by Law in connection 
with these grants, and for a while carried out so successfully that the 
stock of the bank went up to six hundred times its par value. It 
finally exploded, however, and ruined every one concerned in it, 
having accomplished nothing but the settlement of New Orleans, in 
1717. In 1732 Law's company surrendered their charter to the 
king, who declared the commerce of Louisiana free to all nations. 

In 1760 war was begun between Great Britain and France, and 
Canada was conquered by the former power. Large numbers of 
Canadians now emigrated to Louisiana, and settled in the country 
west of the Mississippi, founding the settlements of Attakapas, Ope- 
lousas, and Avoyelles. In 1762 France ceded her possessions in 



724 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Louisiiina west of the Mississippi to Spain, and the country east of 
that river to England. The Spanish authorities soon took possession 
of New Orleans, and inaugurated a series of cruel and oppressive 
measures, which filled the French settlers with dismay. They held 
the province during the American Revolution, and towards the close 
of the war the Spanish Governor of New Orleans captured the British 
garrison at Baton Rouge. The treaty of 1783 opened the navigation 
of the Mississippi River to all nations, but the Spaniards at New 
Orleans effectually neutralized this concession by seizing all merchan- 
dize brought to that city in any but Spanish ships. This gave rise to 
a long and vexatious dispute between the United States and Spain, 
which was terminated only by the acquisition of Louisiana by the 
former power. The manner in which this territory passed into our 
hands, is thus related by Bonner, in his "History of Louisiana : " 

" In 1763 Louisiana was ceded to Spain, and by a secret article in 
the treaty of St. Udefonso, concluded in 1800, that power ceded it 
back to France. Napoleon, however, wished to keep this cession 
secret until he should have — ae he hoped to do — reduced St. Domingo 
to submission. Failing in this, he was rendered indifferent to his 
new acquisition. In January, 1803, he sent out Laussat as prefect 
of the colony, which was the first intimation that the inhabitants had 
of the transfer, which gave them great joy. 

"On being informed of this retrocession. President Jefferson had 
dispatched instructions to Robert Livingston, the American minister 
at Paris, to represent to the First Consul that the occupation of New 
Orleans by France would endanger the friendly relations between the 
two nations, and, perhaps, even oblige the United States to make com- 
mon cause with England ; as the possession of this city by the former, 
by giving her the command of the Mississippi, the only outlet to the 
produce of the Western States, and also of the Gulf of Mexico, so im- 
portant to American commerce, would render it almost certain that 
the conflicting interests of the two nations would lead to an open rup 
ture. Mr. I^iivingston was therefore instructed not only to insist 
upon the free navigation of the Mississippi, but to negotiate for the 
acquisition of New Orleans itself, and the surrounding territory ; and 
Mr. Monroe was appointed with full powers to assist him in the nego- 
tiation. 

"Bonaparte, who always acted promptly, soon came to the conclu- 
sion that what he could not defend, he had better dispose of on the 
best terms ; but before deciding, he summoned two of his ministers in 
council, on the 10th of April, 1803, and thus addressed them: 



LOUISIANA. 725 

• 

"'I am fully sensible of the value of Louisiana, and it was my 
wish to repair the error of the French diplomatists who abandoned it 
in 1763. I have scarcely recovered it before I run the risk of losing 
it; but if I am obliged to give it up, it shall hereafter cost more to 
those who force me to part with it, than to those to whom I yield it. 
The English have despoiled France of all her northern possessions in 
America, and now they covet those of the south. I am determined 
that they shall not have the Mississippi. Although Louisiana is but 
a trifle compared to their vast possessions in other parts of the globe, 
yet, judging from the vexation they have manifested on seeing it re- 
turn to the power of France, I am certain that their first object will 
be to gain possession of it., They will probably commence the war in 
that quarter. They have twenty vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, and 
our aifairs in St. Domingo are daily getting worse, since the death of 
Le Clerc. The conquest of Louisiana might be easily made, and I 
have not a moment to lose in putting it out of their reach. I am not 
sure but that they have already begun an attack upon it. Such a 
measure would be in accordance with their habits ; and in their place 
I should not wait. I am inclined, in order to deprive them of all 
prospect of ever possessing it, to cede it to the United States. Indeed, 
I can hardly say that I cede it, for I do not yet possess it ; and if I 
wait but a short time, my enemies may leave me nothing but an 
empty title to grant to the Republic I wish to conciliate. They only 
ask for one city of Louisiana, but I consider the Avhole colony as lost; 
and I believe that, in the hands of this rising power, it will be more 
useful to the political, and even the commercial interests of France, 
than if I should attempt to retain it. Let me have both your opinions 
on the subject.' 

"One of the ministers, Barbe Marbois, fully approved of the ces- 
sion, but the other opposed it. They debated the matter for a long 
time, and Bonaparte concluded the conference without making his 
determination known. The next day, however, he sent for Marbois, 
and said to him : 

" ' The season for deliberation is over ; I have determined to re- 
nounce Louisiana. I shall give up not only New Orleans, but the 
whole colony, without reservation. That I do not undervalue Louis- 
iana I have sufficiently proved, as the object of my first treaty with 
Spain was to recover it. But, though I regret parting with it, I am 
convinced it would be folly to persist in trying to keep it. I commis- 
pion you, therefore, to negotiate this aflFair with the envoys of the 



726 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

• 
United States. Do not wait the arrival of Mr. Monroe, but go this 
very day and confer with Mr. Livingston. Remember, however, that 
I need ample funds for carrying on the war, and I do not wish to 
commence it by levying new taxes. For the last century France and 
Spain have incurred great expense in the improvement of Louisiana, 
for which her trade has never indemnified them. Large sums have 
been advanced to different companies, which have never returned to 
the treasury. It is fair that I should require re[)ayment for these. 
Were I to regulate my demands by the importance of this territory to 
the United States, they would be unbounded ; but, being obliged to 
part with it, I shall be moderate in my terms. Still, remember, I 
must have 50,000,000 francs, and I will not consent to take less. I 
would rather make some desperate effort to preserve this fine country.' 

"The negotiations commenced that very day. Mr. Monroe arrived 
at Paris on the 12th of April, and the two representatives of the 
United States, after holding a private conference, announced that they 
were ready to treat for the cession of the entire territory, which at 
first Mr. Livingston had hesitated to do, believing the proposal of the 
First Consul to be only a device to gain time. 

"On the 30th of Ai)ril, 1803, the treaty was signed. The United 
States were to pay $15,000,000 for their new acquisition, and be in- 
demnified for some illegal captures; while it was agreed that the ves- 
sels and merchandise of France and Spain should be admitted into'all 
the ports of Louisiana, free of duty, for 12 years. 

"Bonaparte stipulated in favor of Louisiana that it should, as soon 
as possible, be incorporated into the Union, and that its inhabitants 
should enjoy the same rights, privileges, and immunities as other citi- 
zens of the United States; and the third article of the treaty, securing 
to them these benefits, Avas drawn up by the First Consul himself, 
who presented it to the plenipotentiaries with these words : 

" ' Make it known to the people of Louisiana that we regret to part 
with them ; that we have stipulated for all the advantages they could 
desire; and that France, in giving them up, has insured to them the 
greatest of all. They could never have prospered under any Euro- 
pean government as they will when they become independent. But, 
while they enjoy the privileges of liberty, let them ever remember 
that they are French, and preserve for their mother-country that 
affection which a common origin inspires.' 

" The completion of this important transaction gave equal satisfac- 
tion to both parties. ' I consider,' said Livingston, ' that from this 



LOUISIANA. 727 

day the United States takes rank with the first powers of Europe, and 
BOW she is entirely escaped from the power of England;' and Bona- 
parte expressed a similar sentiment in these words : ' By this cession 
of territory I have secured the power of the United States, and given 
to England a maritime rival, who, at some future time, will humble 
her pride.' These w^ords appeared prophetic when the troops of 
Britain, a few years after, met so signal an overthrow on the plains 
of Louisiana. 

" The boundaries of the colony had never been clearly defined, and 
one of Bonaparte's ministers drew his attention to his obscurity. ' No 
matter,' said he, 'if there was no uncertainty, it would, perhaps, be 
good policy to leave some;' and, in fact, the Americans, interpreting 
to their own advantage this uncertainty, some few years after seized 
upon the extensive territory of Baton Rouge, which was in dispute 
between them and the Spaniards. 

"On the 30th of November, 1803, Laussat took possession of the 
country, when Casa Calvo and Salcedo, the Spanish commissioners, 
presented to him the keys of the city, over which the tri-colored flag 
floated but for a short time. The colony had been under the rule of 
Spain for a little more than 34 years. 

" On the 20th of December, in the same year, General Wilkinson 
and Governor Claiborne, who were jointly commissioned to take pos- 
session of the country for the United States, made their entry into 
New Orleans at the head of the American troops. Laussat gave u}) 
his command, and the star-spangled banner supplanted the tri-colored 
flag of France." 

In 1804, Louisiana "was erected into a Territory by Congress. In 
1810, the Spanish post at Baton Rouge was seized by the United 
States forces under General Wilkinson, and the territory connected 
with it added to Louisiana, which in 1812, was admitted into the 
Union as a State. 

During the second war with England, the British made several 
attempts to get possession of the mouths of the Mississippi, but were 
finally and decisively defeated on the plains of Chalmette, below New 
Orleans, on the 8th of January, 1815, by an American force under 
General Andrew Jackson. 

The territory purchased from France by the Louisiana treaty is 
now occupied by the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, 
Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oregon, and the Territories of 
Dacota, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washing- 
ton. , The reader will thus see the importance of the transaction, 
45 



728 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

On the 26th of January, 1861, the State withdrew from the Union 
and joined the Southern Confederacy. One of the first objects of the 
Federal Government was to secure the city of New Orleans, which 
was captured early in 1862 by the fleet of Admiral Farragut. From 
this time the lower part of the State was more or less overrun by the 
forces of the North and South. The country along the rivers suffered 
terribly. In 1863, the Confederate stronghold at Port Hudson, on 
the Mississippi River, a short distance above Baton Rouge, was be- 
sieged by the forces of General Banks. The flill of Vicksburg, in 
July, 1863, compelled the surrender of this place. Subsequently the 
northwest part of the State — the Red River country — was invaded 
by a powerful force under General Banks. He was defeated by the 
Confederates in two severe battles and forced to retreat. While the 
siege of Vicksburg was in progress, a severe battle was fought at 
Baton Rouge, wliicli town was almost destroyed during the war. 
Several towns along the Mississippi were burned, and the lower par- 
ishes generally desolated. 

Attempts were made, in 1864, to organize a "restored government" 
for the State, and Representatives were elected to Congress. The 
whole system was repudiated by Congress subsequently. In 1865, a 
Provisional Government was recognized by the President, and over- 
thrown by Congress, which body, in 1867, placed the State under 
military rule as a part of the Fifth Military District. A Convention 
met in New Orleans, in November, 1867, and adopted a State Con- 
stitution, which \vas ratified by the people on the 23d of April, 1868. 
The State was readmitted into the Union on the 25th of June, 1868. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The most important cities and towns in the State are Donaldson- 
ville, Algiers, Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Carrolton, Plaquemine, Thi- 
bodeaux, Alexandria, Shreveport, Homer, and Opelousas. 

NEW ORLEANS, 

The capital and commercial and social metropolis of the State, is also 
the ninth city of the United States with respect to population, and the 
largest and most important city in the South. It is situated on the 
left bank of the Mississippi River, about 100 miles from the mouth 
of that stream. Latitude 29^ 58' N. ; longitude 90° 7' W. It is 
1663 miles southwest of New York, 2000 miles south-by-east of the 



LOUISIANA. 729 

Falls of St. Anthony, the head of navigation on the Mississippi, 1628 
miles south-by-west of Chicago, and 1438 miles southwest of Wash- 
ington. 

"New Orleans is built around a bend in the river, from which cir- 
cumstance it has been denominated the ' Crescent City.' The site 
inclines gently from the margin of the Mississippi towards the marshy 
ground in the rear, and is from 2 to 5 feet below the level of the river 
at the usual spring freshets. To prevent inundations, an embank- 
ment or levee, about 15 feet high in some places, and 6 feet in others, 
has been raised, extending 120 miles above the city, and to Port 
Plaquemine, 43 miles below it. This forms a delightful promenade. 
In consequence of the change of the course of the river opposite New 
Orleans, large quantities of alluvion, swept from the north and held in 
suspension by the current, are here deposited. New formations from 
this cause, in front of that portion of the quay most used for the purposes 
of commerce, have been so rapid that it has been necessary within a few 
years to build piled wharves jutting out from 50 to 100 feet into the 
Mississippi. The levee here has also been gradually widened, so that 
an additional tier of warehouses has been erected between the city and 
the river. The old city proper, originally laid out by the French, is 
in the form of a parallelogram, 1320 yards long and 700 yards wide. 
Above this are what were formerly the faubourgs of St. INIary, Annun- 
ciation, and La Coui-se ; below, Marigny, Dunois, and Declouet ; and 
in the rear, Trcme and St. John's. Lafayette, until a few years ago 
under a separate government, is immediately above the city." 

The city is regularly laid out. , The streets are narrow in the older 
portion, and wide in the new, and are well paved. Since the civil war, 
the city has been kept unusually clean. The princij)al business thor- 
oughfare. Canal street, is 190 feet wide, with a turfed promenade, 25 
feet wide, extending along the middle of the entire street. Esplanade, 
Rampart, and Basin streets have similar grass-plots. The city is we!l 
built, the buildings being mostly of brick. Owing to the marsh}' 
nature of the ground — water being found two feet below the surface — 
the houses have no cellars. A basement, about 6 feet in height, takes 
the place of the cellar. In the business portions, the buildings are 
5 and 6 stories in height^ but in the private sections they are lower. 
The dwellings in the suburbs, especially in Lafayette, are surrounded 
by orange, lemon, magnolia and other trees which fill the air with a 
delicious perfume. Many of the better class dwellings are palatial in 
their external and internal appointments, and there is, perhaps, no 



730 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

city in the country where the higher classes are more luxurious in 
their tastes and style of living. The general aspect of the city is 
bright, cheerful ami inviting. It is so thoroughly French in its gen- 
eral characteristics, that this could hardly be otherwise. " In the old 
city, many of the dwellings are constructed with a carriage-way and 
gate leading directly from the street to an interior courtyard enclosed 
by the main building. Most of the signs over the shops are inscribed 
in French, or both French and English. This portion of the city, 
with the old Faubourg Trcme in its rear, constitutes the 2d district, 
formerly the 1st municipality. Next above, extending from Canal 
street to Felicity road, lies the 1st district, formerly the Faubourg St. 
Mary, and subsequently the 2d municipality ; while still beyond is 
the 4th district, prior to 1852 the city of Lafayette. In these two 
districts, the buildings are more modern, and most of the streets are 
wider, though very irregular in their directions. In the 4th district, 
many of the dwellings are spacious and of great elegance, with ample 
grounds for shrubbery, etc. Below the old city, again, lies the 3d 
district, formerly the Faubourg Marigny, and afterwards the 3d nmni- 
cipality, which is the residence of a large portion of the Creole and 
foreign population. The nomenclature of the streets is remarkable. 
French, Spanish, and Anglo-American ideas and personages are all / 
represented. The 9 Muses, with other heathen divinities, give name 
to one series, while in other quarters are found St. Charles, St. Mary, 
St. Louis, and the like, together with ' Love,' ' Piety,' * Virtue,' ' Re- 
ligious,' etc. The Pontchartrain railway runs through the Elysian 
Fields, a street, and by no means the most attractive one of the city. 
'Greatmen,' 'Goodchildren,' 'Frenchmen,' X'rops,' etc., are specimens 
of other odd and apparently whimsical names. The same street re- • 
peatedly changes, not only its directiofi, but its designation. Thus 
Royal, one of the original streets of the old city, becomes St. Charles 
on entering the 1st district, and still higher takes the pagan and 
poetical name of Nayadcs ; while its continuation in the opposite direc- 
tion, through the 3d district, commemorates the Marquis Casa Calvo, 
the last of the Spanish Governors. In like manner, Bourbon becomes 
Carondelet and then Apollo in one dii-ection, and declines into Baga- 
telle in the other." 

The city contains a number of handsome public squares. The 
principal of these is the Neio City Park, in the northeastern portion, 
near Metarie road and Monroe avenue. It contains about 150 acres, 
and is handsomely laid out. JacJcson Square, formerly the Place 



LOUISIANA. 




VIEW IX ST. CHARLES STREET, XEW ORLEANS. 



d'Armes, covers the centre of the river front of the okl Town Plot, 
now the 1st district. It is the favorite place of resort. It is beau- 
tifully laid out in shell walks, and is ornamented with the rarest 
plants and flowers of the South, statuary, etc. In the centre is an 
equestrian statue of General Jackson. The Cathedral of St. Louis 
and the Court buildings front the square. Lafayette Square is in the 
2d district, and is bounded by St. Charles and Camp streets. 
The City Hall and several handsome buildings face it. Tivoli Circle, 
Annunciation and Washington Squares, and Circus Place, are the 
others. The last named is better known as Congo Square, and is 
famous as the favorite play-ground of the negroes. 

The Public Buildings of New Orleans are numerous and handsome. 
The U. S. Custom House, on Canal street, near the levee, is still in- 
complete, but when finished will be, next to the Capitol at Washing- 



732 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ton, the largest building in the United States. It is built of granite 
from Quincy, Mass. Its main front, on Canal street, is 334 feet long. 
Its depth is 297 feet. The Post Office and other Government offices 
are located in the building. The 3Iint is a large edifice of brick, 
stuccoed in imitation of brown stone, and was used by the Federal 
Government for the coining of money until the breaking out of the 
civil war. The City Hall is a handsome building of white marble, 
at the intersection of St. Oiarles and Lafayette streets. It is in the 
Grecian Ionic style of architecture, and is 208 feet by 90. It con- 
tains the offices of the City Government. In the absence of a State 
Capitol, it is also used by the Governor of Louisiana and the Secretary 
of State. Lyceum Hall is a handsome building on St. Charles street, 
containing a lecture hall and the City and State Libraries. Odd Fel- 
lows' Hall is a showy edifice of brick stuccoed in imitation of marble. 
Masonic Hall and the Merchants' Exchange are also imposing struc- 
tures. Two handsome buildings in the Doric and Tuscan orders, used 
by the city courts, are located on Jackson Square, one on each side of 
the Cathedral. They were constructed towards the close of the last 
century, through the liberality of the founder of the Cathedral, Don 
Andre Al monaster. 

The Benevolent and Charitable institutions are numerous, and are 
famous for their efficiency. Perhaps no city in the Union has a 
greater number of such institutions, in proportion to its population. 
They are liberally supported by the city and the citizens. The most 
important are the U. 8. 'Marine Hospital^ the Charity Hospital, with 
beds for 450 patients, the Female Orphan Asylum, with accommoda-' 
tions for 160 children; the Poydras Female Orphan Asylum; the 
3Iale Orphan Asylum; the Asylum of St. Elizabeth, under the charge 
of the Sisters of Mercy ; and the Maison de Sante. 

The Penal and Reformatory establishments consist of a Parish Jail 
and a Police Jail, and a Workhouse in each municipality. The .jails 
are 3 stories high, and are built of brick stuccoed in imitation of granite. 
The workhouses of the 2d and 3d municipalities are model insti- 
tutions, and are devoted to the reformation of criminals, especially 
of juvenile offiinders. 

The city contains between 55 and 60 church edifices. About one- 
half of these are Roman Catholic. The principal church edifice is the 
Cathedral of St. Louis, on .Jackson Square, begun in 1792 and com- 
pleted in 1794, by Don Andre Almonaster, perpetual regidor, and 
Alvarez Real, of the province. It is plain and simple, but venerable 
and imposing in appearance. 



LOUISIANA. 733 

The schools of New Orleans consist of 4 high schools, and 38 pri- 
mary and grammar schools, which are public and designed for both 
sexes. In addition to these are 18 schools for colored children. The 
University of Louisiana was organized in 1849, and consists at present 
of a law and medical school, both of which are in a flourishing con- 
dition. 

The city contains but few public libraries, and these are unimport- 
ant. The City Library contains about 20,000 volumes. The best 
libraries in New Orleans are those of private individuals, and such 
collections are said to be numerous. 

The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water from the 
Mississippi. The water is pumped by steam into an elevated reser- 
voir, and thence distributed through the city in the ordinary way. 
Street railways and omnibuses connect the principal points. There is 
a police and fire-alarm telegraph in operation in the city, which has 
also an efficient police force, and a steam fire department. The 
government consists of a Mayor and Common Council. 

The newspapers of the city are among the most influential and the 
ablest in the country. More than 15 journals, daily and weekly, are 
published here, several in the French language. 

The cemeteries of New Orleans are among its most peculiar features. 
There are 10 or 12 of these. Each one is enclosed with a brick wall, 
of arched cavities, or "ovens," as the natives call them, made just large 
enough to admit a single coffin, and built tier upon tier, to a height 
of about 12 feet, with a thickness of 10. Tlie whole enclosure is 
divided into plots, with gravel paths intersecting each other at right 
angles, and is densely covered with tombo built wholly above ground, 
and from one to three stories high. Many of these tombs are very 
handsome. Burial beneath the surface is impracticable, and is only 
resorted to by persons too poor to buy a tomb for their friends. 
Strangers, the friendless, and the very poor are taken to the Potters' 
Field, and literally laid in the w^ater, which is found 2 feet below the 
surface. The marshy soil often casts these coffins up again, leaving 
the bodies to rot under the fierce sun. 

The Markets are characteristic and numerous. "The principal are 
the vegetable and meat (French) markets on the levee near Jackson 
Square and the French Cathedral. To be seen to the greatest advan- 
tage, they should be visited on Sunday morning, between the hours 
of 8 and 9 o'clock. At break of day the gathering commences — all 
colors^ nations, and tongues, commingled in one heterogeneous mass. 



734 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




JACKSON SQUAKE, NEW OKLEANS. 



The music, far from being unpleasant, however, is musical to the 
stranger's ear. A visit thither is thus described by a well-known 
writer : ' One morning we rose early to visit the market of the 1st 
municipality, and found the air on the bank of the Mississippi filled 
with mist as dense as a London fog, but of a pure white instead of 
yellow color. Through this atmosphere the innumerable masts of the 
ships alongside the wharf were dimly seen. Among other fruits in 
the market we observed abundance of bananas, and good pine-apples, 
for twenty-five cents each, from the West Indies. There were stalls 
where hot coffee was selling, in white china cups, reminding us of 
Paris. Among other articles exposed for sale were brooms made 
of palmetto-leav&s, and wagon-loads of the dried Spanish moss, or 
Tillandsia. The quantity of this plant hanging from the trees in the 
swamps of Louisiana, and everywhere on the Delta of the Mississippi, 
miirht suffice to stuff all the mattresses in the world. The Indians 
formerly used it for another purpose — to give porosity or lightness to 
their building materials. When passing througli the stalls, we were 
surrounded by a population of negroes, mulattoes, and quadroons, 
some talking French, others a patois of Spanish and French, and 
others a mixture of French and English, or English translated from 
French, and with the French accent. They seamed very merry. 



LOUISIANA. 735 

• especially those who were jet black. Some of the Creoles also, both 
of French and Spanish extraction, like many natives of the South of 
Europe, were very dark.' " 

The hotels of New Orleans are among the largest in the country, 
and are well kept. The principal are the St. Charles, the St. Louis, 
the St. James, and the City Hotel. There are 3 Theatres, and 2 
Opera Houses in the city. They are well supported — especially the 
Opera Houses ^nd the Orleans Theatre, at the last of which the 
performances are in the French language. 

New Orleans is the commercial metropolis of the South, and the 
most important cotton market in the Union. It is admirably situated 
for commerce. It lies within 100 miles of the mouth of the Mississippi, 
and 2000 miles from the Falls of St. Anthony. All the immense trade 
of the Mississippi and its tributaries can be brought to the city without 
reshipment. Thus New Orleans is the natural gateway, through 
which pours the commerce of the entire Mississippi Valley. The 
river in front of the city is deep enough for the largest vessels, but 
the bar at the mouth of the river will not admit vessels drawing 
over 18 feet of water. The Levee, or steamboat landing, is one of the 
most interesting places in the city, and is thoroughly indicative of its 
immense trade. It extends along the river shore for about 4 miles, 
and has an average breadth of 100 feet. Here may be seen every 
description of craft navigating the Mississippi and the adjJbent waters. 
At one portion are hundreds of flat boats drawn up on the land, some 
filled with hay, corn, potatoes, butter, cheese, apples, and cider, and 
some with horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, etc. The levee here is 
piled up with flour, pork, and all sorts of agricultural produce in the 
greatest profusion. Beyond this is the steamboat landing, where as 
many as 1200 steamers may be seen in the busy season, discharging 
and receiving freight. The levee at this point is covered with im- 
mense piles of cotton in bales, and steamers are constantly arrivino- 
from, and departing for all parts of the Mississippi Valley. Above 
and below the steamer landing are dense lines of steamships and sail- 
ing vessels, in rows two and three deep, bringing the products of 
every country, and carrying away the products of the great valley. 

The whole of the commerce of the city, however, is not carried on 
upon the levee. The railways bring enormous quantities of produce 
into Ne,w Orleans, and the trade which comes by way of Lake Pont- 
chartrain is important. The lake is connected with New Orleans by 
means of a railway and a canal. This canal terminates in a spacious 



736 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

basin near the centre of the city. This basin is always filled with 
sloops, schooners, and other vessels engaged in the trade with tlie ports 
on the Gulf coast to the eastward. 

The river trade of New Orleans is immense, and its foreiirn and 
coasting trades are in proportion. The war for the time destroyed 
both, but they are now reviving. In 1860, the year before the civil 
war, there were received at New Orleans 2,255,458 bales of cotton, 
and in the same year 2,214,315 bales were exporte^^. In the same 
year $185,211,254 worth of Southern and Western produce, were re- 
ceived. The separate products were valued as follows : cotton, $109,- 
389,228 ; sugar, $18,190,880; molasses, $6,250,335; tobacco, $8,7 17,- 
485 ; other products, $42,663,326. In the same year the exports of 
the city were valued at $108,293,567, and the imports at $22,920,- 
849. During the year ending June 30, 1860, the entrances at the 
port of New Orleans amounted to 2052 vessels, with a tonnage of 
1,212,029; and the clearances to 2235 vessels, with a tonnage of 
1,248,526. During the year ending August 31, 1860, the arrivals 
of steamboats were 3566, and of flatboats 831» These figures show 
the trade of the city in its palmiest days. 

During the year ending September 1, 1870, there were received 
at New Orleans 1,208,000 bales of cotton, valued at $120,000,000 ; 
57,956 bbls. of rice; produce from the interior to the amount of 
$200,000,0 WD ; and manufactured articles from the Northern States to 
the amount of $50,000,000. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 
1870, the foreign exports of New Orleans amounted to $107,657,042, 
and the imports to $14,993,754. The entire value of the commerce 
of the city for the same year was more than $500,000,000. The ex- 
ports coastwise amounted to nearly $60,000,000. In the same year 
4406 vessels were entered and cleared at the Custom House, with an 
ago-reo-ate tonnage of 3,126,319 tons. The arrivals of steamboats were 
3650, with an aggregate tonnage of 3,000,000 tons. In the same 
year 2 large cotton mills M^ere in operation in the city, also a number 
of fu'torios engaged in making oil from cotton seed. 

One of the greatest drawbacks to the prosperity of New Orleans is 
the iinhealthiness of the city and the region in which it is situated. 
During the first 70 or 80 years after its settlement it was regarded 
as eminently healthful. Since its transfer to the American Govern- 
ment it has been repeatedly ravaged by yellow fever. Apart from 
this disease, the city is regarded as thoroughly healthful, and the na- 
tives and acclimated residents compare favorably Avith those of any 



LOUISIANA. 



737 




LAFAYETTE SQUARE, NEW ORLEANS, 



other large city in respect of health and longevity. According to some 
writers, yellow fever made its first appearance with the arrival of the 
Spaniards in 1769 ; according to others, it did not appear until 1796. 
Previoiis to this it had appeared in Europe and in the more northern 
cities of North America. In 1819, '22, '29, '33, '35, '37, '39, '41, '43, 
'47, '53, and '58, it raged with fearful violence. In 1853, between 
May 26tli and October 22d, 8500 persons are said to have died of the 
fever. The greatest mortality was on the 22d of August, when 283 
persons died. During the summer season large numbers of persons 
leave tlie city, and trade is very dull. 

In 1870 the population of New Orleans was 191,322, and is made 
up of native Americans, persons of foreign descent called Creoles, 
foreigners, and negroes and persons of African descent. "Those 
who would form a just estimate of the social character and appear- 
ance of the Creole population of the city, should visit tiie opera in 
the height of the season. The French Creole ladies, many of them 
descended from Norman ancestors, and of pure, unmixed blood, are 
very handsome. They are usually attired in Parisian fashion, not 
over-dressed, nor so thinly clad as are the generality of American 
women — their luxuriant hair, tastefully arranged, fastened with or- 
namental pins, and adorned with a colored ribbon or a single flower. 
The word 'creole' is used in Louisiana to express a native-born 



738 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

American, whether black or white, descended from old-world parents, 
for they would not call the aboriginal Indians Creoles. It never 
means persons of mixed breed ; and the French or Spanish Creoles in 
New Orleans would shrink as much as a New Englander from in- 
termarriage with one tainted, in the slightest degree, with African 
blood. The frequent alliances of the Creoles, or Louisianians, of 
French extraction, with lawyers and merchants from the Northern 
States, help to cement the ties which are every day binding more 
firmly together the distant parts of the Union. Both races may be 
improved by such connection, for the manners of the Creole ladies 
are, for the most part, more refined ; and many a Louisianian might 
justly have felt indignant if he could have overheard a conceited 
young bachelor from the North telling me ' how much they were 
preferred by the fair sex to the hard-drinking, gambling, horse-racing, 
cock-fighting, and tobacco-chewing Southerners.' If the Creoles have 
less depth of character, and are less striving and ambitious than the 
New Englanders, it must be no slight source of happiness to the 
former to be so content with present advantages. They seem to feel, 
far more than the Anglo-Saxons, that if riches be worth the winning 
they are also worth enjoying. The quadroons, or the offspring of the 
whites and mulattoes, sit in an upper tier of boxes appropriated to them. 
When they are rich, they hold a peculiar and very equivocal position 
in society. As children they have often been sent to Paris for their 
education, and, being as capable of improvement as any whites, re- 
turn with refined manners, and not unfrequently with more culti- 
vated minds than the majority of those from whose society they are 
shut out. ' By the tyranny of caste they are driven, therefore, to 
form among themselves a select and exclusive set. Among other 
stories illustrating their social relation to the whites, we are told that 
a young man of the dominant race fell in love with a beautiful quad- 
roon girl, who was so light-colored as to be scarcely distinguishable 
from one of pure breed. He found that, in order to render the mar- 
riage legal, he was required to swear that he himself had negro blood 
in his veins; and, that he might conscientiously take the oath, he 
let some of the blood of his betrothed into his veins with a lancet. 
The romance of this doubtful tale was greatly diminished, although 
I fear that my inclination to believe in its truth was equally en- 
hanced, when the additional circumstance was related, that the 
young lady was rich.' The foregoing sketch of society and social 
life in New Orleans, I need hardly remind my reader, was penned 



LOUISIANA. 739 

long before the late rebellion had so changed the aspect of every 
thing throughout the South. The visitor will, however, be sur- 
prised as well as delighted at the extent to which the manners and 
customs of the 'old re(/ime' are still perpetuated among the descend- 
ants of the early settlers in the Crescent City." 

Many of the European customs are still observed in New Orleans. 
" The holiday season, which includes Christmas and New Year's Day," 
says the writer quoted above, " is the best time to visit the city. No 
place on the broad continent presents such numerous and varied at- 
tractions at this festive season, and stolid, indeed, must be the stranger 
vrho is not impressed with his experiences. The distinguished author 
from whom we have so largely quoted, thus writes of the Carnival and 
the ceremonies of Mardi Gras : ' It was quite a novel and refreshing 
sight to see a whole population giving up their minds for a short 
season to amusement. There was a grand procession parading the 
streets, almost every one dressed in the most grotesque attire, troops 
of them on horseback, some in open carriages, with bands of music, 
and in a variety of costumes — some as Indians, with feathers on their 
heads, and one, a jolly fat man, as Mardi Gras himself. All wore 
masks, and here and there in the crowd, or stationed in a balcony 
above, we saw persons armed with bags of flour, which they showered 
down copiously on any one who seemed particularly proud of his 
attire. The strangeness of the scene was not a little heightened by 
the blending of negroes, quadroons, and mulattoes in the crowd; and 
we were amused by observing the ludicrous surprise, mixed with con- 
tempt, of several unmasked, stiff, grave Anglo-Americans from the 
North, who were witnessing for the first time what seemed to them so 
much mummery and tomfoolery. One wagoner, coming out of a cross 
street in his working dress, drove his team of horses and vehicle, 
heavily laden with cotton-bales, right through the procession, causing 
a long interruption. The crowd seemed determined to allow nothing to 
disturb their good humor; butalthough many of the weal thy Protestant 
citizens take part in the ceremony, this rude intrusion struck me as a 
kind of foreshadowing of coming events, emblematic of the violent 
shock which the invasion of the Anglo-Americans is about to give to 
the old regime of Louisiana. A gentleman told me that, being last 
year in Rome, he had not seen so many masks at the Carnival there; 
and, in spite of the increase of Protestants, he thought thei'e had been 
quite as much "flour and fun" this year as usual. The proportion, 
however, of strict Romanists is not so great as formerly, and to-mor- 



740 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

row, they say, when Lent begins, there will be an end of the trade in 
masks; yet the butchers will sell nearly as much meat as ever. Dur- 
ing the Carnival the greater part of the French population keep open 
houses, especially in the country.'" 

New Orleans was first settled in 1718, by Bienville, who had be- 
come satisfied of the propriety of removing the seat of government of 
the French province of Louisiana from Mobile to the more productive 
region of the lower Mississippi. In 1722, it contained about 100 log 
cabins and a population of 200 persons. In 1723, the seat of Govern- 
ment was permanently removed from Mobile to New Orleans. In 
1727, the construction of the levee was begun. It AX'as more than a 
mile in length, and was designed to protect the city from the over- 
flows of the river. Smaller levees were constructed for 15 miles 
above, and 15 miles below the city. In the same year, a company of 
Jesuit Fathers, and one of Ursuline nuns arrived. The Jesuits re- 
mained until 17G3, when they were expelled. The city grew gradu- 
ally. In 1745, the population was estimated at 800 persons, exclu- 
sive of women and children, 200 soldiers, and 300 negroes. In 1763, 
the city of New Orleans passed into the hands of Spain, with the rest 
of Louisiana. The inhabitants, however, bitterly opposed the transfer, 
and the Spaniards did not take actual possession of the city until 1769, 
at which time the entire population numbered 3190. Many of the 
best inhabitants removed to the West Indies, rather than live under 
Spanish rule. Under the later Spanish Governors, however, matters 
took a different turn, and the city grew rapidly. In 1785, it con- 
t:i:ncd 4980 inhabitants. In March, 1788, a fire destroyed 900 houses. 
Provisions ran low, and a famine was imminent. Between 1792 
and 1797, the streets were lighted, fire companies were organized, 
and the Carondelet Canal was opened. In 1800, Spain re-ceded 
the province of Louisiana to France; and iji 1803, Louisiana was 
jiurchased by the United States, and New Orleans became an Ameri- 
can city. The population of the city at this time was 8000. During 
the second war with England, the English were very anxious to cap- 
ture New Orleans, M-hich was a prize of great value as controlling the 
navigation of the Mississippi. They made their grand attempt on 
the 8th of January, 1815, on the plain of Chalmette, near the city, 
and were defeated with heavy loss by a small American force under 
General Andrew Jackson. In 1836, the city was divided, by an Act 
of the Legislature, into three municipalities, each with a separate gov- 
ernment; but, in 1852, these municipalities were consolidated, and 



LOUISIANA. 741 

the limits of the corporation were extended to include the town of 
Lafayette, lying in the adjacent parish of the same name. At the 
beginning of the civil war, the city and the forts commanding the 
lower Mississippi Avere held by the Confederates. On the 25th of 
April, 1862, Admiral (then Commodore) Farragut passed the forts 
with his fleet, defeating and destroying the Confederate squadron 
which sought to bar his way. This victory opened the city to the 
United States army, which occupied it on the 1st of May, 1862, and 
held it until the close of the war. Soon after its capture, New Orleans 
became the capital of the State. 

MISCELLANY. 

THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS. 

On his arrival in the city, General Jackson, in conjunction with Judge Hall, 
and many influential persons of the city, on the 16th of December, 1814, issued an 
order declaring the city and environs of New Orleans to be under strict martial 
law. Every individual entering the city was required to report himself to the 
adjutant-general, and no person by land or water was suffered to leave the city 
without a passport. The street lamps were ordered to be extinguished at 9 
o'clock ; after which any persons found in the streets, or from their homes with- 
out permission in writing, and not having the countersign, were ordered to be 
apprehended as spies. This measure at once converted the whole city into a 
camp, and subjected the persons and property of the citizens to the will of the 
commanding general. Writs of habeas corpus, and all other civil processes by 
means of which the lives and properties f»f the people are protected, were for the 
time suspended. Such was the alarm and confusion of the moment, that few in- 
quiries were made whence the commanding general of a military station derived 
such powers, to be exercised over tliQ inhabitants of the adjacent country, in no- 
wise connected witli his camp. Although the brilliant success which afterward 
attended the operations of General Jackson seemed to justify tlie measure, yet the 
people saw in it a precedent, which, though it might have saved New Orleans, 
might at some future period extinguish their liberties. A most rigid police was 
now instituted. Spies and traitors, with which, the Governor complained, the 
city abounded, and who had been industriously employed in seducing the French 
and Spanish inliabitants from their allegiance, now fled ; and the remaining citi- 
zens cordially co-operated with the general in the means of defence. Fort St. 
Philips, which guarded the passage of the river at the Detour la Plaqemine, was 
strengthened and placed under the command of Major Overton, an able and skil- 
ful engineer. A site was selected for works of defence, 4 miles below the city, 
where its destinies were ultimately to be determined. The right rested on the 
river, and the left was flanked by an impenetrable cypress swamp, which exten- 
ded eastward to Lake Fontchartrain, and westward to within a mile of the river. 
Between the swamp and the river Avas a large ditch or artificial bayou, wiiich had 
been made for agricultural objects, but which now served an important military 
purpose. On the northern bank of this ditch the entrenchments were thrown up. 



742 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Each flank was secured b}^ an advance bastion, and the latter protected by bat- 
teries in the rear. These worlds were well mounted with artillery. Opposite 
this position, on the west bank of the river, on a rising ground. General Morgan, 
with the city and drafted militia, was stationed ; and Commodore Patterson, with 
the crews of the Caroline and Louisiana, and the guns of the latter, formed an- 
other, near General Morgan's ; both of which entirely enfiladed the approach of 
an enemy against the principal works. A detachment was stationed above tlie 
town to guard the pass of the Bayou St. John, if an attempt should be made from 
that quarter. These arrangements, promptly and judiciously made, gave entire 
confidence to the citizens, and inspired them with zeal to second the general's 
exertions. Reinforcements were daily arriving, and as they arrived were imme- 
diately conducted to their respective stations. 

Landing of the British. — In the meantime the British were actively employed 
in making preparations for the attack ; believing the pass from Lake Borgne to 
Lake Pontchartrain to be defended according to General Wilkinson's plan, by the 
fortress of Petit Coquille, they determined to land from Lake Borgne by the 
Bayou Bienvenue. For this purpose they concentra.'ed tlieir forces on Ship 
Island, 80 miles distant from the contemplated place of landing. The depth of 
water in Lake Borgne was such that this distance could be traversed only by 
boats and small craft, and must necessarily be passed several times in order to 
bring up the whole armament. Tlie first object of the British general was to 
clear the lake of the American gunboats ; and, for this purpose, 40 British 
launches were sent in pursuit of them, and, after a desperate resistance, captured 
and destroyed the whole American flotilla, stationed on Lakes Borgne and Pont- 
chartrain, for the defence of New Orleans, consisting of 5 gunboats and a small 
sloop and schooner. By this success, they obtained the undisturbed possession 
of the lake ; and, on the 22d of December, proceeded from their rendezvous on 
Ship Island, with all their boats and small craft capable of navigating the lake, 
to the Bayou of Bienvenue ; and having surprised and captured the videttes at 
the mouth of the bayou, the first division acccmiplished their landing unobserved. 
Major-General Villiere, of the New Orleans nlilitia, living on the bayou, to whom 
the important service of making the first attack, and giving notice of the enemy's 
approach, was entrusted, found them on his plantation, 9 miles below the city, 
without any previous knowledge of their approach. 

Skirmishes on the 33d. — Notice was immediately given to General Jackson, 
who came out and attacked them on the evening of tlie 33d. In this affair the 
British sustained a loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, of 500. The British 
entrenched themselves at the Bienvenue plantation, 4 miles from the American 
camp, making the plantation house, in the rear of their works, their headquarters. 
General Jackson established his headquarters at M'Carty's plantation, on the 
bank of the river, and in full view of the British encampment. Two armed 
schooners, the Caroline and Louisiana, constituting all the American naval force 
on the river, dropped down from tlie city, anchored opposite the British encamp- 
ment, and opened a brisk fire upon their lines with considerable effect. On the 
27th, the Caroline, Captain Henly, got becalmed within reach of the British bat- 
teries, and was set fire to and destroyed by their hot shot : the other succeeded in 
getting out of their reach. On the 38th, the British advanced to within half a mile 
of the American lines, and opened a fire of shells and rockets ; but were driven 
back by the artillery with considerable loss. On the night of the 31st of Decem- 
ber, the enemy again advanced to within 600 yards of General Jackson's position. 



LOUISIANA. 743 

and erected three batteries, mounting 15 guns, and at 8 o'clock in the morning 
opened a heavy fire. In the course of the day, under cover of these batteries, 
three unsuccessful attempts were made to storm the American works. B}- 4 in 
the afternoon, all the batteries were silenced, and in the following night thej^ re- 
turned to their former position. On the 4th of January, General Adair arrived 
with 4000 Kentucky militia, principally without arms. The muskets and muni- 
tions of war destined for the supply of this corps, were provided at Pittsburgh; 
and did not leave that place until the 25th of- December ; passed Louisville the 
6th of January, and arrived at New Orleans several days after the battle of the 
8th. On the 6th, the last reinforcement of 3000 men arrived from England, under 
Major-General Lambert. Before the final assault on the American lines, the 
British general deemed it necessary to dislodge General Morgan and Commodore 
Patterson froni their positiotis on the right bank. These posts so effectually en- 
filaded the approach to General Jackson's works, that the army advancing to the 
assault must be exposed to the most imminent hazard. To accomplish this ob- 
ject, boats were to he transported across the island from Lake Borgne to the 
Mississippi ; for this purpose the British had been laboriously employed in deep- 
ening and widening tlie canal or Bayou Bienvenue, on which they first disem- 
barked. On the 7tli, tliey succeeded in opening the embankment on the river, 
and completing a communication from the lake to the Mississippi. In pushing 
the boats through, it was found at some places the canal was not of sufficient* 
width, and at others the banks fell in and choked the passage, which necessarilj'- 
occasioned great delay and increase of labor. At length, however, they suc- 
ceeded in hauling through a sufficient number to transport 500 troops to the right 
bank. At dawn of day, on the 8th, was the period fixed for the final assault on 
the American lines. Colonel Thornton was detached with 500 men, to cross the 
river and attack the batteries on that side, at the same time that the main assault 
was to be made, of which he was to be informed by a signal rocket. The Ameri- 
can general had detached Colonel Davis, with 300 Kentucky militia, badly 
armed, to reinforce General Morgan. These were immediately ordered to the 
water-edge, to oppose the enemy's landing. Unable in their situation to contend 
with a superior force of regular troops, well armed, the}^ soon broke and fled, and 
the Louisiana militia at General Morgan's battery followed their example. Com- 
modore Patterson's marine battery being now unprotected, his crews were 
obliged to yield to an overwhelming force, and the British succeeded in silencing 
both ; but the opposition which Colonel Thornton met with prevented this opera- 
tion from being completed until the contest was nearly ended on the opposite 
side of the river. 

At daylight, on the morning of the 8th, the main body of the British, under 
their commander-in-chief. General Packenham, were seen advancing from their 
encampment to storm the American lines. On the preceding evening, they had 
erected a battery within 800 yards, which now opened a brisk fire to protect their 
advance. The British came on in two columns, the left along the levee on tb.e 
bank of the river, directed against the American right, while their right advanced 
to the swamp, with a view to turn General Jackson's left. The country being a 
perfect level, and the view unobstructed, their march was observed from its com- 
mencement. They were suffered to approach in silence and unmolested, until 
within 300 yards of the lines. Tliis period of suspense and expectation was em- 
ployed by Genera] Jackson and his officers in stationing every man at his post, 
and arranging everything for the decisive event. When the British columns harJ 
46 



JU OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

advanced within 300 yards of the lines, the whole artillery at once opened upon 
them a most deadly fire. Forty pieces of cannon, deeply charged with grape, 
canister, and musket balls, mowed them down by hundreds; at the same time 
the batteries on the west bank opened their fire, while the riflemen, in perfect 
security behind their works, as the British advanced, took deliberate aim, and 
nearly every shot took eflfoct. Through this destructive fire the British left 
column, under the immediate orders of the commander-in-chief, rushed on with 
their fascines and scaling-ladders to the advance bastion on the American right, 
and succeeded in mounting the parapet ; here, after a close conflict with the 
bayonet, they succeeded in obtaining possession of the bastion, when the battery 
planted in the rear for its protection, opened its fire and drove the British from 
the ground. On the American left, the British attempted to pass the swamp and 
gain the rear, but the works had been extended as far into the swamp as the 
ground would permit. Some who attempted it sunk into the mire and disap- 
peared ; those behind, seeing the fate of their companions, seasonably retreated 
and gained the hard ground. The assault continued an hour and a quarter: dur- 
ing the whole time the British were exposed to the deliberate and destructive fire 
of the American artillery and musketry, which lay in perfect security behind 
their earthen breastworks, through which no balls could penetrate. At 8 o'clock, 
the British columns drew off" in confusion, and retreated behind their works, 
•Flushed with success, the militia were eager to pursue the British troops to their 
intrenchments, and drive them immediately from the island. A less prudent and 
accomplished general might have been induced to yield to the indiscreet ardor of 
his troops ; but General Jackson understood too well the nature both of his own 
and his enemy's force to hazard such an attempt. Defeat must inevitably have 
attended an assault made by raw militia upon an intrenched camp of British 
regulars. The defence of New Orleans was the object ; nothing was to be hazv 
arded which would jeopardize the city. The British were suffered to retire be- 
hind their works without molestation. The result was such as might be expected 
from the diff"erent positions of the two armies. General Packeuham, near the 
crest of the glacis, received a ball in his knee. Still continuing to lead on his 
men, another shot pierced his body, and he was carried off" the field. Nearly at 
the same time, Major-General Gibbs, the second in command, within a few yards 
of the lines, received a mortal wound, and was removed. The third in com- 
mand, Major-General Keane, at the head of his troops near the glacis, was se- 
verely wounded. The three commanding generals, on marshaling their troops 
at 5 o'clock in the morning, promised them a plentiful dinner in New Orleans, 
and gave them Booty and Beauty as the parole and countersign of the day. Be- 
fore 8 o'clock the three generals were carried off the field, two in the agonies of 
death, and the third entirely disabled ; leaving upwards of 2000 of their men, 
dead, dying, and wounded, on the field of battle. Colonel Raynor, who com- 
manded the forloin hope Avhich stormed the American bastion on the right, as he 
was leading his men up, had the calf of his leg carried away by a cannon shot. 
Disabled as he was, he was the first to mount the parapet, and receive the Ameri- 
can bayonet. Seven hundred were killed on the field, 1400 wounded, and 500 
made prisoners, making a total on that day of 2600. But 6 Americans were killed 
and 7 wounded. Of General Morgan's detachment on the west bank, and in a 
sortie on the British lines, 49 were killed, and 178 wounded. 

After the battle, General Lambert, who had arrived from England but two 
days before, and was now the only surviving general, requested a truce for the 



LOUISIANA. 745 

purpose of burying his dead. This was granted until 4 o'clock in the aftcrnoou 
of the 9th. Lines were drawn 100 rods distant from the American camp, within 
which the British were not permitted to approach. In the, ditch, and in front of 
the works, witliin the prescribed lines, 482 British dead were picked up by the 
American troops, and delivered to their companions over the lines for burial. 
The afternoon of the 8th, and the whole of the 9th, was spent by the British armj' 
in burying their dead. The American sentinels guarding the lines during this 
interval, frequently repeated in the hearing of the British, while tumbling their 
companions by hundreds into pits, "Six killed, seven wounded." 

Retreat of the British. — On the night of the 18th, they broke up their encamp 
ment, and commenced their retreat to the place of their first landing. To accom- 
plish this with safety, it was necessary that the army should move in one body. 
With this view, immediately after the battle of the 8th, large working parties liad 
been employed in constructing a road through a quagmire, for a considerable dis- 
tance along the margin of the bayou : by binding togetlier large quantities of 
reeds, and laying them across the mire ; in the course of nine days, these parties 
had constructed someting resembling a road from their encampment to the place 
of debarkation. Along this insecure track the British ai-my silently stole their 
march in the night of the 18th of January. By the treading of the first corps, 
the bundles of reeds gave way, and their followers had to wade up to their knees 
in mire. Several perished in the sloughs, the darkness of the night preventing 
their companions from affording relief. At the mouth of the bayou were a few 
huts, which afforded shelter for fishermen in the season of catching fish for the 
New Orleans market ; here the troops halted and bivouacked previous to their 
embarkation. Their provisions being exhausted, a few crumbs of biscuit and a 
small allowance of rum was their only support. Here they were 80 miles from 
their ships, the whole of which distance they had to traverse in small open boats; 
and having but few of these, the embarkation occupied ten days. On the 27th, 
the whole land and naval forces which remained of this disastrous expedition, tO' 
tjieir great joy, found themselves on board their ships. Their ranks thinned, 
their chiefs and many of their companions slain, their bodies emaciated with 
hunger, fatigue, and sickness, they gladly quitted this inauspicious country. The' 
surviving commanding general observes, "that the services of both army and' 
navy, since their landing on this coast, have been arduous beyond anything he.- 
ever before witnessed, and difficulties have been gotten over with an assiduity 
and perseverance beyond example by all ranks." A British officer of distinction, 
an actor in the scene, thus describes his tour from the encampment to the em- 
barkation : "For some time our route lay along the high road" beside the brink 
of the river, and was agreeable enough ; but as soon as we began to enter upon 
the path through the marsh, all comfort was at an end. Being constructed of 
materials so slight, and resting upon a foundation so infirm, the treading of the 
first corps unavoidably beat it to pieces : those which followed were therefore 
compelled to flounder on in the best way they could ; and by the time the ref.t 
of the column gained the morass, all trace of a way had entirely disappeared. 
But not only were the reeds torn asunder and sunk by the pressure of those who 
had gone before, but the bog itself, which at first might have furnished a few 
spots of firm footing, was trodden into the consistency of mud. The consequence 
■was, that every step sunk us to the knees, and frequently higher. Near the 
ditches, indeed, many spots occurred which we had the utmost difficulty of cross- 
ing at all ; and as the night was dark, there being no moon, nor any light, ex.Gept; 



746 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

what the stars supplied, it was difficult to select our steps, or even to follow those 
who called to us that they were safe on the other side. At one of these places, I 
myself beheld an unfortunate wretch gradually sink, until he totally disappeared. 
I saw him flounder in, heard him cry for help, and ran forward with the inten- 
tion of saving him ; but before I had taken a second step, I myself sunk at once 
as high as the breast. I could feel no solid bottom under me, and continued 
slowly to go deeper and deeper till the mud reached my arms. Instead of en- 
deavoring to help the poor soldier, of whom nothing now could be seen except 
the head and hands, I was forced to beg assistance for myself, when a leathern 
canteen strap being thrown me, I laid hold of it, and was dragged out just as my 
fellow-sufferer became invisible. Over roads such as these did we continue our 
march during the whole of the night, and in the morning arrived at a place called 
Fishermen's huts, consisting of a clump of mud-built cottages, standing by the 
edge of the water, on a part of the morass rather more firm than the rest. Here 
we were ordered to halt ; wearied with exertions and oppressed with want of 
sleep, I threw myself on the ground without so much as taking off my muddy 
garments, and in an instant all cares and troubles were forgotten. Nor did I 
awake from that deep slumber for many hours ; when I arose, cold and stiff, and 
addressed myself to the last morsel of salt pork my Avallet contained. Without 
tents or huts of any description, our bed was the morass, and our only covering 
the clothes which had not quitted our backs for more than a month ; our fires 
■were composed solely of reeds, which, like straw, soon blaze up and expire 
again, without communicating any degree of warmth. But, above all, our pro- 
visions were expended, and from what quarter an immediate supply was to be 
obtained, we could not discover. Our sole dependence was upon the boats. Of 
these a flotilla lay ready to receive us, in which were already embarked the black 
corps and the 44th ; but they had brought with them only food for their own use, 
it was therefore necessary that they should reach the fleet and return again before 
we could be supplied. But as the nearest shipping was 80 miles distant, and the 
weather might become boisterous, or the winds obstinate, we might starve before 
any supply could arrive. As soon as the boats returned, regiment after regiment 
embarked and set sail for the fleet ; but the distance being considerable, and the 
wind foul, many days elapsed before the whole could be got off ; by the end of 
the month, we were all once more on board our former ships." 



TEXAS. 

Area, 247,356 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 604,215 

(Whites, 421,294; Kegroes, 182,921.) 

Population in 1870, 818,579 

The State of Texas lies between 25° 50' and 36° 30' :N'. latitude, 
and between 93° 30' and 107° W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by the Indian Territory and New Mexico, on the east by Ar- 
kansas, Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by the Gulf 
of Mexico and the Republic of Mexico, and on the west by the Re- 
public of Mexico and the Territory of New Mexico. It is very irregu- 
lar in shape, and is the largest of the States. Its extreme length, from 
northwest to southeast, is estimated at 800 miles, and its extreme width, 
from east to west, at 750 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

"This great State embraces every variety of surface, mountain, 
plain, hill, and desert within its limits. In the southeast, along the 
coast is a level belt of land, from 30 to 60 miles in breadth, which is 
succeeded by an undulating and prairie country, occupying another 
belt of from 150 to 200 miles in width, which is followed in the west 
and northwest by the mountainous region and the table-land. The 
extreme north is invaded by the Great American Desert, which ex- 
tends, perhaps, about 60 miles within the boundary of Texas. Accord- 
ing to Mr. Bartlett, the pleateau of Texas, including part of New 
Mexico, extends from 30° to 34° N. latitude, and from the Rio Grande 
east for 300 miles. The north portion, called Llano Rstacado or 
'Staked Plain,' is 2500 feet above the sea. This broad district is des- 

747 



748 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUFCES. 




ON THE GULF. 



titute of forest trees and shrubbery, except along the margins of the 
streams, and even there never extending 100 yards from the banks. 
Just after rains a short stunted grass springs up, but speedily becomes 
dry, affording little nourishment. In this region rise the Red, Brazos, 
and Colorado rivers. About 29° 30' N. latitude the table-land breaks 
off into spurs, which descends to the prairies. The rivers have gener- 
ally alluvial bottoms of from 3 to 20 miles in width, which are of 
great fertility, and heavily timbered. The belts referred to above run 
across the State in a direction nearly northeast and southwest, so that 
almost all the northern part of Eastern Texas is included in the 
second division, or the undulating country. Little is known of the ele- 
vated lands of the west and northwest, as they are yet the home of few 
white men except the hunters, who pursue its buffaloes and other wild 



TEXAS. 749 

animals. It is, however, represented as being a well-watered and fertile 
region. A low range of mountains, called the Colorado Hills, runs 
in a northern and southern direction, east of the Colorado River; 
indeed, the whole section of the State in the same parallel, between 
the Colorado and the Brazos rivers, is broken with low mountains. 
Between the Colorado and the Rio Grande, and north of the sources 
of the Nueces and San Antonio, the country is crossed by broken 
ranges of mountains, running in various directions, but of whose 
altitude and character we have little rijliable information. They 
appear, however, to be outlying ridges of the great Rocky Mountain 
chain. Of these the Organ, Hueco or Waco, and Guadalupe Moun- 
tains extend from the northwestern extremity of Texas, where they 
terminate, in a northern direction into New Mexico. According to 
Bartlett, the first are about 3000 feet above the Rio Grande, and the 
last the same altitude above the plain. 

"The coast of Texas is lined with a chain of low islands, which 
form a series of bays, sounds, and lagoons; the most important of 
which are Galveston, Matagorda, Espiritu Santo, Aransas, and Cor- 
pus Christi bays, and the Laguna del Madre. Commencing at Gal- 
veston Bay, in the northeast, they lie along the Gulf of Mexico in the 
order in which they are named. Galveston Bay, the largest of these, 
extends about 35 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, in a direction 
nearly north. Matagorda Bay, 60 miles long by 6 to 10 wide, and 
Laguna del Madre, 90 miles long by 3 to 6 wide, are sounds rather 
than bays, and run nearly parallel with the shore. Tl'ie inlets of 
these are much obstructed by bars ; Galveston Inlet, the best, is said 
to have but 12 feet water, the entrance of Matagorda Bay 11 feet, and 
that of San Luis but 10 feet. Aransas Bay extends in a northeastern 
and southwestern direction about 25 miles, by about 12 miles in width ; 
Corpus Christi Bay, 40 miles from north to south, by 20 miles from 
east to west; and Espiritu Santo is 20 miles long by 10 wide; 
Copano Bay, opening into Aransas, is 20 miles long by 3 wide. A 
writer in *De Bow's Resources in the South and West,' however, 
says — ' Steamships of 1200 to 1500 tons, and sail vessels of 1000 tons, 
can enter the port of Galveston.' Texas is crossed by several long 
rivers, generally rising in the table-lands of the west and northwest, 
and pursuing a southeastern course, discharge their waters into the 
Gulf of Mexico. Commencing with the Rio Grande, the largest river 
in Texas, 1800 miles long, and which forms its southwestern bound- 
ary, and proceeding along the coast, we have the Nueces, San Antonio. 



750 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Guar]alupe, Colorado, Brazos, Trinity, Neclies, and Sabine, whose 
lengths, in the order named, are about 300, 250, 275, 800, 500, 400, 
300, and 350 miles, as estimated by measurements on the map. The 
Red River rises in the northwest of the State, and forms a large 
])art of the northern boundary line. The Canadian, a branch of the 
Arkansas, crosses the northern projection of the State. All of these 
are navigable to a greater or less extent, (depending on the wetness 
or dryness of the season, and on local obstructions,) the Sabine for 
about 150 miles; the Trinity, to Porter's Bluffs, latitude 32° 20'; 
the San Jacinto, 50 miles; the Brazos, to Sullivan's Shoals, near lati- 
tude 31° jN". ; the Nueces, 100 miles; the Rio Grande, 400 miles; 
and the Red River, to Preston, latitude 34° N., and longitude 96° 20' 
W. ; (during high water.) The Colorado is obstructed by a raft 10 
miles from its mouth ; but when this is removed, which it doubtless 
will be ere long, it will give a navigation of several hundred miles. 
There are a number of small rivers or tributaries, navigable to some 
extent, and besides their value as channels of commei'ce, they afford in 
many instances excellent sites for mill seats. There are no known 
lakes of importance in Texas. Sabine Lake, an expansion of the river 
of that name, near its mouth, 20 miles long, is on the boundary of 
Texas and Louisiana. There is a salt lake near the Rio Grande, 
from which large quantities of salt are annually taken."* 

MINERALS, CLIMATE, SOIL, AND PRODUCTS. 

The Hon. Henry S. Randall, of New York, in a paper lately con- 
tributed to The Rural New Yorker, thus describes the niineral and 
agricultural productions of the State : 

" Geology. — The lower and rolling lands are alluvial. The hilly 
region is cretaceous, and abounds in excellent limestone for building. 
Beyond this, primitive rocks appear in many places. The great plains 
consist of stratified clay and cretaceous marls. On tlie verge of these 
plains are deposits of gypsum extending over an area of thousands of 
square miles. Coal beds exist in different localities. Iron ores are 
found in inexhaustible quantities on the Llano River, and they 
abound on tributaries of Red River in northeastern Texas. Cop[ier 
has been discovered in different places, and also specimens of the 
precious metals. The mineral regions of the State have been so little 
explored, that the extent of its resources in tiiis respect are but be- 



* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1905. 



TEXAS. 751 

ginning to be known. Various salt springs have been found, and 
salt of good quality, produced by natural evaporation, can be obtained 
in immense if not inexhaustible quantities at the salt lagunes below 
Corpus Christi, and at the salt lake in Hidalgo county, forty miles 
from the Rio Grande. 

" Climate. — As a sample of the climate, we give the mean tem- 
perature of every month in the year 1859, as observed by Professor 
C. G. Forshey, in Fayette county, on the Colorado, in latitude 30° : 
January, 50° 57'; February, 62° 44'; March, 61° 50'; April, 65° 
31'; May, 75° 61'; June, 81° 56'; July, 84° 76' ; August, 84° 90'; 
September, 79° 42' ; October, 66° 29' ; November, 63° 92' ; Decem- 
ber, 43° ; annual mean, 68° 04'. 

" * In point of climate,' says Olmsted, ' Texas claims, with at least 
as much justice as any other State, to be called the Italy of America. 
The general average of temperature corresponds, and the skies are 
equally clear and glowing. The peculiarities over other climates of 
latitude are found in its unwavering summer sea-breeze and its winter 
northers. The first is a delightful alleviation of its summer heats, 
flowing in each day from the Gulf, as the sun's rays become oppres- 
sive, and extending remotely inland to the farthest settlements, with 
the same trustworthy steadiness. It continues through the evening, 
and is described as having so great elFect that, however oppressive 
the day may have been, the nights are always cool enough to de- 
mand a blanket and yield invigorating rest.' 

" The severe northers occur from December to April, and usually 
occupy not much over 40 days. The rapid reduction of the tempera- 
ture from 70 or 75 degrees, to 30 or 40 degrees, and the driving wind, 
are keenly felt. When most cold and violent, and accompanied with 
rain and sleet, they sometimes cause considerable destruction among 
domestic animals exposed to their fury. These instances, however, 
are rare, and the shelter of a grove or hill, or even a good farm wall, 
is sufficient to prevent such consequences. They are regarded as 
healthful and invigorating, and, notwithstanding the sudden change 
of temperature accompanying them, do not cause, or even exasperate, 
pulmonary diseases. It is claimed that consumption does not origi- 
nate in the region where they prevail. • 

"As in all new, warm, and highly fertile countries, the low, rich 
river bottoms — especially those of southern Texas, which are covered 
with a boundless profusion of semi-tropical vegetation — are not 
healthy to unacclimated persons. The higher lands between those 



752 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

rivers are usually considered healthy, where judicious dispositions are 
made by the emigrant ; but the Northern emigrant runs some risk of 
undergoing a 'seasoning' course of chills and fever. The hilly 
regions of the west are as free from malaria as any other new countries 
we ever heard of — far more so, we judge, than were large portions of 
Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan, when first settled. We have known of 
hundreds of people from the Northern, Middle, and Western States, 
who have emigrated to the sheep-region, presently to be described, 
and we scarcely remember of hearing of one who incurred any disease 
in the process of acclimation. Great numbers of invalids, especially 
of consumptive invalids, from the older Southern States, resort to the 
region around San Antonio for the improvement of their health. The 
native Mexicans used to tell a story in regard to its healthful ness 
which has a regular Yankee smack to it. They said some travellers 
approaching San Antonio met three disconsolate looking persons who 
were hastening away from the city. They asked thera what was the 
matter, and where they were going. The three disconsolate looking 
persons replied that they had met witli reverses, that they wished to 
die, and were going to some place where people could die. 

"Yellow fever is imported into the coast towns, as it is imported 
into New York and Philadelphia, but it does not originate in them. 
Its ravages, as would be expected in such a climate, are sometimes 
severe; but it does not penetrate into the hilly region any more than 
it penetrates into the interior of New York or Pennsylvania. 

"Soils and Products. — In the north, the rich, black soil is espe- 
cially adapted to the production of wheat, yielding in ordinary sea- 
sons, and under the very imperfect cultivation it receives, an average 
of 21 bushels to the acre. It is of superior quality, and very heavy — 
in occasional instances reaching 72 pounds to the bushel. The wheat 
region proper embraces about 30 counties, of which Dallas is the centre. 

" The eastern counties, unlike the rest of the State, were covered by 
forests. The most northerly of these are highly adapted to a diversi- 
fied husbandry The southeastern and central southern counties 

are the most fertile in Texas, and include the best cotton-growing 
region of anything like an equal area in the world. The cotton 

counties proper constitute about one-third of the State Sugar 

has been produced to considerable extent near the mouths of the 
Brazos and Colorado. The soil of western Texas, exclusive of the 
barren region between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, consists gen- 
erally of black, calcareous loam, and its pasturages are probably un- 
equalled by any other natural ones in the world 



TEXAS. 753 

. . . . " Corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, 
Irisli potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, turnips, pumpkins, and gar- 
Jen \egetables of every kind, produce remunerative, and some of them 
abundant, crops on all the good soils of the State, and from many of 
them two crops might be taken in a season. Fruits can be grown in 
boundless profusion Horses, neat cattle, sheej), and hogs re- 
quire so little artificial food that they can be raised at the most trifling 
expense." 

In 1869 there were 2,650,781 acres of improved land in the State. 
The returns for the same year were as follows : 

Bushels of wlieat, 1,250,000 

Indian corn, 23,000,000 

" peas and beans, 341,961 

" sweet potatoes (estimated), .... 1,500,000 

oats, 1,250,000 

Bales of cotton, 465,000 

Pounds of butter, 5,850,583 

Number of horses, 600,000 

" asses and mules, 93,800 

milch cows, 640,320 

sheep, • 998,972 

" swine, 1,580,600 

young cattle, 2,540,300 

Value of domestic animals, $49,825,447 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Texas has a large and profitable trade with the Northern States, 
and 'with Mexico, and some European commerce. In 1860 the ex- 
ports of the State amounted to $6,783,934, and the imports to ^2,- 
436,408. 

Manufactures receive but little attention. In 1870 the capital 
invested in them amounted to $5,284,110. The annual product was 
valued at $11,517,302. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Considering that Texas was but recently settled, and that it is still 
very sparsely populated, we must admit that it has made very decitled 
progress in internal improvements. Good ro:i(ls connect the various 
partsof the State, and there is railroad communication l)etween Madison, 
on the Sabine River, and Houston, Austin, and Galveston. A rail- 
road is in progress across southern Louisiana, from the Sabine River 



754 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to New Orleans. In 1872 tlie State contained 865 miles of railroad, 
constructed at a cost of about $30,000,000. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, Texas contained 8 colleges, with 588 students; 527 acade- 
mies and other schools, with over 20,000 pupils; and 13 public 
schools with 800 pupils. There was a Board of Education for 
the State, which controlled the system. The Superintendent of 
Public Instruction, in 1868, wrote as follows concerning the schools 
of his State : " There is no school system in Texas, and the school 
fund which had been accumulating, was mainly ruined and dissipated 
by the war. A plan for free schools, in essentials similar to the 
systems of the States of the North and West, has been submitted to 
the Reconstruction Committee, now in session, and strong hopes are 
entertained of its adoption. The number of children who should be 
at school in Texas, exceeds 200,000 ; the number actually enjoying 
school privileges is about 20,000." 

Since 1868 a public school system similar to that of the other States 
has been adopted, but had not gone into operation in 1870. The 
permanent school fund of the State amounts to $2,575,000, nearly all 
of which is available. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Huntsville. It was erected in 
1848. We have no recent returns from it. 

The Texas Institution for the Deaf and Dumb is located on the west 
bank of the Colorado River, opposite the city of Austin. It is in 
great need of suitable buildings, and is sadly embarrassed by the 
unsettled condition of the State. In 1868 it contained 22 pupils. 

There are also a Blind Asylum and a State Lunatic Asylum in opera- 
tion, both of which are supported by the State. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870 there were 6 17 churches in Texas, and the value of church 
property was $1,035,430. 

FINANCES. 

The finances of Texas are in a prosperous condition. The State 
debt, January 1st, 1875, amounted to about |4,01 2,421. The resources 



TEXAS. 755 

of the State are amply sufficient to meet its liabilities. The receipts 
from September, 1867, to April 16th, 1870, were $1,384,190, and the 
expenditures for the same period, $1,024,891, leaving an unexpended 
balance in the Treasury of $379,531 . Adding the balance of the Con- 
vention fund still on hand, the cash balance in the Treasury amounted 
to $416,709. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Until the latter part of the year 1869, the State constituted a part 
of the Fifth Military District. Between the 30th of November, and 
3d of December, 1869, the people by their votes ratified the new 
Constitution, and on the 30th of March, 1870, the State was readmit- 
ted into the Union. 

By the terms of the new Constitution, every male citizen of the 
United States, 21 years of age, except criminals, lunatics, and Indians 
not taxed, without regard to race, color, or previous condition, who 
has resided in the State one year, and in the county six months, is 
entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government consists of a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller; and a Legislature, 
consisting of a Senate of 30 members, and a House of Representatives 
of 90 members, all elected by the people. 

The highest judicial tribunal is the Supreme Court, consisting of 
three judges. The State is divided into 35 judicial districts, for each 
of which, a District Judge is elected, who is required to hold three 
terms of his court annually, in each county of his district. There are 
also Justices of the Peace, with jurisdiction in petty cases, wdio try 
causes by themselves, or with a jury of 6 men. 

For the purpose of repressing crime and lawlessness, there is a State 
police force, consisting of 4 captains, 8 lieutenants, 20 sergeants, and 
225 privates. Tlie Adjutant-General of the State acts as Chief of 
this police. All sheriffs, their deputies, constables, marshals of 
cities and towns, their deputies, and the police of cities and towns, are 
made ex-qfficio members of this force, and as such are at all times 
subject to the orders of the Governor, or of* the Adjutant-General, for 
the purpose of preventing crime or arresting offenders. The chief 
and the whole force are subject to the orders of the Governor. For 
the protection of the settlers against the Indians, companies of rangers 
are maintained on the frontier, at the expense of the State. Home- 



756 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

steads of not more than 200 acres in the country, and a lot or lots not 
in a village or town exceeding $5000 in value, exclusive of the value 
of the improvements, are exempted from executions for debt. Liberal 
inducements in offers of land are iield out to actual settlers. The 
lands thus offered are among the finest in the State. 

For purposes of Government the State is divided into 124 countie&. 
The seat of'goverument is located at Austin. 

HISTORY. 

Texas was first settled by a colony of French under La Salle. It 
was the intention of the leader of this expedition to found a colony 
near the month of the Mississippi, but sailing past it through mistake, 
he entered Matagorda *t3ay, and ascended the Lavaca for five or six 
miles, where he built Fort St. Louis, about the year 1686. After 
enduring many hardships, he was murdered by his men on the 20th of 
]March, 1687. When the Indians heard of his death, they attacked 
the fort, the garrison of which had been much reduced by quarrels 
among themselves, captured it, and killed all its defenders but four, 
whom they carried into captivity. In April, 1689, a Spanish expedi- 
tion arrived in Matagorda Bay for the purpose of driving away the 
French, but found the fort destroyed. A few years later several 
settlements were made in Texas by the Spaniards, but in consequence 
of the hostilities of the Indians, they abandoned them. In 1712, 
Louis XIV. of France, granted the province, which he claimed, to 
Crozat, to whom he had granted Louisiana. This act so alarmed the 
Spanish authorities in Mexico that they at once made numerous 
settlements in Texas, in order to secure the territory in advance of 
the French, who in 1721 made an unsuccessful effort to expel them. 
In 1728, 400 families were sent out to Texas from the Canary Isles 
by the Spanish Government, and were joined in that country by 
others from Mexico. These settlers founded the city of San Antonio. 
The Indians of Texas and Louisiana proved very troublesome for 
some time, but were defeated in a great battle by the Spaniards, in 
1732, and quieted for some years. During the American Revolution, 
the authorities of Texas, after the declaration of war against England 
by Spain in 1779, carried on active hostilities against the British on 
the Mississippi. During this period prosperous trade was carried on 
via Nacogdoches, between the Spanish settlement of Natchez, in 
Mississippi, and the interior of Texas, and was finally the means of 
makinsi: this State known to the Americans. 



TEXAS. 757 

In 1803 Louisiana passed into tlie hands of the United States, and 
in 1819, a treaty between this country and Spain, fixed the Sabine 
River as the eastern boundary of Texas upon the Gulf. In 1806, 
the population numbered 7000 souls, a number of whom were 
Americans. 

" West of the Sabine was a tract called the ' Neutral Ground/ 
which was occupied by bands of outlaws and desperate men, who 
lived as buccaneers, by robbery and plunder, perpetrated upon the 
traders. The Spanish authorities had endeavored to expel them, but 
could not. The United States sent a force against them, and drove 
them away; but they returned again, and renewed their depredations. 
About this time, Lieutenant A. W. Magee, a native of Massachusetts, 
who had commanded an expedition against these outlaws, conceived 
the idea of conquering Texas to the Rio Grande, and establishing a 
republican Government. The enterprise was undertaken in the name 
of Don Bernardo Gutierres, though Magee was in reality at the head 
of the movement. The freebooters of the neutral ground joined his 
standard, in June, 1812. The civil war at this time raging in Mexico 
favored the designs of Magee, who had with him nearly every able- 
bodied man east of the Trinity. He crossed the Colorado with about 
800 men. At this point, he learned that Salcedo, the royalist Gov- 
ernor of Texas, had come out against him as far as the Guadalupe, 
with 1400 men, where he lay in ambush. Magee then made a forced 
march, and reached La Bahia on the 14th of November, which was 
surrendered to him with but little opposition. Here Magee was be- 
sieged by Salcedo for three weeks. Previous to the last assault, Ma- 
gee agreed to deliver up the fort and return home. When this agree- 
ment was made known to the army, it was unanimously voted down. 
Major Kemper, the next in command, took the lead. Magee, deeply 
mortified, retired to his tent, and, it is said, died by his own hand a 
little after midnight. The Spaniards withdrew to San Antonio, after 
having continued the siege till the 12th of March, 1813, 

"The Americans, being reinforced, marched on San Antonio. 
When within about nine miles of that place, they came upon the 
Spanish army, under Governor Salcedo, about 2500 strong, being 
about double the number of the Americans. The battle of Rosalis 
ensued, nearly 1000 of the Spaniards were slain, and some few taken 
prisoners. The next day. Governor Salcedo surrendered, and being 
])ut in charge of a company of Bexar Mexicans to be transported to 
New Orleans, he, with 13 other officers, among whom was ex-Gov- 



768 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ernors Herrera and Cordero, were taken to the bank of the river below 
the town, where they were stripped and tied> and their throats cut ! 
Colonel Kemper, Major Ross, and others, being disgusted with such 
treachery and barbarity, left tiie army and returned home. Captain 
Perry now took the command, and on the night of June 4th, attacked 
and routed an army of over 2000 sent against them. The repub- 
licans, however, were finally defeated by another army, under General 
Arredondo, on the Medina, with great slaughter. Only 93 Americans 
reached Natchitoches, among wliom were Colonel Perry and Captains 
Taylor and Ballard. The Spaniards being successful, in revenge, 
committed horrid attrocitics upon the friends of the republican party. 
Thus ended the first effort at Texan independence. 

"In February, 1819, in a treaty with Spain, the Floridas were 
ceded to the United States, and the Sabine agreed upon as the boun- 
dary of the Spanish possessions. Texas thus being relinquished for 
Florida, a far less valuable territory, gave much dissatisfaction to tlie 
southern portion of the people of the United States. Early in 1810, 
Dr. James Long raised a company in Natchez, of 75 men, and pro- 
ceeded to Nacogdoches, and on his arrival, being joined by Colonel 
Davenport and Bernardo Gutierres, his command was increased to 
300. A provisional Government was then formed, and Texas was 
declared to be a 'free and independent republic.' They also enacted 
laws, and fixed the price of lands, those on Red River being estimated 
at a dollar per acre. They also established the first printing office, 
Horatio Bigelow being the editor of the paper. General Long posted 
a few troops at the crossing of the Trinity, the falls of the Brazos, and 
at other places ; he also dispatched Colonel Gaines to Galveston, in 
order to obtain the cooperation of Lafitte, the freebooter, in the revo- 
lution. This was declined, Lafitte stating the forces were entirely 
inadequate for the purpose. Meantime, the royalists, under Colonel 
Parez, came and took the post on the Brazos, Avith 11 prisoners, Octo- 
ber 11th, 1819, and on the 15th they took La Bahia (now Goliad), 
and afterwards the post on the Trinity, and then proceeded to Nacog- 
doches, General Long and his men having barely made their escap? 
to the Sabine. Parez proceeded to Cooshattie village, and about 40 
miles below that place, after a severe conflict with the republicans, 
routed them. The latter fled to" Bolivar Point, near Galveston, where 
General Long afterwards joined them. 

" General Long appears to have continued his head-quarters at Boli- 
var Point for some time; meanwhile Lafitte was obliged to leave Gal- 



TEXAS. 759 

veston. On the day on which he left, General Long, with Colonel Milam 
and others, came over from Bolivar Point and dined with Lafitte. Soon 
after. Long, Milam, and Trespalacios, collecting their forces, sailed 
with them down the coast. General Long landed near the mouth of the 
San Antonio, and proceeding with a party took possession of La Ba- 
hia. Milam and Trespalacios soon after went to Mexico, in order to 
raise funds from the Republican Government, for at this time the 
revolutionary cause was gaining ground in Mexico. Notwithstanding 
this, it appears that the royalists succeeded in capturing General Long 
soon after, when he was sent to the city of Mexico, and then set at 
liberty, and finally assassinated. The wife of General Long, who re- 
mained at Bolivar Point during the absence of her husband, having 
heard of his death, returned to her friends in the United States. 

" In December, 1820, Moses Austin, a native of Connecticut, but for 
some time a resident of Missouri, set out for San Antonio de Bexar, 
to solicit the sanction of the Government, and to procure a tract of 
land, for the settlement of an Anglo-American colony in Texas. On 
presenting himself to the Governor, he was, according to the Spanish 
regulations respecting foreigners, ordered to leave the province im- 
mediately. On crossing the public square, he accidentally met the 
Baron de Bastrop, with whom he had a slight acquaintance in the 
United States, many years before. By his influence lie obtained a 
second interview with the Governor, the result of which was that his 
petition to introduce 300 American families into Texas was recom- 
mended and forwarded to the proper authorities in Mexico. It was 
granted in January, 1821. Mr. Austin returned before its fate was 
known, and died shortly afterward. He left special injunctions to his 
son, Stephen F. Austin, to carry out his cherished plan to establish a 
colony. 

"On July 21, 1821, Stephen F. Austin, accompanied by Senor Se- 
guin and seventeen pioneers, entered the wilderness of Texas to lay 
the foundation of her present prosperity. He explored various parts, 
and after meeting with losses and difficulties, located his colony on 
the Brazos. Austin soon repaired to San Antonio, to report to the 
Governor, who appears to have been friendly to the enterprise. When 
he arrived there, in March, 1822, he learned, with much regret, that 
it was necessary to make a journey to the city of Mexico, to procure 
a grant from the supreme autliorities. On the 29th of April ensuing. 
Colonel Austin arrived in Mexico, and succeeded in obtaining from 
Iturbide, then emperor, a confirmation of the grant made to his father, 
47 



760 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

When about to return to Texas, Iturbide was overthrown, and his acts 
declared null and void. Austin was again obliged to apply to the 
reigning authorities, who renewed the grant, and in eifect clothed him 
with almost sovereign power. In conjunction with Baron Bastrop, 
Austin fixed his colonial capital on the Brazos, calling it San Felipe 
de Austin. 

" When the Mexican Government, in 1825, abolished slavery within 
her limits, most of the settlers in Texas being planters from the 
Southern States, who had brought their slaves with them, felt them- 
selves aggrieved, and petitioned the Mexican congress in vain for re- 
lief. On the establishment of Centralism, under Santa Anna, Texas, 
in 1835, declared her independence. In 1836, Santa Anna, President of 
Mexico, with a force of several thousand men, moved forward, threat- 
ening to exterminate the Americans, or to drive them from the soil of 
Texas. In March, San Antonio de Bexar was besieged ; the Alamo 
there, defended by only 187 Americans, was carried by storm, and all 
slain ; among them were Colonel Travis, Colonel David Crockett and 
Colonel Bowie, the inventor of the bowie-knife. While Santa Anna was 
-engaged at San Antonio, General Urrea marched upon Goliad. He had 
a severe contest with Colonel Fannin's troops, who, on March 20th, 
surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. Nine days afterward the 
Texan prisoners, to the number of 330, were led out and massacred 
in cold blood. 

"On the 7th of April, 1836, Santa Anna arrived at San Felipe 
with the divisions of Sesraa and Tolsa. He proceeded down the M^est 
bank of the Brazos, crossed the river at Richmond, and on the 16th 
reachal Harrisburg. The Texans, under General Houston, now reduced 
to less than 8^0 men, retiring before his advance, proceeded down the 
bank of the Buffalo Bayou, and took a position near the River San 
Jacinto, On the 21st of April, 1836, Santa Anna, with a force of over 
1700 men, Ixiing encamped near General Hougton, was attacked by the 
Texans. When within about 600 yards, the Mexican line opened 
their fire upon them, but the Texans, nothing daunted, pressed on to 
a close conflict, which lasted about 18 minutes, when the enemy gave 
way, and were totally routed, nearly every man was either killed, 
wounded, or taken prisoner. The Texan loss was but 2 killed, and 
23 wounded. This victory secured the independence of Texas. 

"In 1841, President Lamar organized what has been termed the 

'Santa Fc Expedition,' the object of which Mas to open trade with 

, Santa Fe, and to establish Texan authority, in accordance with the 



TEXAS. 761 

treaty of Santa Anna, over all the territory east of the E,io Grande. 
Sa«ta Fe, lying east of that river, was still in possession of the Mexi- 
cans. On the 18th of June, the expedition, numbering 325 men, under 
General M'Leod, left Austin, the capital of Texas, and after a journey 
of about three months, arrived at the Spanish settlements in New 
Mexico. They were intercepted by a vastly superior force, and sur- 
rendered on condition of their being allowed to return ; but instead 
of this, they were bound with ropes and leather thongs, in gangs of 
six or eight, stripped of most of their clothing, and marched to the 
city of Mexico, a distance of 1200 miles. On their route, they were 
treated with cruelty, beaten, and insulted ; forced to march at times 
by night as well as by day ; blinded by sand, parched by thirst, and 
famishing with hunger. 

" Having arrived at Mexico in the latter part of December, they 
were, by the orders of Santa Anna, thrown into filthy prisons. After 
a while, part were compelled to labor as common scavengers in the 
streets of the city; while others were sent to the stone quarries of 
Pueblo, where, under brutal taskmasters, they labored with heavy 
chains fastened to their limbs. Of the whole number, three were 
murdered on the march ; several died of ill-treatment and hardship ; 
some few escaped, some were pardoned, and nearly all eventually re- 
leased. 

" Soon after the result of this expedition was known, rumors pre- 
vailed of an intended invasion of Texas. In September, 1842, 1200 
Mexicans, under General Woll, took the town of Bexar; but subse- 
quently retreated beyond the Rio Grande. A Texan army was collec- 
ted, who were zealous to carry the war into Mexico. After various 
disappointments and the return of most of the volunteers, 300 
Texans ci'ossed the R,io Grande and attacked the town of Mier, which 
was garrisoned by more than 2000 Mexicans strongly posted. In a 
dark, rainy night, they drove in the guard, and in spite of a constant 
fire of the enemy, effected a lodgment in some houses in the suburbs, 
and with the aid of the deadly rifle fought their way into the heart 
of the place. At length, Ampudia sent a white flag, which was accom- 
panied by General La Vega and other officers, to inform the Texans 
ofihe utter hopelessness of resistance against an enemy ten times their 
number. The little band at length very reluctantly surrendered, 
after a loss of only 35 in killed* and wounded, while the Mexicans 
admitted theirs to have been over 500. 

" The Texans, contrary to the stipulations, were marched to Mexico, 



7G2 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

distant 1000 miles. On one occasion, 214 of tliem, although un- 
armed, rose upon their guard of over 300 men, overpowered atid 
dispersed them, and commenced their journey homeward ; but igno- 
rant of the country and destitute of provisions, and being pursued by 
a large party, they were obliged to surrender. Everj^ tenth man was 
shot for this attempt at escape. The others were thrown into the 
dungeons of Perote, where about 30 died of cruel treatment. A few 
escaped, and the remainder were eventually released. 

" Early application was made by Texas to be annexed to the 
United States. Several years passed over without any serious attempts 
having been made by Mexico to regain Texas, and the political free- 
dom of the country was thus considered as established. Presidents 
Jackson and Van Buren, in turn, objected on the ground of the un- 
settled boundary of Texas, and the peaceful relations with Mexico. 
President Tyler brought forward the measure, but it was lost in Con- 
gress. It having been the test question in the ensuing Presidential 
election, and the people deciding in its favor by the election of the 
Democratic candidates, Texas was annexed to the Union by a joint 
resolution of Congress, February 28, 1845. 

"The Mexican Minister, Almonte, who had before announced that 
Mexico would declare war if Texas was annexed, gave notice that 
since America had consummated 'the most unjust act in her history,' 
negotiations were at an end. 

"War with Mexico then ensued. The theatre of war in this State 
was on the Rio Grande. General Taylor, with the American troops, 
routed the Mexicans on the soil of Texas, at Palo Alto and Resaca 
de la Palma, and the arms of the United States were everywhere 
triumphant. The State Government was organized on the 19th of 
February, 1846. The boundary between New Mexico and Texas, 
the latter of Avhich claimed the line of the Rio Grande, was adjusted 
by treaty in 1850. 

"The joint resolution by which Texas was annexed to the Union 
gives permission for the erection of four additional States from its 
territory, and in these words — ' New States, not exceeding four in 
number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient 
population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed 
out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission un- 
der the provisions of the Federal Constitution.' " * 

* Barber's History of All the Western States. 



TEXAS. 763 

Oa the 5th of February, 1861, the State seceded from the Union, 
and joined the Southern Confederacy. During the war it had com- 
parative exemption from hostilities, except along the coast, where 
considerable suffering was experienced. At the close of the war a 
Provisional Government was erected, but was repudiated by Congress, 
and in 1867 the State was made a part of the 5th Military District, 
and continued under military rule until March, 1870, when it was 
readmitted into the Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns are, Galveston, Houston, San An- 
tonio, Brownsville, and New Braunfels. 

AUSTIN, 

The capital of the State, is beautifully situated in Travis county, on 
the north bank of the Colorado, about 200 miles, by land, from its 
mouth, 230 miles west-northwest of Galveston, and about 1420 miles 
southwest of Washington. Latitude 30° 15' N. ; longitude 97° 47' W. 
The city is built on a plain elevated about 40 feet above the level of the 
river. It is well built, but owes its importance entirely to its being 
the seat of the State Government. The Colorado is navigable to 
Austin during the winter months, which constitute the, season of 
navigation. 

The city contains the public buildings of the State. The Capitol 
stands on an eminence at the head of Congress avenue, the main 
street of the city. It is a handsome building, and is constructed of 
un oolite, of a soft white color. It is built in the Ionic style of 
architecture. The Governor's House is a plain edifice of brick, on an 
eminence about 300 yards from the capitol. The Treasury Depart- 
ment, Land Office, and the Lunatic, Blind, and Deaf and Dumb 
Asylums, are fine buildings. The scenery in the vicinity of Austin 
is much admired. The city became the capital of Texas in 1844. 
In 1870 the population was 4428. 

GALVESTON, 

The largest city and the commercial metropolis of the State, is situated 
in the county of the same name, on Galveston Island at its eastern 
end, at the mouth of Galveston Bay. It is 230 miles east-southeast 
of Anstin, and about 200 miles west of New Orleans. The island, 
which separates the bay from the Gulf of Mexico, is about 30 miles 



764 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




GALVKSTON 

long and 3 miles broad. The surface is level, and its average eleva- 
tion above the water is only about 4 feet. From Galveston City the 
bay extends to the northward for 35 miles to the mouth of Trinity 
River. 

The harbor of Galveston is the best in the State, and at low tide 
has from 12 to 14 feet of water on the bar. Within the harbor the 
anchorage is ample and secure, and the city is supplied with a series 
of excellent wharves. Galveston is the seat of a large coasting trade, 
and has regular communication by steamship with New Orleans and 
New York, and steamboats navigate the Trinity and San Jacinto 
rivers, bringing the produce of the interior to the seaboard. There 
is railway communication with the principal towns of the State, and 
a railway is in progress which will connect Galveston with New 
Orleans. 

MISCELLANY. 

CAPTURE OF THE ALAMO. 

The " Fall of the Alamo," like the f\\mous defence of Thermopylas, is au event 
that will long live among the heroic incidents of history. At 2 o'clock in tlio 
afternoon, February 23d, 1836, Santa Anna, with the 2d division of the Mexican 
army, marched into the town of San Antonio, having been preceded by an ad- 
vance detachment the second day preceding. His army numbered several thou- 
sand strong, and comprised the choicest troops of his country. On the same day 
a regular siege of the Alamo commenced, and lasted eleven days, until the final 
assault. The Alamo was then garrisoned by loG men, under Lieutenant-Colonel 
William Barret Travis, with Colonel James Bowie, second, as is believed, iu 
command. Colonel David Crockett was also with the garrison, but it is un- 
known whether he had a command, as he had joined it onl3' a few weeks before. 



TEXAS. 765 

Santa Anna immediately demanded a surrender of the garrison, without terms. 
Their reply was a shot from the fort. He then raised a blood red flag on the 
church at Bexar, as a token of vengeance against the rebels, and began an attack, 
and this by slow approaches. Travis sent off an express with a strong appeal for 
aid, declaring that he would never surrender nor retreat. For many days no 
marked incidents occurred in the siege. On the 1st of March, 33 gallant men, 
from Gonzales, under Captain John W. Smith, entered the Alamo, and raised 
the effective force to 188 men. On the 3d, Travis sent out by a courier a last ap- 
peal, setting forth fully his determination to remain until he got relief or perished 
in the defence. About the same time he also wrote an affecting note to a friend : 
*' Take care of my little boy. If the country should be saved, I may make him a 
splendid fortune ; but if the country should be lost, and I should perish, he will 
have nothing but the proud recollection that he is the son of a man who died for 
his country.''^ 

The account of the final assault, with the accompanying description of the 
Alamo, we take from the "Fall of the Alamo," a pamphlet by Captain R. M. 
Potter, published at San Antonio, in July, 1860. He had unusual opportunities 
for obtaining all that can be known of the final tragedy, the details of which have 
not been accurately given, for the reason that not a single defender survived it : 

" Santa Anna, after calling a council of war .on the 4th of March, fixed upon 
(he morning of Sunday, the 6th, as the time for the final assault. Before narrat- 
mg it, however, I must describe the Alamo as it then existed. It had been 
founded soon after the first settlement of the vicinity, and being originally built 
as a place of safety for the settlers and their property, in case of Indian hostility, 
with suflicient room for that purpose, it had neither the strength nor compact- 
ness, nor the arrangement of dominant points, which belong to a regular fortifi- 
cation. 

"As its area contained between two and three acres, a thousand men would 
barely have suflSced to man its defences, and before a heavy siege train its walls 
would soon have crumbled. 

"This work was not manned against the assault. According to Santa Anna's 
report, 21 guns of various calibres were planted in different parts of the works. 
Yoakum, in his description of the armament, mentions but 14. Whichever num- 
ber be correct, however, has but little bearing upon the merits of the final defence, 
in which the cannon had little to do. They were in the hands of men unskilled 
in their use, and owing to the construction of the fort each had a limited range, 
which the enemy, in moving up, seem in a measure to have avoided. 

"It was resolved by Santa Anna that the assault should take place at early 
dawn. The order for the attack, which I have read, but have no copy of, Avas 
full and precise in its details, and was signed by Brigadier-General Amador as 
head of the staff. The besieging force consisted of the battalions of Toluca, 
Jimenes, Matamoros, los Zapadores (or sappers), and another, which I think was 
that of Guerrero, and the dragoon regiment of Dolores. The infantry was di- 
rected at a certain hour, between midnight and dawn, to form at a convenient 
distance from the fort in four columns of attack and a reserve. This disposition 
was not made bj' battalions ; for the light companies of all of them were incorpo- 
rated with the Zapadores to form the reserve, and some other transpositions may 
have been made. A certain number of scaling ladders and axes were to be borne 
with particular columns. The cavalry were to be stationed at different pomta 
around the fortress to cut off fugitives. From what I have learned of men en- 



766 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

gaged in the action, it seems that these dispositions were changed on the eve of 
attack, so far as to combine the five bodies of infantry into three columns of at- 
tack. This inckided the troops designated in the order as the reserve ; and the 
only actual reserve that remained was the cavalry. 

"The immediate command of the assault was entrusted to General Castrillon, 
a Spaniard by birth and a brilliant soldier. Santa Anna took his station, with a 
part of his staff and all the regimental bands, at a battery south of the Alamo and 
near the old bridge, from which the signal was to be given by a bugle note for 
the columns to move simultaneously, at double quick time, against different 
points of the fortress. One, composed mainly of the battalion of Toluca, was to 
enter the north breach — the other two to move against the southern side : one to 
attack the gate of the large area — the other to storm the chapel. By the timing 
of the signal, it was calculated that tlie columns would reach the foot of the wall 
just as it became light enough to operate. 

" When the hour came, the batteries and the music were alike silent, and a 
single blast of the bugle was at first followed by no sound save the rushing tramp 
of soldiers. The guns of the fortress soon opened upon them, and then the bands 
at the south battery struck up the assassin note of deguello — ' no quarter.' But 
a few and not very effective discharges from the works could be made before the 
enemy were under them. A sergeant of the Zapadores told me that the column 
he belonged to encountered but one discharge of grape in moving up, and that 
passed mostly over the men's heads ; and it is thought that the worn and weary 
garrison was not till then fully mustered. The Toluca column arrived first at 
the foot of the wall, but was not the first to enter the area. A large piece of can- 
non at the northwest angle of the area probably commanded the breach. Either 
this, or the deadly fire of the riflemen at that point, where Travis commanded in 
person, brought the column to a disordered halt, and its leader, Colonel Duque, 
fell dangerously wounded. But, while this was occurring, one of the other col- 
umns entered the area by the gate, or by escalade near it. The defence of the 
outer walls had now to be abandoned ; and the garrison took refuge in the build- 
ings. It was probably while the enemy were pouring in through the breach 
that Travis fell at his post ; for his body was found beside the gun just referred 
to. All this passed within a few minutes after the bugle sounded. The early 
loss of the outer barrier, so thinly manned, was inevitable ; and it was noi until 
the garrison became more concentrated and covered in the inner works, that the 
main struggle commenced. They were more concentrated as to the space, not as to 
unity ; for there was no communicating between the buildings, nor in all cases be- 
tween rooms. There was now no retreating from point to point ; and each group of 
defenders had to fight and die in the den where it was brought to bay. From the 
doors, windows, and loopholes of the rooms around the area, the crack of the rifle 
sind hiss of the bullet came fierce and fast : and the enemy fell and recoiled in his 
first efforts to charge. The gun beside which Travis lay was now turned against 
the buildings, as were also some others ; and shot after shot in quick succession 
Avas sent crashing through the doors and barricades of the several rooms. Each 
ball was followed by a storm of musketry and a charge ; and thus room after 
room was carried at the point of the bayonet, when all within them died fighting 
to the last. The struggle was made up of a number of separate and de.'iperate 
combats, often hand to hand, between squads of the garrison and bodies of the 
enemy. The bloodiest spot about the fortress was the long barrack and the ground 
in front of it, where the eneniy fell in heaps. 



TEXAS. 767 

•'In the meantime, the turning of Travis' gun had been imitated by the garri- 
son. A small piece on the roof of the chapel, or one of the other buildings, was 
turned against the area while the rooms were being stormed. It did more execu- 
tion than any other cannon of the fortress; but after a few effective discharges, 
all who manned it fell under the enemy's fire. Crockett had taken refuge in a 
room of the low barrack near the gate. He either garrisoned it alone, or was left 
alone by the fall of his companions, when he sallied to meet his fate in the face 
of the foe, and was shot down. Bowie had been severely hurt by a fall from a 
platform, and, when the attack came on, was confined to his bed in an upper 
room of the barrack. He was there killed ou his couch, but not without resist- 
ance ; for he is said to have shot down with his pistols one or more of the enemy 
as they entered the chamber. 

" The church was the last point taken. The column which moved against it, 
consisting of the battalion of Jimenes and other troops, was at first repulsed, and 
took refuge among some old houses outside of the barrier, near its southwest 
angle, till it was rallied and led on by General Amador. It was soon joined by 
the rest of the force, and the church was carried by a coup de main. Its inmates, 
like the rest, fought till the last, and continued to fire from the upper platforms 
after the enemy occupied the floor of the building. A Mexican officer told of 
seeing a man shot in the crown of the head in this melee. During the closing 
struggle. Lieutenant Dickinson, with his child in his arms, or tied to his back, as 
some accounts say, leaped from an upper window, and both were killed in the 
act. Of those he left behind him, the bayonet soon gleaned what the bullet 
missed ; and in the upper part of the church the last defender must have fallen. 
The morning breeze which received his parting breath probably still fanned his 
flag above that fabric, ere it was pulled down by the victor. It is a fact not often 
remembered, that Travis and his men died under the Mexican Federal fiag of 
1834, instead of the 'Lone Star,' although the independence of Texas, unknown 
to them, had been declared four days before. They died for a Republic whose 
existence they never knew. 

"jT/je Alamo had fallen. 

"The action, according to Santa Anna's report, lasted 30 minutes. It was 
certainly short, and possibly no longer space passed between the moment when 
the enemy fronted the breach and that when resistance died out. Some of the 
incidents which have to be related separately, no doubt occurred simultaneously, 
and occupied very little time. 

"The account of the assault which Yoakum and others have adopted as au- 
thentic, is evidently one which popular tradition has based on conjecture. 

"A negro boy, belonging to Travis, the wife of Lieutenant Dickinson, Mrs. 
Alsbury, a native of San Antonio, and another Mexican woman, and two children, 
were the only inmates of the fortress whose lives were spared. The children 
were those of the two females whose names are given. Lieutenant Dickinson 
commanded a gun in the east upper window of the church. His family was pro- 
bably in one of the two small upper rooms of the front. This will account for 
his being able to take one of his children to the rear platform while the building 
was being stormed. A small irrigating canal runs below the window referred 
to ; and his aim, in the desperate attempt at flight, probably was to break his fall 
by leaping into the water ; but tlie shower of bullets which greeted him rendered 
the precaution as needless as it was hopeless. 

"At the time the outer barriers were carried, a few men leaped from them and 



768 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

attempted to escape, but were all cut down by the cavalry. Half an hour or more 
after the action was over, a few men were found concealed in one of the rooma 
under some mattresses — General Houston, in a letter of the 11th, says as many as 
seven ; but I have generally heard them spoken of as only three or four. The offi- 
cer to whom they were first reported entreated Santa Anna to spare their lives ; 
but he was sternly rebuked and the men ordered to be shot, v/hich was done. 
Owing to the hurried and confused manner in which the mandate was obeyed, a 
Mexican soldier was accidentally killed with them. 

" Castrillon was the soul of the assault. Santa Anna remained at the south 
battery with the music of the whole army and a part of his staff, till he supposed 
the place was nearly mastered, when he moved up with that escort toward the 
Alamo ; but returned again on being greeted by a few rifle balls from the upper 
windows of the church. He, however, entered the area toward the close of the 
scene, and directed some of the last details of the butciiery. 

" The five infantry corps that formed the attacking force, according to the data 
already referred to, amounted to about 2500 men. The number of Mexican 
wounded, according to various accounts, largely exceeded that of the killed ; and 
the estimates made of both by intelligent men who were in the action, and whose 
candor I think could be relied on, rated their loss at from 150 to 200 killed, and 
from 300 to 400 wounded. The real loss of the assailants in killed and wounded 
probably did not differ much from 500 men. General Bradburn was of opinion 
that 300 men in the action were lost to the service, counting with the killed those 
who died of wounds or were permanently disabled. This agrees with the other 
most reliable estimates. Now, if 500 men or more were bullet-stricken in half 
an hour, by 180 or less, it was a rapidity of bloodshed almost unexampled, and 
needs no exaggeration. 

" Of the foregoing details, which do not refer to documentary authority, I ob- 
tained many from General Bradburn, who ii.rrived at San Antonio a few daj^s 
after the action, and gathered them from oiScers who were in it. A few I had 
through a friend from General Amador. Others again I received from three in- 
telligent sergeants, who were men of fair education, and I think truthful. One 
of them. Sergeant Becero, of the battalion of Matamoras, who was captured at 
San Jacinto, was for several years my servant in Texas. From men of their 
class I could generally get more candid statements, as to loss and other matters, 
than from commissioned officers. I have also gathered some minor particulars 
from local tradition preserved among the residents of this town. When most of 
the details thus learned were acquired, I had not seen the locality ; and hence I 
had to locate some of the occurences by inference ; which I liave done carefully 
and I think correctly. 

"The stranger will naturally inquire, 'Where lie the heroes of the Alamo?' 
and Texas can only reply by a silent blush. A few hours after the action, the 
bodies of the slaughtered garrison were gathered up by the victors, laid in three 
piles, mingled with fuel, and burned. On the 25th of February, near a year 
after, their bones and ashes were collected, placed in a coffin, and interred with 
due solemnity, and with military honors, by Colonel Seguin and his command. 
The place of burial was in what was then a peach orchard outside the town, a 
few hundred yards from the Alamo. It is now ajarge enclosed lot in the midst 
of the Alamo sni^-urh." 



THE WESTERN STATES. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 

Area, 23,000 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 376,688 

Population in 1870, 442,014 

The State of West Virginia (excluding the narrow strip in the 
northwest, called the "Pan-handle") lies between 37° 6' and 39° 44' 
X. latitude, and between 77° 40' and 82° 35' W. longitude. It is 
bounded on the north by Pennsylvania and Maryland, on the south- 
east by Virginia, on the southwest by Virginia and Kentucky, and 
on the northwest by Ohio. It is very irregular in shape. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface is generally hilly. The northeast part of the State is 
crossed by the Alleghany Mountains, west of which are the Green- 
brier, Cheat Mountains, and other enainences, supposed to be a pro- 
longation of the Cumberland Mountains. The valley between these 
ranges and the Alleghanies is elevated to a level of from 1200 to 
2000 feet above the level of the sea. 

The scenery of the State is grand and beautiful. The celebrated 
pass at Harper's Ferry lies in this State, and is but the beginning of a 
series of mountain views, unsurpassed in grandeur by any in the 
world. ^ 

" The scenery at Harper's Ferry is, perhaps, the most singularly 
picturesque in America. To attain the view here given, it was necessary 
to climb the Blue Ridge by a narrow winding path immediately above 
the bank of the Potomac. The view from this lofty summit amply 
repays the fatigue incurred by its ascent. The junction of the two 
rivers is immediately beneath the spectator's feet; and his delighted 

769 



770 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




HARPER'S FERRY. 



eye, resting first upon the beautiful and thriving village of Harper's 
Ferry, wanders over the wide and woody plains, extending to the 
Alleghany Mountains. President Jefferson, who has given the name 
to a beautiful rock immediately above the village, has left a powerful 
description of the scenery of Harper's Ferry. He says : ' The 
passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge, is, perhaps, one 
of the most stupendous sCenes in nature. You stand on a very high 
point of land ; on your right comes up the Shenandoah, having 
ranged along the foot of a mountain a hundred miles to seek a vent. 
On your left approaches the Potomac, in quest of a passage also ; in 
the moment of their junction, they rush together against the moun- 
tain, rend it asunder, and pass off to the sea. The first glance of 
this scene hurries our senses into the opinion that this earth has been 
created in time; that the mountains were formed first; that the 
rivers began to flow afterwards ; that in this place particularly, they 
have been dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains, and have 
formed an ocean which filled the whole valley ; that, continuing to 
rise, they have at length broken over at this spot, and have toi"n the 
mountain down from its summit to its base. The piles of rock on 



WEST VIRGINIA. 771 

each hand, particularly on the Shenandoah — tne evident marks of 
their disrupture and avulsion from their beds by the most powerful 
agents of nature, corroborate the impression. But tiie distant finish- 
ing which nature has given to the picture, is of a very different 
character; it is a true contrast to the foreground ; it is as placid and 
delightful as that is wild and tremendous ; for the mountain being 
cloven asunder, she presents to your eye, through the clefts a small 
catch of smooth blue horizon, at an infinite distance in the plain 
country, inviting you, as it were, from tiie riot and tumult warring 
around, to pass through the breach and participate of the calm below. 
Here the eye ultimately composes itself; and that way, too, the road 
happens actually to lead. You cross the Potomac above the junction, 
[)ass along its side through the base of the mountain for three miles, 
its terrible precipices hanging in fragments over you, and within 
about twenty miles reach Fredericktown, and the fine country round 
that. This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic; yet here, 
as in the neighborhood of the Natural Bridge, are people who have 
passed their lives within half a dozen miles, and have never been to 
survey these monuments of a war between rivers and mountains, 
which must have shaken the earth itself to its centre.' There are 
many points of view from which the scenery appears romantic and 
beautiful. Among these, that seen from Jefferson's Rock, which is 
on a hill overhanging the town, is very fine. The top of this rock is 
flat, and nearly twelve feet square; its base, which does not exceed 
five feet in width, rests upon the top of a larger rock ; and its height 
is about five feet. The whole mass is so nicely balanced, that the 
application of a small force will cause it to vibrate considerably. 
On this rock once reposed another rock, on which Mr. Jefferson, 
during a visit to this place, inscribed his name. In the extraordinary 
political excitement of 1798-9, between the federal and the democratic , 
parties, a Captain Henry, who was stationed here with some United 
States troops, at the head of a band of his men hurled off the apex 
of this rock. At Harper's Ferry, on the Maryland side, there is 
said to be a wonderful likeness of Washington in the stupendous 
rocks which overhang the Potomac. The nose, lips, and chin are 
admirably formed, and bear the semblance of studied art. The fore- 
head is obscure; yet there is sufficient to give the mind a just idea 
of the noble form and dignified carriage, with the mildness of feature, 
which the original possessed so pre-eminently as to inspire all men 
V^'ith a profound reverence towards this august personage." 



772 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Ohio River, already described, washes the entire northwestern 
shore of the State. The cities of Wheeling and Parkersburg lie on its 
banks. Its scenery is beautiful, but tame. It receives the waters of 
the principal rivers of the State. These are the Little and Great 
Kanawha, the Guyandotte, and Big Sandy, which last separates the 
State from Kentucky. The Monongahela, one of the branches of the 
Ohio, rises in the centre of this State, and flows north into Pennsyl- 
vania. The Potomac also rises in the northeastern part and separates 
West Virginia from Maryland. The Great Kanawha is the principal 
river, lying for the greater part within the State, It rises in Ashe 
county, North Carolina, and flows northwest through Virginia and 
AVest Virginia into the Ohio, at Point Pleasant. Before entering 
West Virginia it is known as New River. It breaks through the 
Alleghany and Blue Ridge ranges, and in Fayette county, in this 
State, is joined by its principal tributary, the Gauley. Two miles 
below the mouth of the Gauley, the Kanawha, now 500 yards wide, 
falls over a ledge of rocks 25 feet high. These falls are very pic- 
turesque, and are at the head of the navigation of the stream. The 
scenery, especially along the New River, is very beautiful. The 
Kanawha is 400 miles long, and navigable for 100 miles. The 
Monongahela is navigable at high water from Pittsburg, Pa., to Fair- 
mont in this State. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate in West Virginia is invigorating and delightful. ' The 
summers are cool and pleasant, yet hot enough for the crops, and the 
winters though severe are steady and not unpleasant. In healthful- 
ness, the State will compare favorably with any part of the Union. 

MINERALS. 

A recent report of the Bureau of Agriculture thus describes the 
minerals of the State : 

" The minerals of West Virginia are too well known for particular 
comment. Nearly all the counties in the State contain coal, iron, and 
other minerals ; coal, in veins suitable for working, is found in greatest 
abundance along the banks of the Upper Ohio, in the hills along the 
course of the Monongahela and its branches, in the central counties 
of the State, in the Piedmont region east of the summit, in the Ka- 
nawha valley, and in all the counties south of that river. The coal 



WEST VIRGINIA. 773 

• 

lands of Guyandotte, being bituminous, cannel, and splint varieties, 
cover nine-tenths of the Guyandotte valley, in horizontal strata in the 
hills, from three to eleven feet thick, aggregating in some hills, twenty- 
five or thirty feet. Coal mining in Kanawha is represented as paying 
well. The inducements for employing capital under practical super- 
vision is claimed to be very flattering, while complaint is made of the 
visionary character of recent coal and oil operations. Of Brooke, our 
correspondent says: — 'The most valuable mineral, however, is bitu- 
minous coal, accessible by level adits over the greater part of the 
county. The stratum is four to five feet thick. In the hills, fronting 
on the Ohio River, it i& about 200 feet above the river level, and the 
coal is let down by railways to boats for shipment. Off from the 
river it is mined merely for home consumption. As soon as railways 
are made up the valleys, an immense supply can be obtained. About 
300 feet beneath the river level, there is another stratum, some six or 
seven feet in thickness, of superior coal, which has been mined by 
shafts or galleries at Steubenville, and at Rust Run, on the opposite 
side of the river. A company was formed a short tiiiie ago to mine 
this coal at Wellsburg, our county seat, but they have as yet failed to 
commence. This coal is almost wholly free from sulphur, and on 
that account admirably fitted for working iron.' Iron ore, of various 
descriptions, and of superior quality, abounds in many of the counties. 
It is worked in a few localities on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 
but development of the iron of the State can scarcely be said to have 
commenced. Other minerals are reported in every section of the 
State. Some of the best timber of the country is to be found here, 
of all the different kinds of oaks, black walnut, hickory, poplar, 
cherry, etc. A considerable trade in timber is already in progress 
in the river counties, and hoat-biiilding is engaged in to some extent. 
The soil is generally productive, yielding well all farm products." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of the State is excellent as a general rule. The river bot- 
toms and the mountain valleys are the best lands, bub the hill-sides 
are fertile, also, and admirably suited for grazing. 

In 1869, there were about 3,000,000 acres of improved land in the 
State, and about 7,000,000 acres of unimproved land. The cash 
value of farms was about $120,000,000. Farming implements and 
machinery amounted to about $2,500,000 in value. The value of 
domestic animals was |1 7,088,568. 



774 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The principal products are : 

Bushels of wlieat, 2,500,000 

" rye, 300,000 

" oats, . 2,500,000 

" buckwheat, 90,000 

" Indian corn, 8,250,000 

barley, 56,000 

" Irish potatoes, 1,125,000 

Pounds of tobacco, 2,000,000 

Tons of hay, 225,000 

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. 

Manufactures are growing in importance in the State. Wheeling, the 
principal city, is largely engaged in the manufacture of iron and glass. 
In 1870 there were 2444 manufacturing establishments in the State, 
employing 11,672 hands, and a capital of $11,084,520; using raw ma- 
terials to the value of $14,503,701 ; and yielding an annual product 
of 124,102,201. The iron manufactures were valued at $9,833,892. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 485 miles of completed railroads in West Vir- 
ginia, constructed at a cost of about $33,000,000. The great Baltimore 
and Ohio Railroad, which connects Wheeling with Baltimore, and its 
branch, the Northwestern Virginia Railroad, ])ass through the northern 
and northwestern counties of the State. The Hempfield Railroad will 
connect Wheeling with Washington, Pennsylvania, and is to be ex- 
tended to the Pennsylvania Central Railroad at Greensburg in that 
State. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway is completed from Coving- 
ton to the Ohio River, and connects its eastern terminus with the 
Central Railroad of Virginia. 

EDUCATION. 

Bethany College, in Brooke county, is the principal institution of 
the State. It is under the care of the Campbelite Church. 

The State Superintendent of Free Schools has the general super- 
vision of the system of public instruction in the State. He makes an 
annual report of the condition of the schools to the Legislature. Each 
county is in charge of a County Superintendent, elected for two years. 
He is required by law to visit the schools and examine the teachers. at 
least once in six months. He reports annually to the State Superin- 



WEST VIRGINIA. 775 

tendent. The immediate control of the schools is vested in a Board 
of Education in each township. Each board consists of three Com- 
missioners, elected for three years, and the clerk of the township. 
They report to the County Superintendent. Three normal schools 
Iiave been established — one at Guyandotte, Cabell county ; one at West 
Liberty, Ohio county ; and one at Fairmont, Marion county. The 
school at West Liberty has been opened, and has an attendance of 90 
pupils. 

An Agricultural College, established by the State at Morgantown, in 
Monongalia county, was opened in June, 1867. It is provided with 
excellent buildings and a farm of 25 acres. 

In 1870, there were 2113 school-houses in the State. The annual 
attendance was 87,330. The number of children of school age w^as 
162,430. The permanent school fund, of which only the interest can 
be used, amounts to $254,860. The total sum received for sciiool 
purposes, during the year, amounted to $562,761. The value of 
school property in 48 counties was $1,057,473. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Moundsville, and is in course 
of construction, but sufficiently advanced to accommodate the con- 
victs, who in November, 1870, numbered 114. 

The Hospital for the Insane is at Weston, in Lewis county. It is 
not yet finished, but is sufficiently advanced to accommodate its pa- 
tients, who in 1870 numbered 207. The buildings, when completed, 
will be ample and very handsome. They were begun by the old State 
of Virginia before the war. 

The Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Asylum of West Virginia is situated 
at Romney, and was opened in 1870. It is too small to accommodate 
the patients. 

FINANCES. 

The State has no debt of its own, and it is not yet decided whether 
it will assume any share of the debt of the old State of Virginia. The 
receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1874, 
were $695,951 ; and the expenditures $657,183. On the 1st of Oc- 
tober, 1874, there was a cash balance in the Treasury of $38,768, 
exclusive of balance of school fund, etc. 

There were, in 1868, in this State, 5 State banks, with a capital of 
$570,200, and 15 National banks, with a capital of $2,216,400. 
48 



776 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of the State was ratified by the people in 
May, 1862. Every white male citizen, 21 years old, who has resided 
in the State one year, and in the county thirty days, is entitled to vote 
at the elections. Paupers, lunatics, and convicts, are not allowed to 
vote. 

Tlie Government is vested in a Governor, Secretary of State, Audi- 
tor, Treasurer, Attorney-General, and a Legislature consisting of a 
Senate (of 22 members, elected for two years) and a House of Dele- 
gates (of 51 members, elected for one year), all elected by the peo- 
ple. The State officers are chosen for two years. The Legislature 
meets every year on the third Tuesday in January, and sits for 45 
days only, unless two-thirds of both houses agree to prolong the 
session. 

The Courts of the State are, the Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, 
and County Courts. The Supreme Court of Appeals consists of 3 
judges, elected by the people for 12 years, one judge retiring every 4 
years. 

The seat of Government is located at Charleston, in Kanawha county. 
The State is divided into 53 counties. 

HISTORY. 

This State formed a part of Virginia until the outbreak of the late 
war. Being unwilling to be forced out of the Union by the action of 
the eastern counties, the people of the western district met at Wheeling 
in convention, on the 11th of June, 1861, and organized a State 
Government. Delegates from 40 counties were present. On the 26th 
of November, 1861, another Convention met at Wheeling and adopted 
a State Constitution for the new State of West Virginia. This was 
ratified by the people on the 3d of May, 1862, but Congress insisted 
on the adoption of certain amendments to the Constitution. These 
changes were made by the Convention, the amendments sustained by 
a vote of the people, and the new State was admitted into the Union 
on the 20th of June, 1863. 

During the war the State was repeatedly invaded by the Confede- 
rates, and those regions bordering on the old State of Virginia put to 
considerable loss. The Kanawha Valley was the scene of several se- 
vere battles, but towards the close of the war the State was almost 
exempt from hostilities. 



WEST 7IRGIXIA. 777 

The people were much divided in sentiment, the Union element 
preponderating, however. A large number of men enlisted in the Con- 
federate army, and the State furnished 31,884 troops to the United 
States army. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

The principal cities and towns are. Wheeling, Parkersburg, Martins- 
burg, Charleston, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Grafton, and 
Wellsburg. 

CHARLESTON, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Kanawha county, on the north 
bank of the Kanawha River, 60 miles from its mouth, and at its con- 
fluence with the Elk River, and about 150 miles S.S.W. of Wheeling. 
The river here is about 300 yards wide, and is navigable for small 
steamers during the entire year. These furnish the only means of 
communication with Wheeling and Parkersburg, the principal cities 
of the State. Charleston will soon be connected with Eastern Vir- 
ginia by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, now in course of con- 
struction. 

Charleston is a pretty country town, containing the county buildings, 
a newspaper office, 3 or 4 churches, and several schools. Its only im- 
portance is due to its being the capital of the State. Being difficult 
of access, it is believed that the seat of Government will soon be re- 
moved to some more convenient town. In 1870 the population was 
3162. 

Just above Charleston are the famous Kanawha Salt Works, which 
extend on both sides of the river for about 15 miles. Previous to the 
civil war they gave employment to about 3000 persons, and produced 
large quantities of salt annually. During the civil war they were 
greatly injured. The entire Kanawha region is rich in coal, and 
abounds in fine water-power. Its proximity to the iron regions of the 
two Virginias gives it peculiar advantages for manufacturing, which 
will no doubt be improved in the course of a few years. 

WHEELING, 

The commercial and political metropolis of West Virginia, and the 
first capital of the State, is situated in Ohio county, on the east bank 
of the Ohio River, and on both sides of Wheeling Creek, at the mouth 
of the latter stream, 92 miles below Pittsburg, 365 miles above Cin- 



778 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




WIIEKLIXG. 



einnati, and 420 miles west of Washington by the Baltimore and Ohio 
Railway. Latitude 40° 7' N. ; longitude 80° 42' AV. 

The city is built along a narrow alluvial tract extending from the 
river to a range of hills less than a mile from the water, and running 
parallel with it. It is about 2 miles in length, with an average breadth 
of half a mile. It is regularly laid out, with moderately wide streets 
crossing each other at right angles, and though it contains a number 
of handsome buildings, public and private, is but indifferently built 
as a whole. The streets are tolerably well paved, and some of them 
are well shaded with handsome trees. The houses are mostly of brick, 
and nearly the whole of those recently erected are of this material. 

The principal public buildings are, the United States Custom House (in 
which is located the Post Office), a handsome granite edifice, and the 
Court House. The city contains 24 churches, some of which Mould do 
credit to any city ; an efficient hospital ; 7 public schools, and several 
excellent private schools, its female seminaries being among the best in 
the country ; a free library of 35,000 volumes ; 2 hotels, and 4 newspaper 
offices. Its principal points are connected by a street railway, which 
is also extended across the Ohio to the town of Bridgeport, in the 



WEST VIRGINIA. 779 

State of Ohio; it isliglited with gas, is supplied with pure water from 
the Ohio River, and is jiiovided with a steam fire department, and an 
efficient police force. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 
1870 the population was 19,282. 

Wheeling lies in the midst of one of the loveliest portions of the 
Ohio Valley, and is destined to become a place of very great import- 
ance. It is connected with Baltimore and the East by the Baltimore 
and Ohio Railway. A lailway on the opposite side of the river con- 
nects it with Pittsburg and Cleveland, and another on the same side 
with Columbus, Cincinnati and all parts of the West. The Ohio is 
navigable for steamers during the greater part of the year, and affords 
M'ater communication with all parts of the Mississippi Valley. The 
city is engaged in a heavy river trade, a number of steamboats being 
owned in AVheeling. 

The prosperity of the city is due almost entirely to its manufactures. 
The mills by which it is surrounded are filled with coal, which lies 
i)ut a few feet below the surface. The larfje mills mine their own 
coal at a moderate cost, many of the " coal banks," as they are called, 
lying within the city limits. Dr. Reeves, of Wheeling, writing in 
1870, thus speaks of the manufactures of the city: 

" In the manufacture of iron and nails, within the limits of the city, 
2295 persons are employed ; of these the principal operatives are 
boilers and their helpers, 620 ; blacksmiths, 80; nailers, 127; nail- 
feeders, 385. Boilers work at the furnaces by turns of ten hours, 
both day and night, and prepare the metal for the rolls, where it is 
made into bars and nail sheeting. This class of laborers is generally 
composed of Germans and Irish — the most of them foreign born, and, 
as a rule, are a hardy set of men. 

" The nail mills of Wheeling — the Riverside Iron Works, Belmont, 
La Belle, and Wheeling Iron and Nail Works, including the two 
mills at Benwood and Bellaire, which are four miles distant from 
Wheeling, cut 17,350 kegs of nails per week, or about 902,200 kegs 
annually, at an average value of $4,059,900. Besides these, and 
other rolling mills for the manufacture of railroad bar rod, hammer 
iron, sheet iron, bridge iron, bolts, etc., there are two spike mills 
which turn out annually, for railroad and boat building purposes, 
from 50,000 to 60,000 kegs. The tougliness of Wheeling nails, and 
therefore their superiority to nails made at other mills, is generally 
conceded. The Whitaker Mills, situated on the bank of W^heeling 
Creek, engage principally in the manufacture of railroad iron, spikes. 



78. OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

sheet iron, etc., aud are capable of rolling and finishing 60 tons of 
railroad bars per day. Fifty miles of the rails of the great Pacific 
road were made at these mills. The Norway Manufacturing Com- 
pany's mills, situated in South Wheeling, are supplied with machin- 
ery of the most improved invention, and are capable of doing all 
kinds of wrought iron bridge work. A part of the grand railway 
superstructure soon to span the Missouri at St. Charles, near St. Louis, 
is now going through these mills, which^uot only proves their 
capacity, but as well their competitive ability. The hinge and tack 
factories are extensive establishments, and because of the superior 
manufacture of their stocks, they are rapidly extending their trade in 
all directions. The founderies and machine shops give employment 
to 475 persons, who are remarkable for their general good health, 
notwithstanding their frequent excesses in eating and drinking. 
There are eight founderies in the city. Three or four of these 
establishments are principally engaged in duplicating the patterns 
of machinery employed in the different iron and nail mills, and they 
are also as well prepared to make original patterns and single castings 
of any shape and for any purpose, weighing from one pound to fifteen 
tons. Recently a new item of business — the making of iron fronts 
of the most beautiful and substantial patterns, for business houses — 
has come into existence. 

" The stove market is entirely supplied from home founderies, 
which turn out annually thousands of diiferent patterns, both for 
cooking and heating purposes. In this particular line of trade, busi- 
ness is constantly on the increase, for two reasons, mainly : the truly 
excellent patterns made, and the exceedingly low price at which they 
are sold. Besides, it has been ascertained that Wheeling stoves with- 
stand greater and longer heat Avithout burning than many patterns of 
Eastern and Northern manufacture. 

" There are eight machine shops in the city. Of these the Baltimore 
and Ohio are the most extensive, and command the labor of from 60 
to 120 men, both day and night. In each of the other shops, how- 
ever, equally skilled machinists are busily employed the year round 
making steam-engines, boilers, shafting, mill work, steamboat iron.?, 
etc., etc. In a word, anything in the way of Machinery can be made 
at the Wheeling shops as well and at as low price as it can be furnished 
from the competing shops of Pittsburg and Cincinnati. 

" The Manufacture of Glass. — In this department there are 
eix extensive establishments — one of which is said to be the largeiit 



WEST VIRGINIA. 781 

of the kind in the United States — which employ 860 persons of both 
sexes, men and women, boys and girls. Many articles of Wheeling 
, glass manufacture find ready sale in the markets of other cities — from 
Maine to California; and it is, indeed, remarkable that New England 
sand can be shipped to Wheeling, where it is made into the finest 
flint glass wares, and then these sent to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New 
York and Boston, for sale at even smaller prices than tiieir own 
manufacturers can produce like articles. Some idea may be had of the 
extent of the business done, when it is mentioned that to one house 
alone, the annual cost of packages, boxes, barrels, etc., for shipment 
of wares, is $15,000; and that during the past three months, over 
16,000 second-hand barrels have been used at a cost of $5000. The 
superior quality of Wheeling window glass is generally acknowledged. 
Several of the finer grades, usually cut into large panes, closely resem- 
ble the best specimens of imported plate glass. 

" Besides the manufacture of iron, nails and glass, there are several 
establishments which are of very great importance, both on account 
of the amount of capital invested, and the number of skilled laborers 
they employ. First in importance among these, perhaps, are the two 
extensive ship-yards — one in North AVheeling, the other in South 
Wheeling. Many first-class boats are built at these yards, and fur- 
nished with the most improved machinery from Wheeling shops. 
There are also several extensive wagon and carriage manufactories in 
the city. In these establishments a very large capital is invested. 
Their trade is principally with the South, and the supply of their 
manufactures scarcely equals the demand. The woollen factory is a 
busy institution, and supplies the home and other markets with many 
excellent fabrics." 

There are ai^out 34 establishments engaged in the manufacture of 
the articles referred to. Besides these, flour, white lead, and silk are 
also produced here. 

The Ohio is crossed at Wheeling by a beautiful wire suspension 
bridge, which is one of the largest in the world, with a span of 1010 
feet. The height of the towers is 153 feet above low- water mark, 
and 60 feet above the abutments. The bridge is supported by four 
wire cables, each 1380 feet in length, and 8 inches in diameter. The 
cost of the bridge was $210,000 in gold. It extends from Wheeling 
proper to Zanes' Island, now the 7th ward of the city of Wheeling. 
On the western side of the island, a covered wooden bridge connects it 
with the town of Bridgeport in Ohio. 



782 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Wheeling was originally settled in 1769 by Colonel Ebenezer Zane, 
his brothers Silas and Jonathan, and a number of others. They 
chose the site of the present city for their new home, and the next 
spring brought out their families. The name of the city is derived 
from an Indian word — Weeling — signifying the place of a head. Some 
}"oars before the settlement a party of whites descending the Ohio, 
stopped at the mouth of the creek. They were murdered by the 
Indians, who cut off the head of one of the victims, and placed it on a 
pole with the face to the river, and called the spot Weeling. Soon after 
the settlement a fort was built near the mouth of the creek. In Septem- 
ber, 1777, this Fort (Henry) was besieged by a force of about 500 
Indian warriors, led by the notorious renegade Simon Girty. The 
garrison, only 42 strong, repulsed the attack, until the arrival of a 
reinforcement of about 50 men, when the savages raised the siege and 
retreated. After the close of the Revolution the city grew slowly. 
The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio, gave it an impetus, 
and it soon entered upon its manufacturing career, which can be 
limited only by the amount of capital available to its citizens. After 
the secession of Virginia, and the separation from the old State, it 
was made the capital of West Virginia, and continued to be the 
seat of Government until the removal of the capital to Charleston, 
in 1870. 

PARKERSBURG, 

The second city of the State, is situated in Wood county, on the cast 
bank of the Ohio River, at the mouth of the Little Kanawha, 100 
miles below Wheeling, and about 400 miles by railway west of 
Washington. It is well laid out, and is neatly built. It contains a 
Coiirt House, about 5 churches, several good schools, 3 newspajjcr 
offices, and several steam mills. It is the western terminus of the 
Northwestern Virginia railway, a branch of the Baltimore and Ohio 
railway. The Ohio River is here crossed by a fine railway bridge, by 
means of which close connections are made with the railways leading 
to Cincinnati, etc. The city is also actively engaged in the river 
trade. The valley of the Little Kanawha abounds in oil wells, many of 
which are very profitable. Just below Parkersburg is the long cele- 
brated Blannerhasset's Island. Good turnpike roads extend from 
Parkersburg to Winchester and Staunton, in Eastern Virginia. la 
1870j the population of Parkersburg was 5546. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 783 

MISCELLANY. 

BOEDER LIFE. 

Dodridge, in his "Notes on Western Virginia," gives the following account 
<A' the life led by the settlers of that region : 

The settlements on this side of the mountains commenced along the Mononga- 
hela, and between that river and the Laurel ridge, in the year 1772. In the 
succeeding year they reached the Ohio River. The greater number of the first 
settlers came from the upper parts of the then colunits of Maryland and Virginia. 
Braddock's trail, as it was called, was the route by which the greater number of 
them crossed the mountains. A less number of them came by the way of Bed- 
ford and Fort Ligonier. They effected their removals on horses furnished with 
pack-saddles. Tlus was the more easily done, as but few of these early adven- 
turers into the wilderness were encumbered with much baggage. 

Land was the object which invited the greater number of these people to cross 
the mountain, for, as the saying then was, "It was to be had here for taking 
up; " that is, building a cabin and raising a crop of grain, however small, of any 
kind, entitled the occupant to 400 acres of land, and a pre-emption right to 1000 
acres more adjoining, to be secured by a land-office warrant. Tliis right was to 
take effect if there happened to be so much vacant laud, or any part thereof, ad- 
joining the tract secured by the settlement right. 

At an early period the Government of Virginia appointed three commissioners 
to give certificates of settlement rights. These certificates, together with the sur- 
veyor's plat, were sent to the land-office of the State, where they lay six months, 
to await any caveat which might be offered. If none was offered, the patent 
then issued. 

There was, at an early period of our settlements, an inferior kind of land title, 
denominated a "tomahawk right," which was made by deadening a few trees 
near the head of a spring, and marking the bark of some one or more of them 
with the initials of the name of the person who made the improvement. I re- 
member having seen a number of those "tomahawk rights" when a boy. For 
a long time many of them bore the names of those who made them. I have no 
knowledge of the efficacy of the tomahawk improvement, or whether it conferred 
any right whatever, unless followed by an actual settlement. These riglits, how- 
ever, were often bought and sold. Those who wished to make settlements on 
their favorite tracts of land, bought up the tomahawk improvements, rather than 
enter into quarrels with those who had made them. Other improvers of the land, 
with a view to actual settlement, and who happened to be stout veteran fellows, 
took a very different course from that of purchasing the "tomahawk rights." 
"When annoyed by the claimants under those rights, they deliberately cut a few 
good hickories, and gave them what was called in those days a "laced jacket," 
that is, a sound whipping. 

Some of the early settlers took the precaution to come over the mountains in 
the spring, leaving their families behind to raise a crop of corn, and then return 
and bring them out in the fall. This I should think was the better way. Others, 
especially those whose families were small, brought them with them in the 
spring. My father took the latter course. His family was but small, and ha 



784 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

brought them all with him. The Indian meal which he brought over the moun- 
tain was expended six weeks too soon, so that for that length of time we had to 
live without bread. The lean venison and the breast of wild turkeys we were 
taught to call bread. The flesh of the bear was denominated meat. This artifice 
did not succeed very well. After living in. this way for some time, we became 
sickly, the stomach seemed to be always empty and tormented with a sense of 
hunger. I remember how narrowly the children w'atched the growth of the po- 
tato tops, pumpkin and squash vines, hoping from day to day to get something to 
answer in the place of bread. How delicious was the taste of the young potatoes 
when we got them ! What a jubilee, when we were permitted to pull the young 
corn for roasting ears. Still more so, when it had acquired siifiicient hardness 
to be made into jouny-cakes by the aid of a tin grater. We then became healthy, 
vigorous, and contented with our situation, poor as it was. 

My father, with a small number of his neighbors, made their settlements in the 
spring of 1773. Though they were in a poor and destitute situation, they never- 
theless lived in peace ; but their tranquillity was not of long continuance. Those 
most atrocious murders of the peaceable, inoflFensive Indians, at Captiua and 
Yellow Creek, brought on the war of Lord Dunmore, in the spring of the year 
1774. Our little settlement then broke up. The women and children were re- 
moved to Morris's Fort, in Sandy Creek glade, some distance to the east of 
Uniontown. The fort consisted of an assemblage of small hovels, situated on 
the margin of a large and noxious marsh, the efiiuvia of which gave the most of 
the women and children the fever and ague. The men were compelled bj' ne- 
cessity to return home, and risk the tomahawk and scalping-knife of the Indians, 
in raising corn to keep their families from starvation the succeeding winter. 
Those sufferings, dangers, and losses, were the tribute we had to pay to that 
thirst for blood which actuated those veteran murderers who brought the war 
upon us. The memory of the sufferers in this war, as well as that of their de- 
scendants, still looks back upon them with regret and abhorrence, and the page 
of history will consign their names to posterity with the full weight of infamy 
they deserve. 

My father, like many others, believed that, having secured his legal allotment, 
the rest of the country belonged of right to those who chose to settle in it. There 
was a piece of vacant land adjoining his tract, amounting to about 300 acres. 
To this tract of land he had the pre-emption right, and according!}' secured it by 
warrant ; but his conscience would not permit him to retain it in his family ; he 
therefore gave it to an apprentice lad whom he had raised in his house. This lad 
sold it to an uncle of mine for a cow and a calf, and a wool hat. 

Owing to the equal distribution of real property directed by our land laws, and 
the sterling integrity of our forefathers in their observance of them, we have no 
districts of " sold land," as it is called, that is, large tracts of land in the hands 
of individuals, or companies, who neither sell nor improve them, as is the case 
in Lower Canada and the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. These unsettled 
tracts make huge blanks in the population of the country where they exist. 

The division-lines between those whose lands adjoined were generally made in 
an amicable manner, before any survey of them was made, by the parties con- 
cerned. In doing this, they were guided mainly by the tops of ridges and water- 
courses, but particularly the former. Hence the greater number of farms in the 
western parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia bear a striking resemblance to an 
amphitheatre. The buildings occup}' a low situation, and the tops of the 



WEST VIRGINIA. 785 

surrounding hills are the boundaries of the tract to which the family mansion 
belongs. 

Our forefathers were fond of farms of this description, because, as they said, 
they were attended with this convenience, "that everything comes to the house 
down hill." ^ 

Most of the early settlers considered their land as of little value, from an appre- 
hension that after a few years' cultivation it would lose its fertility, at least for a 
long time. I have often heard them sa}' that such a field would bear so many 
crops, and another so many more or less than that. The ground of this belief 
concerning the short-lived fertility of the land in this country, was the poverty 
of a great proportion of the land in the lower parts of Maryland and Virginia, 
which, after producing a few crops, became unfit for use, and was thrown out 
into commons. 

My reader will naturally ask where were their mills for grinding grain ? Where 
their tanneries for making leather ? Where their smith-shops for making and 
repairing their farming utensils ? Who were their carpenters, tailors, cabinet 
workmen, shoemakers, and weavers ? The answer is, those manufacturers did 
not exist, nor had they any tradesmen who were professedly such. Every family 
was under the necessity of doing everything for themselves as well as they could. 
The hommony-block and hand-mills were in use in most of our houses. The 
first was made of a large block of wood about 3 feet long, with an excavation 
burned in one end, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the action 
of the pestle on the bottom threw the corn up to the sides towards the top of it, 
from whence it continually fell down into the centre. In consequence of this 
movement, the whole mass of the grain was pretty equally subjected to the 
strokes of the pestle. In the fall of the year, while the Indian corn was soft, the 
block and pestle did very well for making meal for jonny-cake and mush, but 
were rather slow when the corn became hard. 

The sweep was sometimes used to lessen the toil of pounding grain into meal. 
This was a pole of some springy elastic wood, 80 feet long or more ; the butt end 
was placed under the side of a house, or a large stump. This pole was supported 
by two forks, placed about one-third of its length from the butt end, so as to ele- 
vate the small end about 15 feet from the ground ; to this was attached, by a large 
mortise, a piece of a sapling, about 5 or 6 inches in diameter, and 8 or 10 feet 
long. The lower end of this was shaped so as to answer for a pestle. A pin of 
wood was put through it at a proper height, so that two persons could work at 
the sweep at once. This simple machine very much lessened the labor, and ex- 
pedited the work. I remember that, when a boy, I put up an excellent sweep at 
my father's. It was made of a sugar-tree sapling. It was kept going almost 
constantly, from morning till night, by our neighbors for several weeks. In the 
Greenbrier countr^^ where they had a number of saltpetre caves, the first settlers 
made plenty of excellent gunpowder by means of those sweeps and mortars. 

A machine still more simple than the mortar and pestle was used for making 
meal, while the corn was too soft to be beaten. It was called a grater. This 
was a half-circular piece of tin, perforated with a punch from the concave side, 
and nailed by its edges to a block of wood. The ears of corn were rubbed on the 
rough edges of the holes, while the meal fell through them on the board or block 
to which the grater was nailed, which, being in a slanting direction, discharged 
the meal into a cloth or bowl placed for its reception. This, to be sure, was a 
slow way of making meal, but necessity has no law. 



786 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The hand-mill was better than the mortar and grater. It was made of two 
circular stones, the lowest of which was called the bed-stone, the upper one the 
runner. These were placed in a hoop, with a spout for discharging the meal. 
A staff was let into a hole in the upper surface of the runner, near the outer edge, 
and its upper end through a hole in a bo^rd fastened to a joist above, so that two 
jiersons could be employed in turning the mill at the same time. The grain was 
put into the opening in the runner by hand. These mills are still in use in Pal- 
fsiine, the ancient country of the Jews. To a mill of this sort our Saviour al- 
luded, when, with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, he said: "Two 
women shall be grinding at a mill, the one shall be taken and the other left." 
'I'hls mill is umch preferable to that used at present in Upper Egypt for making 
the dhoura bread. It is a smooth stone, placed on an inclined plane, upon which 
the grain is spread, which is made into meal by rubbing another stone up and 
down upon it. 

Our first water-mills were of that description denominated tub-mills. It con- 
sists of a perpendicular shaft, to the lower end of which a horizontal wheel of 
about 4 or 5 feet in diameter is attached ; the upper end passes through the bed- 
stone, and carries the runner after the manner of a trundlehead. These mills 
were built with very little expense, and many of them answered the purpose very 
well. Instead of bolting cloths, sifters were in general use. They were made 
of deerskins, in a state of parchment, stretched over a hoop, and perforated with 
a hot wire. 

Our clothing was all of domestic manufacture. We had no other resource for 
clothing, and this indeed was a poor one. Tlie crops of flax often failed, and the 
sheep were destroyed by the wolves. Linsey, which is made of flax and wool — 
the former the chain, the latter the filling — was the warmest and most substantial 
cloth we could make. Almost every house contained a loom, and almost every 
woman was a weaver. 

Every family tanned their own leather. The tan-vat was a large trough sunk 
to the upper edge in the ground. A quantity of bark was easily obtained every 
spring in clearing and fencing land. This, after drying, was brought in, and in 
wet days was shaved and pounded on a block of wood, with an axe or mallet. 
Ashes were used in place of lime, for taking ofl" the hair. Bears' oil, hogs' lard, 
and tallow, answered the place of fish oil. The leather, to be sure, was coarse ; 
but it was substantially good. The operation of currying was performed by a 
drawing-knife, with its edge turned, after the manner of a currying-knife. The 
blacking for the leather was made of soot and hogs' lard. 

Almost every family contained its own tailors and shoemakers. Those who 
could not make shoes, could make shoepacks. These, like moccasins, were made 
of a single piece of leather, with the exception of a tongue-piece on the top of the 
foot. This was about 2 inches broad, and circular at the lower end. To this the 
main piece of leather was sewed with a gathering stitch. The seam behind was 
like that of a moccasin. To the shoepack a sole was sometimes added. The 
women did the tailor work. They could all cut out and make hunting-shirts, 
leggins, and drawers. 

The state of society which existed in our country at an early period of its set- 
tlement, was well calculated to call into action every native mechanical geniu."!. 
This happened in this country There was in almost every neighborhood some 
one, whose natural Ingenuity enabled him to do many things for himself and his 
neighbors, far above what could have been reasonably expected. With the few 



WEST VIRGINIA. 787 

tools Tviiicli they brought with them into the country, they certainly performed 
■wonders. Their plows, harrows with wooden teeth, and sleds, were in many 
instances well made. Their cooper-ware, which comprehended everything for 
holding millv and Avater, was generally pretty well executed. The cedar-ware, 
by having alternately a white and red stave, was then thought beautiful ; many 
of their puncheon floors were very neat, their joints close, and the top even and 
smooth. Their looms, although heavy, did very well. Those who could not 
exercise these mechanic arts, were under the necessity of giving labor or barter 
to their neighbors in exchange for tlie use of them, so far as their necessities 
required. 

For a long time after the first settlement of this country, the inhabitants in 
general married young. There was no distinction of rank, and very little of for- 
tune. On these accounts the first imj^ression of love resulted in marriage ; and a 
family establishment cost but a little labor, and nothing else. A description of a 
wedding, from the beginning to the end, will serve to show the manners of our 
forefathers, and mark the grade of civilization Avliich has succeeded to their rude 
stat3 of society in the cc)urse of a few years. At an early period, the practice of 
celebrating the marriage at the house of the bride began, and, it should seem, 
with great propriety. She also had the choice of the priest to perform the cere- 
mony. 

A wedding engaged the attention of a whole neighborhood ; and the frolic was 
anticipated by old and young with eager expectation. This is not to be wondered 
at, when it is told that a wedding was almost the only gathering which was not 
accompanied with the labor of reaping, log-rolling, building a cabin, or planning 
some scout or campaign. 

In the morning of the wedding-day, the groom and his attendants assembled at 
the house of his father, for the purpose of reaching the mansion of his bride by 
noon, which was the usual time for celebrating the nuptials, which for certain 
must take place before dinner. 

Let the reader imagine an assemblage of people, without a store, tailor, or 
mantuamaker, witliin 100 miles ; and an assemblage of horses, without a black- 
smith or saddler witliin an equal distance. The gentlemen dressed in shoepacks, 
moccasins, leather breeches, leggins, linsey hunting-shirts, and all home-made. 
The ladies dressed in linsey petticoats, and linsey or linen bed-gowns, coarse 
shoes, stockings, handkerchiefs, and buckskin gloves, if any. If there were any 
buckles, rings, buttons, or ruffles, they were the relics of old times ; family pieces, 
from parents or grand-parents. The horses were caparisoned with old saddles, 
old bridles or halters, and pack-saddles, with a bag or blanket thrown over them ; 
a rope or string as often constituted the girth as a piece of leather. 

The march, in double file, was often interrupted by the narrowness and ob- 
structions of our horse-paths, as they were called, for we had no roads ; and these 
difficulties were oi'ten increased, sometimes bj^ the good, and sometimes by the 
ill-will of neiglibors, by falling trees, and tying grape-vines across the way. 
Sometimes an ambuscade was formed by the wayside, and an unexpected dis- 
cliarge of several guns took plaee, so as to cover the wedding-party with smoke. 
Let the reader imagine the scene which followed this discharge ; the sudden 
spring of the horses, the shrieks of the girls, and the chivalric bustle of their 
partners to save them from falling. Sometimes, in spite of all that could be done 
to prevent it, some were thrown to tlie ground. If a wrist, elbow, or ankle hap- 
pened to be sprained, it was tied with a handkerchief, and little more was thought 
or said about it. 



788 OUR COUNTRY AXD ITS RESOURCES. 

Another ceremony commonly took place before the party reached the house of 
the bride, after the practice of making whiskey began, which was at an early 
period ; when the party were about a mile I'rom the place of their destination, 
two young men would single out to run for the bottle ; the worse the path, the 
more logs, brush, and deep hollows, the better, as these obstacles afforded an op- 
portunity for the greater display of intrepidity and horsemanship. The English 
fox-chase, in point of danger to the riders and their horses, is nothing to this race 
for the bottle. The start was announced by an Indian yell ; logs, brush, muddj' 
hollows, hill and glen, were speedily passed by the rival ponies. The bottle was 
always filled for the occasion, so that there was no use for judges ; for the first 
who reached the door was presented with the prize, with which he returned in 
triumph to the company. On approaching them, he announced his victory over 
his rival by a shrill whoop. At the head of the troop, he gave tlie bottle first to 
the groom and his attendants, and then to each pair in succession to the rear of 
the line, giving each a dram ; and then, putting the bottle in the bosom of his 
hunting-shirt, took his station in the company. 

The ceremony of the marriage preceded the dinner, which was a substantial 
backwoods feast, of beef, pork, fowls, and sometimes venison and bear-meat, 
roasted and boiled, with plenty of potatoes, cabbage, and other vegetables. Dur- 
ing the dinner the greatest hilarity always prevailed, although the table might be 
a large slab of timber, hewed out with a broadaxe, supported by four sticks set in 
auger-holes ; and the furniture, some old pewter dishes and plates ; the rest, 
wooden bowls and trenchers ; a few pewter spoons, much battered about the 
edges, were to be seen at some tables. The rest were made of horns. If knives 
were scarce, the deficiency was made up by the scalping-knives, which were car- 
ried in sheaths suspended to the belt of the hunting-shirt. 

After dinner the dancing commenced, and generally lasted till the next morn- 
ing. The figures of the dances were three and four-handed reels, or square setts 
and jigs. The commencement was always a square four, which was followed by 
what was called jigging it off; that is, two of the four would single out for a jig, 
and were followed by the remaining couple. The jigs were often accompanied 
with what was called cutting out ; that is, when either of the parties became tired 
of the dance, on intimation the place was supplied by some one of the company 
without any interruption of the dance. In this way a dance was often continued 
till the musician was heartily tired of his situation. Towards the latter part of 
the night, if any of the company, through weariness, attempted to conceal 
themselves, for the purpose of sleeping, they were hunted up, paraded on the 
floor, and the fiddler ordered to play, "Hang out till to-morrow morning." 

About 9 or 10 o'clock, a deputation of the young ladies stole off the bride, and 
put her to bed. In doing this, it frequently happened that they had to ascend a 
ladder, instead of a pair of stairs, leading from the dining and ball-room to the 
loft, the floor of which was made of clapboards, lying loose, and without nails. 
As the foot of the ladder was commonly behind the door, which was purposely 
opened for the occasion, and its rounds at the inner ends were well hung with 
hunting-shirts, petticoats, and other articles of clothing, the candles being on the 
opposite side of the house, the exit of the bride was noticed by but few. This 
done, a deputation of young men in like manner stole off the groom, and placed 
him snugly by the side of bis bride. The dance still continued ; and if seats 
happened to be scarce, which was often the case, every young man, when not 
engaged in the dance, was obliged to offer his lap as a seat for one of the girls ; 



WEST VIRGINIA. • 739 

and the offer was sure to be accepted. In the midst of this hilarity, the bride 
and groom were not forgotten. Pretty late in the night, some one would remind 
the company that the new couple must stand in need of some refreshment ; black 
Betty, which was the name of the bottle, was called for, and sent up the ladder ; 
but sometimes black Betty did not go alone. I have many times seen as much 
bread, beef, pork, and cabbage sent along with her as would afford a good meal 
for half a dozen hungry men. The young couple were compelled to eat and 
drink, more or less, of whatever was offered them. 

Tt often happened that some neighbors or relations, not being asked to the 
wedding, took offence ; and the mode of revenge adopted by them on such occa- 
sions was that of cutting off the manes, foretops, and tails of the horses of the 
wedding company. 

On returning to the infare, the order of procession, and the race for black 
Betty, was the same as before. The feasting and dancing often lasted for several 
days, at the end of which the whole company were so exhausted witli loss of 
sleep, that several days' rest were requisite to fit them to return to their ordinary 
labors. 

Should I be asked why I have presented this unpleasant portrait of the rude 
manners of our forefathers, I in my turn would ask my reader, why are you 
pleased with tlie histories of the blood and carnage of battles ? Whj'' are you de- 
lighted with the fictions of poetry, the novel, and romance ? I have related truth, 
and only truth, strange as it may seem. I have depicted a state of society and 
manners which are fast vanishing from the memory of man, with a view to give 
the youth of our country a knowledge of the advantages of civilization, and to 
give contentment to the aged, by preventing them from saying, "that former 
times were better than the present." 



TENNESSEE. 

Area, 45,600 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 1,109,801 

(Whites, 826,782 ; Negroes, 283,019.) 
Population in 1870, 1,258, 520 

The State of Tennessee is situated between 35° and 36° 36' N. lati- 
tude, and between 81° 40' and 90° 15' W. longitude. It is bounded on 
the north by Kentucky and Virginia, on the east by North Carolina, on 
the south by North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and 
on the west by Arkansas and Missouri, Its extreme length, from east 
to west, is about 430 miles, and its average breadth about 110 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern part of the State is crossed by the various ranges of 
the great Alleghany chain, which are here known as the Stone, Iron, 
Bald, and Unaka Mountains. The Cumberland Mountains, which 
form the southeastern border of Kentucky, cross this State in a south- 
western direction, and pass into Alabama. They lie about 40 or 50 
miles west of the Alleghany range, the valley between them being 
watered by the Holston, Clinch, and the otlier head waters of the 
Tennessee Eiver. The Cumberland Mountains cover an area of about 
fifty miles wide, and are thickly wooded. Beyond this range a fine 
rolling country, known as Middle Tennessee, extends westward to the 
Tennessee River. Between that stream and the Mississippi the land 
is either greatly rolling or flat. 

The Mississippi River washes the entire western shore of the State. 
Memphis, the principal city, is situated on this river, in the extreme 
southwestern corner of Tennessee. The Tennessee River is formed by 
790 



TENNESSEE. 791 

the confluence of the Holston and Clinch rivers, which, rising in the 
Alleghany Mountains, in Virginia, unite at Kingston, in this State. 
It flows in a generally southwestern direction to the base of the Cum- 
berland Mountains, at the point where the boundaries of Tennessee, 
Alabama, and Georgia touch each other, and then sweeps around to 
the southwest, flows across the entire northern part of Alabama,, 
touches the northeastern corner of Mississippi, and, bending to the 
north, crosses the States of Tennessee and Kentucky, and empties into 
the Ohio River at Paducah, 48 miles above the mouth of t'he latter 
stream. At Florence, Alabama, 280 miles from its mouth, the navi- 
gation is interrupted by the Muscle Shoals, a series of fine rapids, ex- 
tending for about 20 miles above this point. Beyond these rapids, 
the stream is again navigable for steamers as far as Knoxville, on the 
Holston, 500 miles above Florence. The Tennessee is 800 miles 
long, flowing through this State for 400 miles, and its principal 
branch, the Holston, 300 miles long, making a total length of 1100 
miles. The chief towns of this State on its banks are Knoxville 
and Chattanooga. It flows for the most part through a beautiful and 
fertile country. The Cumberland River, which flows across the 
northern part of Middle Tennessee, rises in the Cumberland Moun- 
tains in the southeastern part of Kentucky. It enters this State at 
the northeast angle of Jackson county, and flows in a generally south- 
western direction to Nashville, after which its course is mainly north- 
west. It crosses the southern boundary of Kentucky, about 10 miles 
east of the Tennessee River, and flows parallel with that stream into 
the Ohio. It is about 600 miles long. At high water it is navigable 
for large steamers to Nashville, 200 miles from its mouth, and for 
small steamers 300 miles higher. The Forked Deer, Big Hatchie, 
and Obion flow into the Mississippi, and are each navigable for a 
greater or less distance. All the waters of this State ultimately find 
their way to the Mississippi. 

MINERALS. 

" The mineral resources of Tennessee are developed to but a limited 
extent, though her hills and mountains contain stores of iron, of coal, 
and of copper, of zinc, of sandstone, and of the finest marble, awaiting 
the capita], enterprise, and labor that shall dig out and utilize these 
dormant mines of wealth. Iron ore is found in great abundance in 
nearly all the counties of Eastern and Middle Tennessee ; copper, in 
Greene, Sevier, Polk, Perry, and other counties; coal, in the coun- 
49 



792 OUE COITS'TRY A>'D IIS PwESOURCXS. 

ties of Campbell, Rhea, Marion, etc.; some gold is reported in Polk, 
salts, in Greene and Hawkins ; lead, in Perr%' ; fine marble and build- 
ing-stones, in Hawkins, Campbell, Monroe, Meigs, Giles, and William- 
son ; thick stratum of shale, in Coffee, etc., etc. The timber resources 
are also extensive, embracing a great variety, and many of the finest 
qoaliiv of forest trees — hickory, the various oaks, poplar, walnut, ash, 
beech, chestnut, locust, cedar, sugar, pine, etc., which cover a large 
portion of the va^t tracts classed ' wild or unimproved lands.' The 
soil ranges from that of the deep rich bottoms, of exhaustless fertilit}-, 
to light and hilly uplands, which require high culture to become pro- 
ductive. In a numl>er of counties, the iron interest has been partially 
developed. In Greene, one furnace is in operation, and a northern 
company have purchased several thotisand acres of ore-lands, and -will 
soon have extensive works completed. Xear the town of Greeneville, 
there is a bed of sulphate of iron, from which copperas was made 
durincr the war, and where even the clay is impregnated with the 
mineral. Our Montcromery correspondent says : ' that \*-ithin twent}.-- 
five miles of Clarksville there are from ten to twenty furnac-es lying 
idle for want of capital ; most of them were burned during the war, 
and the proprietors being unable to rebuild and run them, would sell 
out verv low.' The zinc of Greene county is said to be very rich ; 
during the war, Epsom salts were also made to some extent in the 
mountains. In Hawkins, our cjrrespondent states, 'there is an 
nndersrronnd stream of salt water traversing the valley, which has 
been tapped at several points, at one of which the manufacture of salt 
has been soceessfully prosecuted for a number of years, though not 
upon a large scale; but it is thought that, with capital and enterprise, 
it might be made to rival the salt-wells of southwestern Virginia in 
the pr»xlnction of this valuable product. ... A most beautiful 
qualirv c^ marble is found at various points in this connty; one 
quarrv of which was worked to a considerable extent l^efore the war. 
Much capital might be profitably invested and many laborers use- 
ftillv employed in the manufacture and preparation for market of the 
two articles named — salt and marble — as well as iron, the ore of 
which is present in tlie mountains.' Onr Marion correspondent says, 
' the quantity of bituminous and semi-bifnminous coal and irwi ore in 
this countv is unlimited, with but little development of the former 
and none of the latter, though the inducements are great, produce 
being abundant and transportation good and improving.' "* 

* Agricultural Report. 



TENNESSEE. 793 



CLIMATE. 

The climate is usually mild. Ex^*ept in the eastern part the winters 
are short and pleasant, and snow does not often fall. The summers 
are cool and delightful, and the State is generally healthful. In the 
mountains the winters, though short, are severe. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

In the mountains of East Tennessee, the land is poor and difficult 
of cultivation. The valleys, however, are fertile, and amply repay 
the labor expended upon them. The soil of Middle Tennessee is 
generally good, whilst that of Western Tennessee consists of a rich 
black mould. 

The staple products are Indian corn, tobacco, and cotton. The 
agriculture of Tennessee was almost destroyed by the war, the State 
being, like Virginia, a vast battle-field, but the people are slowly 
recovering from their losses, and are bringing their crops up to some- 
thing like the old average. 

In 1869, the State contained 6,795,337 acres of improved land. 
The principal returns for the same year were : 

Bushels of wheat, 6,750,000 

" rye, 226,000 

" peas and beans, 547,803 

" oats, 3,500,000 

" Indian corn, 47,500,000 

" , Irish potatoes, 1,000,000 

Tons of hay, 158,000 

Pounds of butter, 10,017,787 

Number of horses, 300,975 

" asses and mules, 131,780 

" milch cows, 260,190 

sheep, 960,312 

swine, 2,800,312 

young cattle, 709,360 

Yalue of domestic animals, $65,211,425 

In 1870, the cotton crop amounted to about 215,000 bales, and the 
tobacco crop is estimated at about 35,000,000 pounds. 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

This State has scarcely any foreign trade. Its cotton is exported 
from New Orleans, and the most of its other products are disposed 



794 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of in that city. Memphis has an important trade with the States along 
the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and with Arkansas. 

Previous to the war manufactures were an important interest in 
Tennessee, and were becoming more extensive every year. The water 
power of the State is magnificent, and offers many inducements to 
capitalists. In 1870 there were 5317 establishments in Tennessee 
devoted to manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts, employing a 
capital of $1 5,595,295, and 19,412 hands, consuming raw material 
worth $19,657,027, and yielding an annual product of $34,362,636. 

The principal products were stated as follows for that year : 

Value of cotton goods, $941,542 

" flour and meal, 10,767,388 

" pig iron, 1,147,707 

bar and rolled iron, 369,222 

" copper, 510,677 

" coal, 330,498 

" sawed and planed lumber, .... 3,819,237 

" leather, 1,851,638 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

There were, in 1872, in the State of Tennessee, 1520 miles of com- 
pleted railroads, constructed at a cost of over $40,000,000. Nashville, 
Memphis, and Chattanooga are the principal railroad centres of tiie 
State, and are connected with each other and with all parts of the 
country. Western and Middle Tennessee are covered with a network 
of roads extending into Kentucky on the North, and Mississippi and 
Alabama on the south, and the great route from Virginia to the Mis- 
sissippi crosses the eastern part of the State in a southwest direction, 
from Bristol to Chattanooga. These railroads were almost entirely 
destroyed during the war. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, there were in Tennessee 61 colleges, with 5785 students; 
801 academies and other schools, with 33,176 pupils; and 1932 pub- 
lic schools, with 82,970 pupils. Schools were organized in this State 
as early as 1780, in East Tennessee, and by the year 1795 there were 
3 colleges in the State. 

The new Constitution makes a liberal provision for the support of 
free schools. A permanent school fund is established, and taxes are 
levied for the maintenance of the schools. The educational system is 
placed in charge of a Superintendent of Public Instruction, and is 
similar to that of West Virginia. 



TENNESSEE. 795 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

•, The State Penitentiary is located at Nashville. It is provided with 
fine commodious buildings, and is conducted on the silent system. 

The Tennessee Hospital for the Insane and the Tennessee Blind 
School are located at Nashville. They were damaged greatly, and 
met with many losses during the war, but have been reopened with 
success since the return of peace. Measures are on foot for the erec- 
tion of a hospital for the colored insane. 

TJie Tennessee Deaf and Dumb School is at Knoxville. It \vas 
established in 1845. It was broken up during the war, and the build- 
ing occupied by the two armies, in turn, as a hospital, and greatly 
damaged. It was reopened in 1866, and is now prosperous. 

FINANCES. 

In 1870 the State debt amounted to $29,718,961, of which $24,- 
900,417 consisted of bonds loaned to railroads. The expenditures of 
the treasury for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1867, were 
$2,259,522, and the receipts $2,336,445. 

In 1868 there were 12 National banks, with a capital of $2,025,300, 
doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

By the Constitution of this State every male citizen 21 years old, 
residing in the State 1 year and in the county 6 months, Mdio has paid 
the poll tax specified by the Constitution, is entitled to vote at the 
elections. 

The government of the State is' vested in a Governor, Secretary of 
State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney-General, and a General As- 
sembly, consisting of a Senate and House of Delegates. The Gover- 
nor and members of the Legislature are elected by the people for two 
years. The State officers, with the exception of the Attorney-General, 
are elected for four years by the Legislature. The Attorney-General 
is appointed by the judges of the Supreme Court. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, Courts of Chan- 
cery, Circuit Courts, County Courts, and Justices' Courts. The Su- 
preme Court consists of 5 judges, no two of which must reside in the 
same part of the State. 

The seat of Government is at Nashville. 

For purposes of government the State is divided into 84 counties. 



796 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

HISTORY. 

Tennessee originally formed a part of the province of North Caro- 
lina. It was, at the time of its settlement, a vast wilderness, whioh 
was claimed as a hunting ground by the Chickasaws, Choctaws, Shaw- 
nees, and the Six Nations. The Cherokees dwelt in the extreme south- 
east part, hut no other tribe made the Territory a place of habitation. 

In 1756 Andrew Lewis was sent into this region for the purpose of 
settling it, by the Earl of Loudon, then the Governor of Virginia, 
and commander of the Royal forces in America. He built a post, 
which he called Fort Loudon, on the Wautauga or Little Tennessee, 
about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville. This settlement is now a 
thriving village. The fort was given a strong garrison of British 
troops, and, influenced by the sense of the protection which this force 
imparted, the region round about was soon partially settled by emi- 
grants, and in the spring of 1758 the garrison of the fort was increased 
to 200 men. 

In 1758, Colonel Bird built a post in what is now Sullivan county. 
This was for some time believed to be in Virginia, and was called 
Long Island Fort. 

In 1768, many families came out to the new region, and settled 
along the Holston and Wautauga rivers. In 1769, or 1770, a party 
of 10 hunters descended the Cumberland River to the Ohio, in boats 
which they had built, stopping for a while at the site of the present 
city of Nashville. They descended the Ohio to the Mississippi, and 
passed down that river to Natchez, which was then a Spanish settle- 
ment. They were kindly treated by the Spaniards, and some of them 
remained there, but others returned to the settlements along the 
AVautauga. 

In 1760, Fort Loudon was besieged by the Cherokees, and closely 
invested for a month. The garrison, 200 in number, consumed their 
horses and dogs, and finally, being on the point of starvation, surren- 
dered upon condition that they should be allowed to return to Vir- 
ginia. They were suffered to depart and to march 15 miles from the 
fort without being molested, but when they had accomplished that 
distance, were treacherously attacked and nearly all massacred on the 
spot. This outrage was avenged the next year by Colonel Grant, 
who, with a force of 2600 regular and provincial troops and friendly 
Indians, invaded the Cherokee country and laid waste their fields and 
villages. These severe measures compelled the savages to sue for peace. 



TENNESSEE. 797 

By the outbreak of the Revolution the Tennessee country was quite 
thickly settled, and the population was increasing at an encouraging 
rate. In 1776, the Cherokees, incited by the British, waged a formid- 
able war upon the settlers, but were defeated by the forces of Virginia 
and North Carolina. The Tennessee settlements, at tlTis time known 
as the "District of Washington," were represented in the Convention 
which framed the Constitution of North Carolina, and, in 1780, the 
Tennessee militia, under Colonel Levier, bore a conspicuous part in 
the bloody battle of King's Mountain."^ 

After the war lands in this region were offered the North Carolina 
troops in payment of the bounties due them. Many of them accepted 
the offer and settled on the lands. Others sold their warrants to actual 
settlers. Nashville had been settled by a party of two or three hun- 
dred, under Colonel Robertson, as early as 1780, and the rich lands 
of Davidson county, lying around it, now attracted the greater part 
of the holders of the military warrants. 

In 1785, the inhabitants of the j)resent counties of Sullivan, Wash- 
ington, and Greene, attempted to set up an independent State Govern- 
ment, as they declared, and with truth, that the capital of North 
Carolina was too far away to benefit them. They called their new 
State Franklin. This course produced considerable confusion, which 
was not quieted until 1790, when North Carolina ceded the territory 
to the United States. Congress established a Territorial Government, 
and the region' was called " The Territory of the United States south- 
west of the Ohio River." 

In 1794, the Territory of Tennessee was organized, and the Legis- 
lature met at Knoxville. The next year it was found that it con- 
tained a population of 77,262, of which 10,613 were negro slaves. 
Efforts were now made to secure its erection into a State, and on the 
1st of June, 1796, Tennessee was admitted into the Union. 

The State took an active part in the second war with England, and 
contributed to the cause Andrew Jackson, who won the victory of 
New Orleans, and many of the hardy backwoodsmen who fought 
under him that day. 

After the return of peace, Tennessee entered upon a career of pros- 
perity, which was checked by the Rebellicm. Being a slaveholding 
State, it was expected that the people would take sides with the ex- 
trcmie pro-slavery party. When the Gulf States seceded from the 
Union in the winter of 1860-61, Tennessee was urged to join them. 
The Legislature submitted to the people the call for a Convention, for 



798 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




NASHVILLE. 

a 

the purpose of seceding, and this call was defeated by a popular 
majority of 64,114. After the fall of Fort Sumter, however, the 
Governor convened the Legislature in extra-session, and on the 9th 
of May, 1861, that body adopted an Ordinance of Secession, and sent 
representatives and senators to the Confederate Congress. Western 
and Middle Tennessee were very clearly in sympathy with this action 
of the Legislature, but East Tennessee was loyal to the Union. 

The State was at once occupied by the Confederates, and in the 
spring of 1862, the western and northern portions fell into the hands 
of the Union forces. Volunteers enlisted on each side, and the State 
became the western battle-field of both armies. The severe battles of 
Fort Donnelson, Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, Murfreesboro, Chat- 
tanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville, were fought within the limits of 
the State. 

After the close of the war, a Provisional Governor was appointed, 
and the State was restored to its former position in the Union on the 
24th of July, 1866. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State 
are, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Murfreesboro. 



TENNESSEE. 799 

NASHVILLE, 

The capital and second city of the State, is situated in Davidson 
county, on the left bank of the Cumberland River, at the head of 
steamboat navigation, about 200 miles from the mouth of that stream, 
230 miles east-northeast of Memphis, and 684 miles southwest of 
Washington. Latitude 36° 9' N; longitude 86° 49' W. 

The city is delightfully situated in a beautiful, healthy, and fertile 
country, and has long been one of the most important places in the 
southwest. It is built on an elevated bluff of limestone, and com- 
mands fine views of the river and vicinity. It is regularly laid off, 
and contains many handsome edifices. Many of the residences are 
palatial in their character. 

The public buildings are handsome. The Capitol is one of the 
finest edifices on the continent. It stands on an eminence 197 feet 
above the river, and is built of fine fossilated limestone, much like 
marble, which was quarried on the spot. Many of the blocks weigh 
10 tons each. Its dimensions are 270 by 140 feet. "Its architecture 
is Grecian, consisting of a Doric basement, and supporting on its four 
fronts, Ionic porticoes, rnodelled after those of the Erechtheum at 
Athens." In the centre of the building is a tower 80 feet high. The 
halls of the Legislature are among the handsomest in the country, 
being surpassed only by those of the two Houses of Congress. The 
cost of the capitol was $1,000,000 in gold. The Lunatio Asylum, and 
the State Penitentiary are imposing buildings. The latter contains 
200 cells.* The City Hall is also a handsome building. 

The schools of the city are noted for their excellence. It has 
several public schools in operation, and one for colored children. The 
University of Nashville, founded in 1806, is an institution of high 
character. Its Medical Department is regarded as an excellent 
school. The female schools are considered the best in the State. The 
State Library contains over 12,000 volumes. 

The Cumberland River is crossed here by a fine bridge. The 
river is navigable for steamers during the greater part of the year, 
and Nashville is the seat of a heavy river trade. It has railway com- 
munication with all parts of the State and country. It contains about 
14 churches, and about 8 newspaper and 4 magazine offices. It is 
lighted with gas, is supplied with water from the Cumberland River, 
and possesses a steam fire-engine department, and an efficient police 
force. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the popu- 
lation was 25,865. 



800 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES; 




MEMPHIS. 



Nashville has long been noted for its enterjirisiiig spirit, literary taste, 
and polished society. It is in everything but geographical position 
a Southern rather than a AVestern city. It was founded in 1779, by 
a party of emigrants from North Carolina, and established as a town 
by the Assembly of that State, in 1784. It was named in honor of 
Colonel Francis Nash, who fell at the head of his regiment at Ger- 
mantown. It suifered very greatly during the civil wjfr. It was 
occupied by the United States army in February, 1862, and held until 
the close of the war. On the 16th of December, 1864, General 
Thomas, in command of the United States forces, inflicted a bloody 
defeat upon the Confederate army, under General Hood, in the 
vicinity. 

MEMPHIS, 

The largest city in the State, is situated in Shelby county, on the east 
bank of the Mississippi River, just below the mouth of Wolf River, 
420 miles below St. Louis, 956 miles above New Orleans, and 230 
miles west-southwest of Nashville. It stands on the 4th Chickasaw 
BluflP, and possesses the only convenient locati'on for a commercial 
city between the mouth of the Ohio and Vicksburg, Mississippi, a dis- 
tance of 650 miles. Possessing this, it has become the most populous 
and important place on the river, between St. Louis and New Orleans. 



TENNESSEE. 801 

The bluff, on which the city is built, is elevated 60 feet above the 
river, and is about 3 miles in length. At its base a bed of sandstone 
projects into the river, and forms the levee or landing. The city lies 
entirely on the bluif above, and presents a fine appearance when 
viewed from the river. An esplanade, several hundred feet in width, 
occupies the front of the plateau, and this is lined with handsome 
buildings, which face the river. The general appearance of the city 
is attractive, and many of the business edifices and private residences 
would do credit to any city in the land. 

Memphis is lighted witli gas, and a street railway connects its 
various points. It contains about 24 good public schools, several 
private schools, a Mercantile Library, 20 churches, and 10 newspaper 
offices. It is gov(}rned by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the popu- 
lation was 40,226. 

Memphis is the most important city on the lower Mississippi, be- 
sides New Orleans. It has grown with surprising rapidity, notwith- 
standing the civil war, which injured it severely. It is connected 
with all parts of the country by railway, and controls a large share of 
the enormous trade of the Mississippi. 

MISCELLANY. 

THE BOYHOOD OF ANDREW JACKSON. 

His parents were Scotch-Irish emigrants from Carriclifergus, of the humblest 
condition in life, and to add to the struggles of tlie family with adversity, his 
fatlier died just after tlie birth of his son. His mother was obhged to find a 
home, as housekeeper and poor relation, iu the family of a brotlier-in-law, and 
here young Andrew passed tlie first ten or twelve years of his life. He soon ac- 
quired the reputation of being the most mischievous boy in the neighborhood, 
always full of pranks and getting into trouble. His school-days were not of the 
most promising character; nor, judging from Mr. Parton's lively description, 
was his youthful brain in danger of being turned by any superfluity of book- 
learning. 

In due time the boy was sent to an "old-field school," an institution not much 
unlike the road-side scliools in Ireland of which we read. Tlie Nortlieru reader 
is, perhaps, not aware tliat an "old-field" is not a field at all, but a pine forest. 
When crop after crop of cotton, without rotation, has e,xhausted the soil, the 
fence.s are taken away, the land lies waste, the young pines at once spring up, 
and soon cover the whole field with a thick growth of wood. In one of these old 
fields, the rudest possible shanty of a log house is erected, with a fire-place that 
extends from side to side, and occupies a third of the interior. In winter, tlie in- 
terstices of tlie log walls are filled up with clay ; whicli the restless fingers of the 
boys malve haste to remove in time to admit the first warm airs of spring. An 
itinerant schoolmaster presents himself in a neigliboriiood ; the responsible 
farmers pledge him a certain nimiber of pupils, and an old-field school is estab- 
lished for the season. Such schools, called by the same name, exist to this day 



802 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in the Carolinas, differing little from those which Andrew Jackson attended in 
his childhood. Beading, writing, and aritlimetic were all the branches taught in 
the early day. Among a crowd of urchins seated on the slab benches of a school 
like this, fancy a tall, slender boj', with bright blue eyes, a freckled face, an 
abundance of long, sandy hair, and clad in coarse, copperas- colored cloth, with 
bare feet dangling and kicking, and you have in jour mind's eye a picture of 
Andy as he appeared in his old-field school days in the Waxhaw settlement. 

His mother seems to have had more ambitious views for her son, and hoped 
that by being enabled to obtain tor him a liberal education, she would have the 
pleasure to see him "wag his pow in a pulpit" as a clergyman of the Presbj'te- 
rian Church. He was not destined, however, to "beat the drum ecclesiastic," 
though if his good mother's wishes could have been realized, he Avould doubtless 
have proved a valiant soldier of the " church militant," and dealt thick and heavy 
blows on the sinner and heretic with as much unction as he subsequently discom- 
fited the invaders of his country at New Orleans. He was a fighter from his 
earliest boyhood. Not a drop of tame blood ran in his veins. 

Andy was a wild, frolicsome, wilful, mischievous, daring, reckless boy ; gene- 
rous to a friend, but never content to submit to a stronger enemy. He was pas- 
sionately ibnd of tliose sports which are mimic battles — above all, wrestling. 
Being a slender boy, more active than strong, he was often thrown. 

"I could throw him three times out of four," an old schoolmate used to say, 
" but he would never stay throwed. He was dead game, even then, and never 
would give up." 

He was exceedingly fond of running foot races, of leaping the bar, and jumping, 
and in such sports he was excelled by no one of his years. To younger boys, 
who never questioned liis mastery, he was a generous protector ; there was 
nothing he would not do to defend them. His equals and superiors found him 
self-willed, somewhat overbearing, easily offended, very irascible, and, upon the 
whole, "difficult to get along with." One of them said, many years after, in the 
heat of controversy, that of all the boys he had ever known, Andrew Jackson 
was the only bully who was not also a coward. 

But the boy, it appears, had a special cause of irritation in a disgraceful disease, 
name unknown, which induces a habit of — not to put too fine a point on it — 
" slobbering." Woe to any boy who presumed to jest at this misfortune ! Andy 
was upon him incontinently, and there was either a figlit or a drubbing. There 
is a story, too, of some boys secretly loading a gun to the muzzle, and giving it 
to young Jackson to fire ofiF, that they might have the pleasure of seeing it 
"kick" him over. They had tli.at pleasure. Springing up from the ground, the 

boy, in a frenzy of passion, exclaimed : " By , if one of you laughs, I'll kill 

him ! " 

He soon had an opportunity for pursuing higher game. He was 9 years old 
when the Declaration of Independence was signed. By the time the war ap- 
proached the obscure settlement in the region of the Catawba, where he was 
born, he was a little more than 13. A change now came over his rustic life. The 
schoolhouse was closed, the peaceful labors of the people interrupted. His elder 
brotlier Hugh had ah'eady mounted his horse and ridden southward to meet the 
bloody strife. It was on the 29th of May, 1780, that Tarleton, with 300 horse- 
men, surprised a detachment of militia in the Waxhaw settlement, and killed 118 
of them, and wounded 150. The wounded, abandoned to the care of the settlers, 
were quartered in the houses of the vicinity, the old log Waxliaw meeting-house 



TENNESSEE. 803 

itself being converted into a hospital for the most desperate cases. Mrs. Jack- 
son was one of the kind women who ministered to the wounded soldiers in the 
church, and under tliat roof her boys first saw wliat war was. Tlie men were 
dreadfully mangled. Some had received as manj^ as thirteen wounds, and none 
less than three. For many days Andrew and his brother assisted their mother 
in waiting upon the sick men ; Andrew, more in rage than pity, though pitiful 
by nature, burning to avenge their wounds and his brother's death. 

Tarleton's massacre at the Waxhaw settlement kindled the flames of war in all 
that region of the Carolinas. Andrew, with his brother Robert, was present at 
Sumter's attack on the British post at Hanging Rock, where he might have re- 
ceived his first lesson in the art of war. Soon after he passed his 14th birthday, 
there ensued a fierce, intestine warfare in the vicinity of his home — a war of 
Whig and Tory, neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, and even 
father against son. Among other instances of the madness that prevailed, a case 
is related of a Whig, who, having found a friend murdered and mutilated, devo- 
ted himself to the slaying of Tories. He hunted and lay in wait for them, and 
before the war ended had killed 20, and, then, recovering from that insanity, lived 
the rest of his days a conscience-stricken wretch. Andrew and his brother soon 
began to take a personal share in the eventful conflict. Without enlisting in any 
regular corps, they plunged into the fight on their own hook, joining small par- 
ties that went out on single enterprises of retaliation, mounted on their own 
horses, and carrying their own weapons. Mr. Parton gives a description of one 
of his adventures in this line, which illustrates both the time and the boy: 

"In that fierce, Scotch-Indian warfare, the absence of a father from home was 
often a better protection to his family than his presence, because his presence in- 
vited an attack. The main object of both parties was to kill the fighting men, 
and to avenge the slaying of partisans. The house of the quiet hero Hicks, for 
example, was safe until it was noised about among the Tories that Hicks was at 
home. And thus it came to pass, that when a Whig soldier of note desired to 
spend a night with his family, his neighbors were accustomed to turn out and 
serve as a guard to his house while he slept. Behold Robert and Andrew Jack- 
son, with 6 others, thus employed one night in the spring of 1781, at the domicil 
of a neighbor. Captain Sands. The guard on this occasion was more a friendly 
tribute to an active partisan than a service considered necessary to his safety. 
In short, the night was not far advanced before the whole party were snugly 
housed and stretched upon the floor, all sound asleep except one, a British de- 
serter, who was restless, and dozed at intervals. 

"Danger was near. A band of Tories, bent on taking the life of Captain 
Sands, approached the house in two divisions, one party moving toward the front 
door, the other toward the back. The wakeful soldier, hearing a suspicious 
noise, rose, went out of doors to learn its cause, and saw the foe stealthily near- 
ing the house. He ran in in terror, and seizing Andrew Jackson, who lay next 
the door, by the hair, exclaimed : ' The Tories are upon us ! ' 

"Andrew sprang up and ran out. Seeing a body of men in the distance, he 
placed the end of his gun in the Jow fork of a tree near the door and hailed them. 
No reply. He hailed them a second time. No reply. They quickened their 
pace, and had come within a few rods of the door. By this time, too, the guard 
in the house had been roused, and were gathered in a group behind the boy. 
Andrew discharged his musket, upon which the Tories fired a volley, which 
killed the hapless deserter who had given the alarm. The other party of Tories, 



804 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

who were approaching the house from the other side, hearing this discharge, and 
the rush of bullets above their heads, supposed that the firing proceeded from a 
party that had issued from the house. They now fired a volley, which sent a 
shower of balls whistling about the heads of their friends on the other side. Both 
parties hesitated, and then halted. Andrew having thus, by his single discharge, 
puzzled and stopped the enemy, retired to the house, where he and his comrades 
kept up a brisk fire from the windows. One of the guard fell mortally wounded 
by his side, and another received a wound less severe. In the midst of tliis sin- 
gular contest, a bugle was heard, some distance off, sounding the cavalry chaige, 
whereupon the Tories, concluding that they had come upon an ambush of Whigs, 
and were about to be assailed by horse and foot, fled to where they had left their 
horses, mounted, dashed pell-mell into the woods, and were seen no more. It 
appeared afterward that the bugle charge was sounded by a neighbor, who, judg- 
ing from the noise of musketry that Captain Sands was attacked, and having not 
a man with him in his house, gave the blast upon the trumpet, thinking that even 
a trick so stale, aided by the darkness of the night, might have some effect in 
alarming the assailants." 

After peace was restored to his neighborhood, young Jackson embraced every 
opportunity to engage in a "free fight," beside sharing largely in the fun and 
frolic, which were almost as congenial to his disposition as the drubbing of an 
adversary. Several Charleston families of wealth and distinction were waiting 
in the settlement for the evacuation of their city. With the young men whose 
acquaintance he thus made, Andrew led a life in the summer and autumn of 1782 
that was more merry than wise. He now began to betray that taste for horse- 
flesh which became such a decided passion in after life. He ran races and rode 
races, gambled a little, drank a little, indulged in a cock-fight occasionally, and 
presented a glorious specimen of the Young America at that day. He seems to 
have had but a faint love for his Carolina relations, and was probably regarded 
as the scapegrace of the family. 

It is credibly related that his first attempt at earning a living for himself was 
in the capacity of a country schoolmaster; but, after trying his hand in this un- 
congenial employment for a short time, he resolved to study law. Gathering 
together his scanty earnings, he mounts his horse, sets his face to the northward 
in quest of a master with whom to pursue his law studies, and finally enters an 
office in Salisbury, N. C, at the age of 18. Of his residence in that pleasant old 
town, Mr. Parton has succeeded in bagging some characteristic if not altogether 
edifying reminiscences : 

"Salisbury teems with traditions respecting the residence there of Andrew 
Jackson as a student of law. Their general tenor may be expressed in ih& lan- 
guage of the first old resident of the town, to whom I applied for information : 
'Andrew Jackson was the most roaring, rollicking, game-cocking, horse-racing, 
card-playing, mischievous fellow that ever lived in Salisbury.' Add to this such 
expressions as these : ' He did not trouble the law books much,' ' He was more in 
the stable than in the office,' 'He was the head of all the rowdies hereabouts.' 
That is the substance of what the Salisbury of 1859 has to say of the Andrew 
Jackson of 1785. 



KENTUCKY. 

Area, 37,680 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860 1,155,684 

(Whites, 919,517 ; Negroes, 236,167.) 
Population in 1870, 1,321,911 

The State of Kentucky is situated between 36° 30' and 39° 10' K 
latitude, and between 81° 50' and 89° 26' ^Y. longitude. It is 
bounded on the north by Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, on the east by 
West Virginia and Virginia, on the south by Tennessee, and on the 
west by Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. It is very irregular in shape, 
the northern line following the windings of the Ohio River. Its ex- 
treme length, from east to west, is about 300 miles, and its greatest 
width (following a line drawn south from Cincinnati, Ohio) about 
180 miles. At its southwest end it is not over 50 miles wide. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The southeast part of the State is crossed by the Cumberland Moun- 
tains, which separate it from Virginia. Some outlying ridges of this 
range, none of them more than 2000 feet high, extend into the south- 
east counties. The centre of the State is a fine rolling country, but 
west of the 85th meridian of longitude the surface is principally level, 
except along the Ohio River, which is bordered by a range of hills. 
These hills approach the stream as near as half a mile in some places, 
and in others recede from it to a distance of 10 or 20 miles. 

The Ohio River washes the entire northern and northwestern shore 
of the State, and receives the waters of the Big Sandy (which separates 
Kentucky from West Virginia), Licking, Kentucky, Salt, Green, 
Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. It borders the State for 600 

805 



806 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

miles, and is navigable for large steamers the whole distance. The 
Kentucky River rises in the southeast part of the State, the Licking in 
the northeast, the Salt and the Green rivers in the centre. All flow 
in a generally northwest course. They are all navigable for over 50 
miles, except the Licking. 

MINERALS. 

" Kentucky is rich in mineral resources, and her beds of coal and 
mountains of iron are almost inexhaustible. Coal is found in abun- 
dance at Greenup, Rockcastle, Laurel, Pulaski, Whitley, Clinton, Ed- 
monson, Hardin, Ohio, Butler, Christian, Webster, and other coun- 
ties. In most of these counties this coal is of excellent quality, but 
used only for home consumption, there being no means of transporta- 
tion. In Laurel county, the coal beds are from 3 to 5 feet in thick- 
ness. Iron is found in greater or less quantity in Greenup, Trimble, 
Rockcastle, Pulaski, Whitley, Russell, Clinton, Edmonson, Ohio, 
Butler, etc., but, like the coal deposits, has been but feebly developed. 
In Greenup, the furnaces are closed up, ore within reach of present 
facilities being pretty well exhausted. Iron ore is found all through 
Russell county. ' About 35 years since a very superior iron was 
manufactured here, from which some of the blacksmiths made good 
edged tools without steel. The iron was hard and tough. There has 
been no development since, and it is doubted whether the ore»is in 
sufficient quantity to pay for M'orking.' This ore also abounds in 
Clinton county, and David Dale Owen, in his Geological Survey 
of Kentucky, in speaking of this and counties east of it, says : — 
* There is every reason for believing that their resources in coal and 
iron — staple commodities of those nations of greatest prosperity — 
will, when fully developed, compare favorably with those of any 
civilized country on the face of the earth.' In Butler county there is 
much iron ore, but it is said to be of the honeycomb variety, which 
is considered comparatively valueless. A large amount of capital 
could be profitably invested in utilizing the iron interest of this 
State. 

" Lead is found in Trimble, Owen, Bourbon, Scott, Franklin, An- 
derson, Livingston, and counties contiguous. In Anderson there is 
a mine said to yield 80 per cent, of lead, but the chemist making the 
test reported that it would not pay to work it. In Livingston, lead 
has been found upon the surface, but has not been worked to any 
extent. Salt wells exist in several counties, but are not worked. In 



KENTUCKY. 



807 




INSIDE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



Clinton, says our correspondent, 'a fine stream of salt water has been 
struck on Willis Creek, in the northwest, and a comjDany are now at 
work producing salt, and the prospect is considered good. There is 
a fine opening for men experienced in salt making, there being an 
abundance of water, and timber and labor is cheap. Salt for the 
Nashville market and for the Cumberland River country comes from 
Ohio and Western Virginia. The cost of shipping salt down the 
Ohio and up the Cumberland is certainly much greater than down 
the Cumberland to Nashville.' Salt water also abounds in Metcalfe, 
Anderson, Whitley, Russell, etc. There has recently been discovered 
a gold mine in Anderson county, and its value is being now tested by 
a company. Saltpetre is found in Rockcastle, and limestone and free- 
stone abound iu Lewis, Trimble, Clarke, and other counties. Our 
Lewis county correspondent claims for his county ' the finest ledge of 
freestone from Pittsburg to Cincinnati, from which nearly all the 
fine buildings in the latter city are now being built, and the rock of 
which the Cincinnati and Covington bridge was built was taken from 
50 



808 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the quarries of this county ; not extensively worked, there being but 
one quarry in operation, employing 200 men.' " * 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild and healthful. The winters are short and 
pleasant, and the summers are cool and delightful. The State is al- 
most exempt from the sudden changes which afflict the Atlantic 
States. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

As a general rule the soil of Kentucky is extremely fertile. Scarcely 
any of the land is unfit for cultivation. The soil is generally a black 
mould, often two and three feet deep. Extensive and almost impene- 
trable canebrakes occur in various parts of the State, and fine natural 
pastures occupy a region lying in the south central part, along the 
sources of the Green River, and known as the " Barrens." 

The State is almost exclusively agricultural in its pursuits. The 
great staples are corn, tobacco, flax, hemp, and wheat. There are 
20,563,652 acres of improved and unimproved land in the State, 
valued at $217,672,826. The tobacco crop, in 1870, amounted to 
90,000 hhds. In 1869, the principal returns were as follows: 

Bushels of wheat, 5,500,000 

" Indian corn, 51,500,000 

" oats, 5,800,000 

" Irish potatoes, 2,100,000 

rye, . . . . ■ 775,000 

barley, 304,000 

Tons of hay, 155,000 

Number of liorses, . 650,811 

" asses and mules, 140,910 

" milch cows, . 280,191 

" sheep, 1,001,861 

" swine, • . 2,690,870 

" young cattle, 610,845 

Value of domestic animals, $69,868,237 

Pounds of wool (estimated), 2,500,000 

" flax " 800,000 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Kentucky has no foreign commerce, but carries on an active trade 
with the States along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Stock raising 

* Agricultural Keport, March, 1868. 



KENTUCKY. 809 

forms an important interest in this State, and large droves of cattle, 
horses, and mules are annually sent to the Eastern States for sale. 

In 1870 there were in this State 5390 establishments devoted to 
manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. They employed a capi- 
tal of $29,277,809, and produced goods worth $54,625,809. The 
principal products were as follows : 

Value of woollen goods, . $897,057 

" agriculraltu implements, 1,384,917 

" pig iron, 2,182,482 

" rolled iron, 2,464,928 

" steam engines and machinery, . . . 1,472,199 

" coal, 446.795 

" sawed and planed lumber, 4,245,749 

" flour, 7,886.734 

" spirituous and malt liquors, .... 5,222,089 

" leather, 1,693,574 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 1123 miles of completed railroads in Kentucky, 
constructed at a cost of over $35,000,000. The principal cities and 
towns in the northern, central, and western portions of the State are 
connected with each other and with all parts of the Union by railroad, 
but still many of the finest sections of the State are without such 
means of communication with the cities on the Ohio. Several im- 
portant roads have been projected, and if constructed will remedy this 
defect. A canal extends around the falls of the Ohio, at Louisville. 
It is one mile and a half long, and was constructed by the General 
Government at a cost of $750,000. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, Kentucky contained 55 colleges, with nearly 8000 students; 
857 academies and other schools, with about 28,000 pupils; and 4237 
public schools, with 218,240 pupils. 

The public school system is in charge of a Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, Boards of County Commissioners and local trustees in 
the districts, and measures are being carried out which will revolu- 
t. ^r.ize the old system and render it more efficient. The State has a 
per* -.nent school fund. 

Tt: most important institution in the State is the Kentucky Uni- 
vfTsity. This now includes the State University established in 1858, 



810 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Transylvania University, and the Agricultural College. It is located 
at Lexington, and includes "Ashland," the home of Henry Clay. 

In 1870, there were 5546 libraries in the State, with 1,909,230 
volumes; and the number of newspapers and periodicals was 89, of 
which 72 were political, 7 religious, and 1 literary. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Frankfort. In Janftar}', 1871, it 
contained 680 convicts. Considerable additions have been recently 
added to the buildings. 

There are two Lunatic Asylums, the " Eastern," at Lexington, and 
the '•' Western," at Hopkinsville. The former contained 258 inmates, 
in October, 1867, and the latter 283, in September, 1868. 

The Kentucky Institution for Deaf Mutes is located at Danville, and 
contains about 96 pupils ; and the Institution for the Education and 
Training of Feeble-minded Children is at Danville, and contains about 
52 pupils. 

The State has no juvenile reformatory establishments in operation, 
but the new House of Reform was completed and ready for use in the 
summer of 1871. 

RELIGIOUS DEMOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 2696 churches in this State, and the value of 
church jiroperty was $9,824,465. 

FINANCES. 

On the 10th of October, 1870, the total debt of the State was 
$1,424,934. The total expenditures of the Treasury for the fiscal year 
ending in October, 1870, amounted to $1,082,639, and the receipts to 
$996,750. 

In October, 1868, there were 15 National banks, with a capital of 
$2,885,000, doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every white male citizen, 21 years old, who has resided two years 
in the State, one year in the county, and sixty days in the precinct in 
which he presents his ballot, is entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State^ Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a 



KENTUCKY. 811 

General Assembly, composed of a Senate (of 38 members, elected for 
four years, one half retiring biennially) and a House of Delegates (of 
100 members, elected for two years). The Governor, Lieutenant- 
Governor, Auditor, and Attorney-General, and Members of the Legis- 
lature are elected by the people. The Secretary of State is appointed 
by the Governor, and confirmed by the Senate. All the State officers 
serve four years. 

The courts of the State are a Supreme Court of Appeals (con- 
sisting of four judges). Circuit Courts, County Courts, and Justices' 
Courts. All the judges are Justices of the Peace, and all are elected 
by the people. In the Supreme Court, the judge having the shortest 
term to serve is the Chief Justice. 

The seat of Government is at Frankfort. 

For purposes of government the State is divided into 109 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Kentucky was originally included within the limits of Virginia. 
The name is an Indian word, signifying "the dark and bloody 
ground." In 1766, Colonel James Smith made a journey of explora- 
tion into this region, starting from the Holston River. He was accom- 
panied -by three white men and a negro slave. He found the territory 
unoccupied by any Indian tribes for purposes of residence, but 
evidently used as a hunting-ground by several of them. It gave evi- 
dence of great fertility, and its rich beauty impressed the explorers 
profoundly. In 1767, John Findley and several companions set out 
from North Carolina on a trading expedition to this region, and in 
1769, Daniel Boone entered it with a party of five, in which went 
John Findley, for the purpose of exploring it. The party built a 
cabin on Red River, from which they made repeated excursions. 
During one of these excursions, Boone and a man named Stuart Avere 
captured by the Indians. They made their escape, and returned to 
their camp. They found it deserted and destroyed, but never 
learned the fate jof those whom they had left there. Soon after this, 
Boone returned to his home in North Carolina. 

In 1770, a party of Tennesseans, from the Clinch River, under 
Colonel James Knox, went into Kentuckv. They remained there 
some time, and thoroughly explored the southern and middle parts. 
Boone's party was in Kentucky at this time, but never encountered 
Colonel Knox or any of his men. They confined their explorations 
to the middle and northern sections. 



812 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The reports of Boone and Knox caused the settlers of Virginia and 
North Carolina to feel a lively interest in the new country, in which 
the lands given to the Virginia troops, for services in the French war, 
were located. Surveyors were soon after sent out to lay off these 
lands, and in 1773, a party, under Captaih Bullit, reached the falls 
of the Ohio, and built a fortified camp there, for the purpose of sur- 
veying the region. 

In 1774, James Harrod built a station, which soon grew into con- 
siderable importance, and thus founded the town of Harrodsburg, the 
oldest settlement in Kentucky. 

The next year, 1775, Daniel Boone built a fort on the site of the 
present town of Boonesborough, The savages made repeated attacks 
upon his party, hoping to drive them away, but without success. 
The fort was finished by the middle of April, 1775, and soon after 
Boone was joined by his wife and daughters. He continued to reside 
in the fort with them. 

In the same year Simon Kenton built a cabin on the site of the 
present town of Washington, in Mason county. 

In the spring of 1777, the General Assembly of Virginia consti- 
tuted the Kentucky region a county, and established a Court of 
Quarter Sessions at Harrodsburg. 

During the Revolution the settlements suffered much from the 
British and Indians. In 1780, several of the forts were taken by 
them, cannon being employed for their reduction. 

A laro;e number of settlers came out in 1780 and 1781, notwith- 
standing the danger from the Indians. On the 19th of August, 1782, 
a bloody battle was fought between the whites and the savages, near 
Blue Lick Springs, in which the former were defeated. For some 
years after this, numerous expeditions were sent from Kentucky into 
the Indian country (the present State of Ohio) and many severe 
conflicts were fought in that region. 

After the close of the Revolution, the Government of Virginia and 
the Federal Congress afforded so little protection to the settlers that 
they became restless and discontented. The trouble was increased by 
the fear that the Federal Government meant to surrender the right to 
navigate the Mississippi, which the settlers saw would be essential to 
the future prosperity of their country. It was some time before these 
discontents were quieted. In 1774 and in 1775, conventions were 
held at Danville, which recommended peaceable and quiet separation 
from Virginia, and the establishment of a separate Government for 



KENTUCKY. 813 

• 

Kentucky. Several other conventions were held, during which a de- 
sire for a separate nationality was distinctly expressed. Spain en- 
deavored to draw the Kentuckians off from the Union by offers of 
special privileges on the Mississippi, but better counsels prevailed, and 
the Kentuckians adopted an address to Congress. The result was 
that the Territory of Kentucky Avas ceded by Virginia to the General 
Government. It was fully organized by Congress in 1790, and in 
1792 was admitted into the Union as a State. Its population now 
numbered 75,000. The inefficient protection against the Indians 
afforded by the Federal Government, the taxes, and the Mississippi 
question continued to agitate the State for some years, and until the 
purchase of Louisiana put an end to the Mississippi dispute, and the 
peace of 1815 broke the power of the savages. 

During the second war with England, Kentucky contributed many 
troops to the western army under General Harriso'i. Many of her 
best citizens were killed at the massacre at the River Kaisin, and in the 
attempt to relieve Fort Meigs. Her citizens responded promptly to 
the call for troops for the defence of New Orleans, and the Kentucky 
riflemen made a proud name on the plains of Chalmette. Indeed, 
they volunteered so fast that the State authorities had to intervene, 
and compel them to remain at home. The Kentucky troops nobly 
sustained their old reputation in the war with Mexico. 

The State grew rapidly in population and wealth, and was prosper- 
ing beyond the most sanguine expectations of its original founders. 
When the Rebellion broke out, the people were divided in sentiment, 
and a strong effort was made to withdraw the State from the Union, 
and unite it Avith the Confederacy. Failing to accomplish this, the 
friends of the South crossed the Tennessee line, and entered the Con- 
federate army. The State authorities, however, remained loyal to the 
Union, and the regular administration of the Government, though 
much interrupted, was continued. The State was invaded by the 
Confederate forces in the summer of 1861, and was held by them 
until the next spring, when they were forced back into Tennessee. 
In the summer of 1862, it was again invaded by the Confederates. 
Several severe battles were fought on its soil, and it was frequently 
entered and harassed by raiding parties. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 
Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns are, Louisville, 
Lexington, Covington, Newport, Mnysville, Henderson, Paducah, 
Columbus, Hickman, Danville, and Paris. 



814 OUR COQNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

FRANKFORT, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Franklin county, on the north- 
east bank of the Kentucky River, 60 miles from its mouth, 53 miles 
east of Louisville, and 550 miles west of Washington. Latitude 
38° 14' N., longitude 84° 40' W. The site of the town is a deep 
valley, surrounded by abrupt hills. Towards the northeast it rises to 
a considerable height, and from this portion of the town views may 
be had of some most exquisite scenery. 

The city is regularly laid out, and is generally well built. Many 
of the houses are constructed of a fine limestone or marble which 
abounds in the vicinity. The general appearance of the city is hand- 
some and picturesque. 

The State Capitol is a fine building of white marble. It stands on 
an eminence near the centre of the town. Frankfort contains the 
Governor's House, the State Penitentiary, the State Arsenal, a Court 
House, six churches, several good schools, the State Institution for 
Feeble Minded Children, and the Kentucky Military Institute. It 
is lighted with gas, and is supplied with spring-water brought into 
the town in iron pipes. Two newspapers are published here. In 
1870, the population was 5396. 

The Kentucky River is 100 yards wide at Frankfort, and is spanned 
by a chain bridge which connects the city with the suburb of South 
Frankfort. Steamers ascend to the city, which is the centre of an 
active trade. The river here flows through a deep channel of lime- 
stone rock, and is noted for its beautiful scenery. Railroads connect 
Frankfort with Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, and the other cities 
of the Union. 

Frankfort was established by Act of the Legislature of Virginia, 
in 1786. It was made the capital of Kentucky in 1792. During the 
civil war, it was captured by the Confederate cavalry, on the 6th of 
September, 1862. 

LOUISVILLE, 

The largest city in the State, is situated in Jefferson county, on the 
south or left bank of the Ohio River, at the head of the falls, 51 
miles west of Frankfort, 625 miles by the course of the river below 
Pittsburg, 394 miles above the mouth of the Ohio, and 590 miles 
west- by-south from Washington. 

The city is built on a spacious sloping plain, 70 feet above low- 



KENTUCKY. 



815 




FRANKFORT. 



water mark, and is laid out with regularity, the streets, which are 
from 60 to 120 feet in width, intersecting at right-angles in a direc- 
tion with and from the river. Ten streets run parallel with the river, 
and thirty streets intersect them. Along the river shore are extensive 
wharves. The streets are generally well paved, and are in many 
instances shaded with trees. The general appearance of the city is 
bright and attractive, and here are to be seen some of the handsomest 
buildings in the West. The surrounding country is very beautiful. 

The principal public buildings are the City Hall, the .Court House, 
the Custom House, and the Jlasonie Hall, all of which are handsome 
structures. 

The schools of Louisville have always been regarded as among the 
best in the country. Its public schools are perhaps the oldest in the 
West. There are a number of public schools for both sexes, and 
several flourishing private seminaries. The higher schools are the 
University of Louisville, and the Medical Institute. There is a Law 
School connected with the University. The 3fercantile Library is a 
flourishing institution with a good collection of books; and the His- 
torical Society possesses many interesting documents relating to the 
early history of the State. 

The Benevolent Institutions are well managed. They are the State 
Asylum for the Blind, whose handsome buildings were erected partly 
by the contributions of the citizens ; the State Marine Asylum, two 



816 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 









LOUISVILLE. 



Orphan Asylums, and several societies for the relief of the poor and 
suflfering. 

The city contains about 40 churches, and about 12 newspaper and 
4 magazine offices ; and is lighted with gas, and supplied with water 
from the Ohio River. It possesses an efficient police force, and a 
steam fire engine service. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
In 1870, tlie population was 100,753. 

Louisville is connected with all parts of the countrj- by railway. 
The Ohio is here crossed by a magnificent railway bridge, which gives 
the city unbroken communication with the East and West. 

The navigation of the Ohio is interrupted at Louisville by the only 
falls which occur in the course of the stream. These falls are very 
picturesque in appearance. In high stages of the water, they entirely 
disappear, and steamboats pass over them ; but when the water is low, 
the whole width of the river, which is scarcely less than a mile, has 
the appearance of a great many broken rivers of foam, making their 
way over the rocks. The river is divided by a fine island, which 
adds to the beauty of the scene. To overcome the obstruction caused 



KENTUCKY. 817 

by the falls, a canal was cut around them, in 1833. It is 2h miles 
long, 50 feet wide, 10 feet deep, with a total lockage of 22 feet. It 
was cut through the solid limestome rock, and cost $750,000. The 
city carries on a heavy river trade, both above and below the falls. 
Its wharves are at all times thronged with steamers and other river 
craft, carrying to and fro a merchandise inferior only to that coming 
and going from Pittsburg and Cincinnati. The principal exports are 
tobacco, bagging, rope, cordage, spirits, pork, flax, hemp, live stock, 
and machinery. The value of the commerce of the city is estimated 
at from $80,000,000 to ^100,000,000 per annum. A large number 
of steamers engaged in the river trade are owned in tlje city. 

The city is also largely engaged in manufacturing enterprises. It 
has a number of machine shops and founderies ; several large steam 
bagging factories, rope walks, cotton and woollen factories, flouring 
mills, tobacco factories, distilleries, breweries, and agricultural imple- 
ment factories. 

MISCELLANY. 
ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOONE. 

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 

It was on the. 1st of May, 1769, that I resigned my domestic happiness, and left 
my family and peaceable habitation on the Yadkin River, in North Carolina, to 
wander through the wilderness of America, in quest of the countrj^ of Kentucky, 
in company with John Finley, John Stuart, Joseph Holden, James Monay, and 
"William Cool. 

On the 7th of June, after travelling in a western direction, we found ourselves 
on Red River, where John Finley had formerly been trading with the Indians, 
and from the top of an eminence saw with pleasure the beautiful level of Ken- 
tucky. For some time we had experienced the most uncomfortable weather. 
We now encamped, made a shelter to defend us from the inclement season, and 
began to hunt, and reconnoitre the country. We found abundance of wild beasts 
in this vast forest. The buffaloes were more numerous than cattle in the settle- 
ments, browsing on the leaves of the cane, or cropping the herbage on these ex- 
tensive plains. We saw hundreds in a drove, and the numbers about the salt- 
springs were amazing. In this forest, the habitation of beasts of every American 
kind, we hunted witii great success until December. 

On the 23d of December, John Stuart and I had a pleasing ramble ; but fortune 
changed the day at the close of it. We ]ia88ed through a great forest, in which 
stood myriads of trees, some gay with blossoms, others rich with fruits. Nature 
was here a series of wonders and a fund of delight. Here she displayed her in- 
(^enuitj'^ and industry in a variety of flowers and fruits, beautifully colored, ele- 
gantly shaped, and charmingly flavored ; and we were favored with numberless 
animals presenting themselves perpetually to our view. In the decline of the 
day, near Kentucky River, as we ascended the brow of a small hill, a number of 



818 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Indians rushed out of a canebrake and made us prisoners. The Indians plun- 
dered U3, and kept us in confinement seven days. During this time, we dis- 
covered no uneasiness or desire to escape, which made them less suspicious ; but 
in the dead of night, as we lay by a large fire in a thick canebrake, when sleep 
had locked up their senses, my situation not disposing me to rest, I gently awoke 
my companion. We seized this favorable opportunity and departed, directing 
our course toward the old camp, but found it plundered, and our company de- 
stroyed or dispersed. 

About this time, my brother, with another adventurer, who came to explore 
the country shortly after us, were wandering through the forest, and accidentally 
came upon our camp. Notwithstanding our unfortunate circumstances, and our 
dangerous situation, surrounded with hostile savages, our meeting fortunately in 
the wilderness gave us the most sensible satisfaction. 

Soon after this my companion in captivity, John Stuart, was killed by the sav- 
ages, and the man who came with my brother, while on a private excursion, was 
soon after attacked and killed by the wolves. "VVe were now in a dangerous and 
helpless situation, exposed daily to perils and death, among savages and wild 
beasts, not a white man in the country but ourselves. 

Although many hundreds of miles from our families, in the howling wilder- 
ness, we did not continue in a state of indolence, but hunted every day, and pre- 
pared a little cottage to defend us from the winter. On the 1st of ]May, 1770, my 
brother returned home for a new recruit of horses and ammunition, leaving me 
alone, without bread, salt, or sugar, or even a horse or a dog. I passed a few 
days uncomfortably. The idea of a beloved wife and family, and their anxiety 
on my account, would have disposed me to melancholy if I had further indulged 
the thought. 

One day I undertook a tour through the country, when the diversities and 
beauties of nature I met with in this charming season expelled every gloomy 
thought. Just at the close of the day, the gentle gales ceased ; a profound calm 
ensued ; not a breath shook the tremulous leaf. I had gained the sujnmit of a 
commanding ridge, and, looking around with astonishing delight, beheld the 
ample plains and beauteous tracts below. On one hand, I surveyed the famous 
Ohio rolling in silent dignity, and marking the western boundary of Kentucky 
with inconceivable grandeur. At a vast distance, I beheld the mountains lift 
their venerable brows and penetrate the clouds. All things were still. I kindled 
a fire near a fountain of sweet water, and feasted on the loin of a buck which I 
had killed a few hours before. The shades of night soon overspread the hemis- 
phere, and the earth seemed to gasp after the hovering moisture. At a distance 
I frequently heard the hideous yells of savages. My excursion had fatigued my 
body and amused my mind. I laid me down to sleep, and awoke not until the 
Bun had chased away the night. I continued this tour, and in a few days ex- 
plored a considerable part of the country, each day equally pleasing as the first; 
after which I returned to my old camp, which had not been disturbed in my ab- 
sence. I could not confine my lodging to it, but often reposed in thick cane- 
brakes to avoid the savages, who I believe frequently visited my camp, but, 
fortunately for me, in my absence. No populous city, with all its varieties of 
commerce and stately structures, could afford such pleasure to my mind as the 
beauties of nature I found in this country. 

Until the 27th of July, I spent my time in an uninterrupted scene of sylvan 
pleasures, when my brother, to my great felicity, met me according to appoint- 



KENTUCKY. 819 

ment at our old camp. Soon after we left the place, and proceeded to the Cum- 
berhiud River, reconnoitering that part of the country, and giving names to the 
different rivers. 

In March, 1771, I returned home to my family, being determined to bring 
them as soon as possible, at the risk of my life and fortune, to reside in Ken" 
tucky, which I esteemed a second Paradise. 

On my return, I found my family in happy circumstances. I sold my farm on 
the Yadkin and what goods we could not carry with us, and, on the 2oth of Sep- 
tember, 1773, we took leave of our friends and proceeded on our journey to 
Kentucky, in company with live more families, and 40 men that joined us in 
Powell's Valley, which is 150 miles from the new settled i)aits of Kentucky. 
Bat this promising beginning was soon overcast with a cloud of adversity. 

On the 10th of October, the rear of our company was attacked by a party of 
Indians, who killed 6, and wounded one man. Of these, my oldest son was one 
that fell in the action. Though we repulsed the enemy, yet this unhappy affair 
scattered our cattle and brought us into extreme difficulty. We returned 40 
miles, to the settlement on Clench River. We had passed over two mountains, 
Powell and Walden's, and were approaching Cumberland JUIountain, when this 
adverse fortune overtook us. These mountains are in the wilderness, in passing 
from the old settlement in Virginia to Kentucky ; they range in a southwest and 
nortlieast direction ; are of great length and breadth, and not far distant Irom 
each other. Over them nature has formed passes less difficult than might be ex- 
pected from the view of such huge piles. The aspect of these cliffs is so wild and 
horrid that it is impossible to behold them without horror. 

Until the 6th of June, 1774, I remained with my family on the Clench, when 
myself and another person were solicited by Governor Dunmore, of Virginia, to 
conduct a number of surveyors to the falls of Ohio. This was a tour of 800 
miles, and took 62 days. 

On my return. Governor Dunmore gave me the command of three garrisons 
during the campaign against the Shawnees. In March, 1775, at the solicitation 
of a number of gentlemen of North Carolina, I attended their treaty at Wataga 
with the Cherokee Indians, to purchase the lands on the south side of the Ken- 
tucky River. After this. I undertook to mark out a road in the best passage from 
the settlements through the Avilderness to Kentucky. 

Having collected a number of enterprising men, well armed, I soon began this 
work. We proceeded until we came within 15 miles of where Boonsborough 
now stands; where the Indians attacked us, and killed 2, and wounded 2 more of 
our party. Tiiis was on the 22d of March, 1775. Two days after, we were again 
attacked by them, when we had 2 more killed, and 3 wounded. After this, we 
proceeded on to Kentucky River without opposition. 

On the 1st of April, we began to erect the fort of Boonsborough, at a salt lick 
60 yards from the river, on the south side. On the 4th, the Indians killed one 
of our men. On the 14th of .Tune, having completed the fort, I returned to my 
family on the Clench, and whom I soon afterward removed to the fort. My wife 
and daughter were supposed to be the first white women that ever stood on the 
.banks of Kentucky River. 

On the 24th of December, the Indians killed one of our men, and wounded 
another ; and on the 15th of July, 1776, they took my daughter prisoner. I im- 
mediately pursued them with 8 men, and on the 16th overtook and engaged 
them. I killed 2 of them and recovered my daughter. 



820 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Indians, having divided themselves into several parties, attacked in one 
day all our infant settlements and forts, doing a great deal of damage. The hus- 
bandmen wore ambushed and unexpectedly attacked while toiling in the field. 
They continued this kind of warfare until the 15th of April, 1777, when nearly 
100 of tliem attacked the village of Boonsborough, and killed a number of its in- 
habitants. On the 16lh, Colonel Logan's fort was attacked by 200 Indians. 
There were only 13 men in the fort, of whom the enemy killed 2, and wounded 
one. 

On the 20th of August, Colonel Bowman arrived with 100 men from Virginia, 
with which additional force we had almost daily skirmishes with the Indians, 
who began now to learn the superiority of the " long knife," as they termed the 
Virginians ; being out-generalled in almost every action. Our affairs began now 
to wear a better aspect ; the Indians no longer daring to face us in open field, but 
sought private opportunities to destroy us. 

On the 7th of February, 1778, while on a hunting excursion alone, I met a 
party of 102 Indians and 2 Frenchmen, marcliing to attack Boonsborough. They 
pursued and took me prisoner, and conveyed me to Old Chilicothe, the principal 
Indian town on Little Miami, where we arrived on the 18tli of February, after 
an uncomfortable journey. On the 10th of March, I was conducted to Detroit, 
and while there was treated with great humanitj' by Governor Hamilton, the 
British commander at that port, and Intendant for Indian Affairs. 

The Indians had such an affection for me, that they refused £100 sterling, of- 
fered them by the G()venK)r, if they would consent to leave me with him, that he 
might be enabled to liberate me on my parole. Several English gentlemen, then 
at Detroit, sensible of my adverse fortune, and touched with sympathy, gene- 
rously offered to supply my wants, which I declined with many thanks, adding 
that I never expected it would be in my power to recompense such unmerited 
generosity. 

On the 10th of April, the Indians returned with me to Old Chilicothe, where 
we arrived on tlie 25th. This was a long and fatiguing march, although through 
an exceeding fertile country, remarkable for springs and streams of water. At 
Chilicothe I spent my time as comfortably as I could expect ; was adopted, ac- 
cording to their custom, into a family where I became a son, and had a great 
share in the afiFection of my new parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. I was 
exceedingly familiar and friendly with them, always appearing as cheerful and 
contented as possible, and they put great confidence in me. I often went a hunt- 
ing with them, and frequently gained the applause for my activity at our shwot- 
ing matches. I was careful not to exceed many of them in shooting, for no 
people are more envious than they in this sport. I could observe in their counte- 
nances and gestures the greatest expressions of joy when they exceeded me, and 
when the reverse happened, of envy. The Shawnee king took great notice of 
me, and treated me with profound respect, and entire friendship, often intrusting 
me to hunt at my liberty. I frequently returned with the spoils of the woods, 
and as often presented some of what I had taken to him, expressive of duty to 
my sovereign. My food and lodging were in common with them ; not so good, 
indeed, as I could desire, but necessity made everything acceptable. 

I now began to meditate an escape, and carefully avoided giving suspicion. I 
continued at Chilicothe until the 1st day of June, when I was taken to the salt 
springs on Sciotha, and there employed ten days in the manufacturing of salt. 
During this time, I hunted with my Indian masters, and found the land, for a 
great extent about this river, to exceed the soil of Kentucky. 



KENTUCKY. 821 

On my return to Chilicothe, 150 of the choicest Indian warriors were ready to 
march against Boonsborough. They were painted and armed in a frightful man- 
ner. This alarmed me, and I determined to escape. 

On the 26th of June, before sunrise, I went off secretly, and reached Boons- 
borough on the 30th, a journey of 160 miles, during which I had only one meal. 
I found our fortress in a bad state, but we immediately repaired our flanks, gates, 
posterns, and formed double bastions, which we completed in ten da3's. One of 
my fellow-prisoners escaped after me, and brought advice, that on account of my 
flight, the Indians had put off their expedition for three weeks. 

About the 1st of August, I set out with 19 men to surprise Point Creek-town, 
on Sciotha, within 4 miles of which we fell in with 40 Indians going against 
Boonsborough. We attacked them, and they soon gave way, without any loss 
on our part. 

The enemy had one killed and two wounded. We took three horses and all 
their baggage. The Indians having evacuated their town, and gone altogether 
against Boonsborough, we returned, passed them on the 6th, and on the 7th ar- 
rived safe at Boonsborough. 

On the 9th, the Indian army, consisting of 444 men, under the command of 
Captain Duquesne, and 11 other Frenchmen, and their chiefs, arrived and sum- 
moned the fort to surrender. I requested two days' consideration, which was 
granted. During this we brought in through the posterns all the horses and other 
cattle we could collect. 

On the 9th, in the evening, I informed their commander that we were deter- 
mined to defend the fort while a man was living. They then proposed a treaty : 
they would withdraw. The treaty was held within 60 yards of the fort, as we 
suspected the savages. The articles were agreed to and signed, when the In- 
dians told us, as it was their custom for two Indians to shake hands with every 
white man in the treaty, as an evidence of friendship. We agreed to this also. 
They immediately grappled us to take us prisoners, but we cleared ourselves of 
them, though surrounded by hundreds, and gained the fort safe, except one man, 
who was wounded by a heavy fire from the enemy. 

The savages now began to undermine the fort, beginning at the watermark 
of Kentucky River, which is 60 yards from the fort ; this we discovered by the 
water being made muddy by the clay. We countermined them by cutting a 
trench across their subterraneous passage. The enemy, discovering this by the 
clay we threw out of the fort, desisted. On the 20th of August, they raised the 
sie^e, during which we had 2 men killed, and 4 wounded. We lost a number of 
cattle. The loss of the enemy was 37 killed, and a much larger number wounded. 
We picked up 125 pounds of their bullets, beside what stuck in the logs of the 
fort. 

In July, 1779, during my absence. Colonel Bowman, with 160 men, went 
against the Shawnecs of Old Chilicothe. He arrived undiscovered. A battle en- 
sued, which lasted until 10 in the morning, when Colonel Bowman retreated 30 
miles. The Indians collected all their strength and pursued him, when another 
engagement ensued for two hours, not to Colonel Bowman's advantage. Colonel 
Harrod proposed to mount a number of horses, and break the enemy's line, who 
at this time fought with remarkable fury. This desperate measure had a happy 
effect, and the savages fled on all sides. In these two engagements we had 9 
men killed and one wounded. Enemy's loss uncertain. Only two scalps were 
taken. 



822 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

June 23d, 1780, 500 Indians and Canadians, under Colonel Bird, attacked 
Riddle and Martain's station, and the forks ot Licking River, with 6 pieces of ar- 
tillery. They took all the inhabitants captive, and killed one man and two wo- 
men, loading the others with the heavy baggage, and such as failed in the journey 
were tomahawked. 

The hostile disposition of the savages caused General Clarke, the commandant 
at the falls of Ohio, to march with his regiment and the armed force of the 
country against Peccawa}-, the principal town of the Shawnees, on a branch of 
the Great Miami, which he attacked with great success, took 70 scalps, and re- 
duced tlie town to ashes, with the loss of 17 men. 

About this time, I returned to Kentucky with my family ; for, during my cap- 
tivity, my wife, thinking me killed by the Indians, had transported my family 
and goods, on horses, through the wilderness, amidst great dangers, to her 
father's hou.se in North Carolina. 

On the 6th of October, 1780, soon after my settling again at Boonsborough, I 
went with my brother to the Blue Licks, and on our return he was shot by a 
party of Indians, who followed me by the scent of a dog, which I shot, and es- 
caped. Tlie severity of the winter caused great distress in Kentucky, the enemy, 
during the summer, having destroyed most of the corn. The inhabitants lived 
chiefly on Ijtuffalo's flesh. 

In the spring of 1782, the Indians harassed us. In May, they ravished, killed, 
and scalped a woman and her two daughters, near Ashton's station, and took a 
negro prisoner. Captain Ashton pursued them with 25 men, and in an engage- 
ment, wliich lasted two hours, his party were obliged to retreat, having 8 killed, 
and 4 mortal!}' wounded. Their brave commander fell in the action. 

On August 18th, two boys were carried off from Major Hoy's station. Captain 
Holder pursued the enemy with 17 men, who were also defeated, with the loss of 
7 killed, and 2 wounded. Our affairs became more and more alarming. The 
savages infested the country, and destroyed the whites as oppf)rtunity presented. 
In a field near Lexington, an Indian shot a man, and, running to scalp him, was 
himself shot from the fort, and fell dead upon the ground. All the Indian na- 
tions were now united against us. 

On August 15th, 500 Indians and Canadians came against Briat's station, 5 
miles from Lexington. They assaulted the fort, and killed all the cattle round 
it ; but being repulsed, they retired the third da}', having about 80 killed ; their 
wounded uncertain. Tlie garrison had 4 killed, and 9 wounded. 

On August 10th, Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland and myself, speedily 
collected 176 men, well armed, and pursued the savages. They had marched be- 
yond the Blue Licks, to a remarkable bend of the main fork of the Licking 
River, about 43 miles from Lexington, where we overtook them on tlie 19th. 
The savages, observing us, gave way, and we, ignorant of their numbers, passed 
the river. When they saw our proceedings, having greatly the advantage in 
situation, they formed tlieir line of battle from one end of the Licking to the 
other, about a mile from the Blue Licks. The engagement was close and warm 
for about 15 minutes, when we, being overpowered by numbers, were obliged to 
retreat, with a loss of 67 men, 7 of whom were taken priscmers. The brave and 
much-lamented Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland, and my second son, 
were among the dead. We were afterward informed that the Indians, on num- 
bering their dead, finding that they had 4 more killed than we, 4 of our people, 
they had taken, were given up to their young warriors, to be put to death after 
their barbarous manner. 



KEMTUCKY. 823 

On our retreat, w* were met by Colonel Logan, who was hastening to join us 
with a number of well-armed men. This powerful assistance we wanted on the 
day of the battle. The enemy said, one more fire from us would have made them 
give way. 

■ I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene without great sorrow. A zeal for the 
defence of their country led these heroes to the scene of action, though with few 
men, to attack a powerful army of experienced warriors. When we gave way, 
they pursued us with the utmost eagerness, and in every quarter spread destruc- 
tion. The river was difficult to cross, and many were killed in the fight, some 
just entering the river, some in the water, others after crossing, in ascending the 
cliff's. Some escaped on horseback, a few on foot ; and being dispersed every- 
where, in a few hours brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate battle to 
Lexington. Many widows were now made. The reader may guess what sorrow 
filled the hearts of the inhabitants, exceeding anything that I am able to describe. 
Being reinforced, we returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed 
everywhere, cut and mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene ex- 
hibite^k a horror almost unparalleled ; some torn and eaten by wild beasts ; those 
in the river by fislies ; all in such a putrid condition that one could not be dis- 
tinguished from another. 

"\Ylien General Clarke, at the falls of the Ohio, heard of our disaster, he ordered 
an expedition to pursue the savages. We overtook them within 2 miles of their 
town, and we should have obtained a great victory had not some of them met us 
when about 200 poles from their camp. The savages fled in the utmost disorder, 
and evacuated all their towns. We burned to ashes Old Chilicothe, Peccaway, 
New Chilicothe, and Willstown ; entirely destroyed their corn and other fruits, 
and spread desolation through their country. We took 7 prisoners and 15 scalps,, 
and lost only 4 men, 2 of whom were accidentally killed by ourselves. This- 
campaign damped the enemy, yet they made secret incursions. 

In October, a party attacked Crab Orchard, and one of them, being a good way 
before the others, boldly entered a house in which were only a woman and her 
children, and a negro man. The savage used no violence, but attempted to carry 
off" the negro, who happily proved too strong for him, and threw him on tlie 
ground, and in the struggle the woman cut off" his head with an axe, while her 
little daughter shut the_^door. The savages instantly came up, and applied their 
tomahawks to the door, when the mother putting an old rusty gun-barrel through 
the crevice, the savages immediatel}' went off". 

From that time till the happy return of peace between the United States and 
Great Britain, the Indians did us no mischief. Soon after this, the Indians de- 
sired peace. 

Two darling sons and a brother I have lost by savage hands, which have also 
taken from me 40 valuable horses, and abundance of cattle. Many dark and 
sleepless nigluts have I spent, separated from the cheerful society of men, scorched 
by the summer's sun, and pinched by the winter's cold, an instrument ordained 
to settle the wilderness. Daniel Booke. 

Fayette county^ Kentucky. 

51 



OHIO. 

Area, 39,964 Square Mil^s. 

Population in 1860, 2,339,511 

Population in 1870, 2,665,260 

The State of Ohio is situated between 38° 32' and 42° N. latitude, 

:and between 80° 35' and 84° 40' W. longitude. It is bounded on 

:the north by Michigan and Lake Erie, on the east by Pennsylvania 

and West Virginia, on the south by West Virginia and Kentucky, 

and on the west by Indiana. Its extreme length from north to south 

is about 200 miles, and its width about 195 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The centre of the Staife is occupied by a level country elevated 
about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, and the north central part 
of tiie State is crossed by a ridge of hills which separate the waters 
which flow into Lake Erie from those which flow into the Ohio River. 
A second slope interrupts the Ohio slope in the south central part of 
the State, and from this ridge the lower part of the State is a fine 
rugged country, which rises into a range of bold hills along the Ohio 
River. There are some prairie lands in the centre and northwest, 
and in the latter portion is a large tract of great fertility, called the 
Black Swamp, a considerable part of which is heavily timbered. 
Much of the country in the neighborhood of Lake Erie is marshy. 

Lake Erie, already described, forms the greater part of the northern 

boundary, and receives the waters of the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, 

and Cuyahoga. Witii the exception of the Maumee, which has its 

•source in Indiana, all these streams rise in and flow through this State. 

The principal towns on the lake are Cleveland and Sandusky. San- 

824 



OHIO. 825 

dusky Bay extends inland for about 20 miles. There are several good 
harbors on the lake. The Mauniee is the only navigable river empty- 
ing into the lake. Steamers ascend it for 18 miles. 

The Ohio River forms the greater part of the eastern, and the whole 
of the southern boundary, first touching the State about 50 miles be- 
low its head, and flows by it for a distance of about 470 miles. It is 
navigable the whole distance for large steamers for one-half of the 
year. Its principal tributaries, beginning on the east, are the Mus- 
kingum, Scioto, Little Miami, and Miami rivers. They vary in length 
from 110 to 200 miles. The Muskingum is navigable, by means of 
<lams and locks, to Zanesville, a distance of 70 miles. At high water, 
boats ascend to Coshocton, 30 miles above Zanesville. The others 
are not navigable at all. They flow through a beautiful and highly 
productive country, and furnish an abundance of excellent water- 
power. 

There are several islands belonging to this State in the southwest 
end of Lake Erie. The principal of these is Kelley's Island, which 
produces a fine quality of wine. 

MINERALS. 

Coal and iron are the principal minerals of the State. Salt springs 
are numerous, and marble and lime are found in large quantities. 
The first two are very abundant, and are of an excellent quality. In 
1860, $2,327,621 worth of pig-iron were produced in Ohio, and 
$1,539,713 worth of coal. This made Ohio the second iron and coal 
producing State in the Union. 

CLIMATE. 

In the southern part of the State, the climate is mild. Snow does 
not lie long upon the ground. The climate of the northern part is 
rigorous, and is quite as severe as that of tiie Atlantic States of the 
same latitude. Severe droughts sometimes occur in Ohio, and cause 
considerable damage to the crops, but they are not of frequent occur- 
rence. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is fertile, there being very little land in the State that 
cannot be brought under profitable cultivation. Indeed, it is to tiie 
extremely favorable character of her soil tliat Ohio OAves her present 



826 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

proud position in the Union, having grown and prospered more 
rapidly than any other State. Sixty years ago, a vast forest covered 
almost the entire country between the Virginia line and Lake Erie. 
Now the same area is occupied by one of the most important States 
of the Union, possessing a population of nearly 3,000,000 souls, and 
ranking amongst the first members of the Confederacy in her wealth 
and resources. Wine raising is now a very important interest along 
the Ohio River. 

In 1870, there were about 15,000,000 acres of improved lands in 
the State. In the same year, the agricultural statistics, as reported 
by the Secretary of State, were as follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 26,499,729 

" Indian com, 62,443,346 

oats, 24,417,799 

barley, 1,689,416 

" rye, 852,722 

"■ buckwheat, 223,766 

Irish potatoes, 10,274,605 

" sweet potatoes, 119,746 

" flaxseed, 611,046 

'' apples, 15,518,685 

"• peaches, 1,444,523 

Tons of hay, 1,784,947 

" clover hay, 360,268 

Pounds of tobacco, 15,943,116 

flax, 18,723,377 

" butter, 38,783,607 

" cheese, 20,520,168 

" maple sugar, 3,302,714 

wool, 19,292,858 

" grapes, 3,794,899 

Gallons of wine, 155,535 

" sorghum molasses, 1,777,100 

Number of horses, 704,664 

mules, 22,057 

" sheep 5,052,028 

swine, . 1,720,113 

" . cattle 1,521,421 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 
This State jjossesses little foreign commerce, but its river and lake 
trade is immense, and is estimated at over $150,000,000 annually. 
The river trade is the more important part of this. The number of 
steamers entering and clearing from Cincinnati is about 4000 each way 
annually. 



OHIO. 827 

The manufactures of this State, though still in their infancy, are 
growing in importance. In 1870, Ohio contained 22,773 establish- 
ments devoted to manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. They 
employed a capital of $141,923,964, and 137,202 hands, consuming 
raw material worth $157,131,697, and yielding an annual product of 
$269,713,610, making this the fourth State in the Union in respect to 
the value of goods produced. The principal products were valued 
as follows : 

Cotton goods, $781,835 

Woollen goods, 3,187,815 

Leather, 7,333,062 

KoUediron, 13,033,169 

Steam engines and machinery, 11,324,489 

Agricultural implements, 11,907,366 

Sawed and planed lumber, 12,622,525 

Flour, 31,692,210 

Salt, !773,492 

Liquors, 13,085,697 

Boots and shoes, 6.559,946 

Furniture, 6,792,585 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, Ohio container! 3740 miles of completed railroads, con- 
structed at a cost of $135,332,000, ranking second in the list of States 
with respect to the total length of its roads, and fourth with respect 
to their cost. The State is a perfect network of railways, no town or 
village* being more than a few miles from a railroad depot. Direct 
lines lead from all the points of importance to the principal cities of 
the Union. The energy and foresight displayed by the State in the 
construction of these roads hav§ greatly added to its wealth and 
prosperity. 

Ohio was the first "Western State to engage in the construction of 
canals. In 1860, there were 956 miles of canal navigation in the 
State. In spite of the abundance of railroad transportation, the canals 
of Ohio still continue to occupy an important position in the com- 
merce of the State. 

EDUCATION. 

Ohio is one of the most prominent Stiites in the Union in respect to 
its educational system. Schools were established in this State soon 
after its first settlement, and in 1804, the University of Ohio was 
founded at Athens. In 1867, there were 26 colleges, with 4783 



8^8 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

students; 43 female seminaries, with 4217 students; G5 academies and 
normal schools, with 6167 pupils; and 647 private schools, with 
26,450 pupils. In 1870, there were 11,401 public schools, with 
719,902 pupils. The State has a permanent school fund, amounting 
to $3,334,500. The interest of this is applied to the schools, and the 
remainder of the sura needed for them each year made up by taxes, 
iines, licences, etc. In 1870, the amount expended on the schools 
was H960,771. 

Tiie general supervision of the free school system of the State is 
vested in a Commissioner of Schools, who is elected by the people for 
three years. The cities, towns, and incorporated villages are controlled 
each by a local Board of Education chosen by the people thereof. A 
State Board of Examiners alone has power to grant certificates of 
competency to teachers. These certificates, unless revoked by the 
Board, are good for the lifetime of the holder. 

Ill 1870, the State contained 17,790 libraries, with 3,687,383 vol- 
umes. Of these 4374 were private libraries. 

In the same year there were 271 political, 38 religious, and 86 mis- 
cellaneous newspapers and periodicals published in Ohio, making a 
total of 395. Of these 26 were daily, 3 semi-weekly, 8 tri-weekly, 
299 weekly, 47 monthly, and 3 annual. They had an annual aggre- 
gate circulation of 98,548,814 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The public institutions are under the supervision of a Board of 
State Charities. 

The Penitentiary is located at Columbus. It is one of the best in- 
stitutions of its kind in the Union, and is provided with handsome 
and commodious buildings. There is a school attached to the prison, 
in which the convicts are taught the rudiments of a plain education. 
The proceeds of the labor of the prisonei's more than supports the 
institution, rendering it inexpensive to the State. In 1866, there 
were 860 convicts confined here. 

The Ohio Reform School is located in Fairfield county, six miles 
south of Lancaster. It is provided with ample buildings, and a farm 
of 1170 acres. It is considered one of the most perfect establishments 
in the Union. In 1870, it contained 335 boys. 

The Institution for the Ediiontion of the Blind, and the Institution 
for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, are located at Columbus. 



OHIO. 829 

In November, 1870, the former contained 119 pupils, and the latter 
312 pupils. 

There are three Lunatic Asylums in the State ; the Central Ohio 
Asylum^ at Columbus ; the Northern Ohio Asylum, at Newburgh ; and 
the Southern Ohio Asylum, at Dayton. The first was destroyed bv 
fire ou the 17th of November, 1868, and six of the patients perished 
in the fliames. The remaining institutions, in 1870, contained 878 
patients. In the same year there were in the county infirmaries and 
jails 1176 insane persons. The Asylum for Idiots contains 170 
patients. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 6284 churches in Ohio, and the value of church 
property was $25,554,725. 

FINANCES. 

In November, 1874, the State debt amounted to |7,988,205. During 
the year 1874, the receipts of the Treasury were |5,894,745, and the 
expenditures $5,211,934. 

In the same year there were 139 National banks, with a capital of 
$22^573,881, doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every white male citizen of the United States, 21 years old, who 
has resided in the State one year, is entitled to vote. Persons in the 
military or naval service of the United States, idiots, and insane 
persons are excluded from the ballot. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Comptroller, and Attorney- 
General, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate and a House of 
Representatives, all chosen by the people. The Governor, Lieutenant- 
Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Attorney-General, and 
members of the Legislature are elected for two years. The Comp- 
troller and Auditor are elected for four years. There is also a Board 
of Public Works, consisting of 3 members, elected for 3 years, one 
member retiring each year. 

The courts of the State are the Supreme Court, consisting of five 
judges, elected by the people, the judge with the shortest term being 
the Chief Justice, the Courts of Common Pleas, District Courts, and 
Probate Courts in each county. 



830 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The seat of Government is established at Columbus. 
The State is divided into 88 counties. 



HISTORY. 

The territory now embraced in the State of Ohio was first settled 
by the English, who, in' 1749, built a trading-post upon the Great 
Miami River. Previous to this, the French had explored the terri- 
tory, and had established a trading-post on the lower Ohio, at a point 
within the present limits of the State of Illinois. They were jealous 
of the establishment of the English post on the Miami, and incited 
the Indians to join in an attack upon it. They destroyed it in 1752, 
after a severe fight, and carried the traders into captivity in Canada. 
For some years the territory was in dispute, between the French and 
English. The Ohio Company claimed the right, under the charter, 
which they held from the English king, to establish trading-posts 
along the Ohio, and the French were very active in their efforts to 
put a stop to the advances of their English rivals. It was this quarrel 
which first brought Washington forward as a military leader. The 
territory was inhabited by Indian tribes, who were friendly to the 
French, and hostile to the English. They made frequent incursions 
across the Ohio against the settlements of the whites in Virginia, and 
were in their turn frequently attacked in their own homes by the 
English. During the Revolution, they were the allies of the British, 
and waged a bitter warfare upon the western settlements of the Ameri- 
cans. This gave rise to several memorable campaigns by the Ameri- 
can forces west of the Ohio, in which the savages were severely 
punished. 

After the close of the Revolutionary War, several of the States be- 
came involved in disputes as to the right of soil in this territory, which 
were only settled by the cession of all the State claims to the United 
States. Virginia, in ceding her claims, reserved nearly four millions 
of acres, near the falls of the Ohio, as bounty lands for her State 
troops, and Connecticut reserved a similar tract, near Lake Erie, 
which was sold to actual settlers. The sales of these lands laid the 
foundation of the school fund of Connecticut. 

In 1788, the town of Marietta was founded by the New England 
Ohio Company, who purchased the lands on which they located their 
emigrants, from the United States Board of Treasury. In 1791, the 
town of Galllpolis was settled by 168 French emigrants. Other set- 



OHIO. 831 

tiers now came out, and the territory commenced to assume the cha- 
racter of a permanent settlement. 

The Indians had by this time become very troublesome. General 
Harmar was sent against them with a considerable force, in 1790, 
but, although he inflicted considerable damage upon them, did not 
succeed in intimidating them. In 1791, General St. Clair, the Gov- 
ernor of the Territory, marched against the Indian towns on the 
Maumee, with a force of 3000 men. He was surprised by the savages 
on his march, and his whole army routed, after a desperate struggle, 
with a loss of more than 600 men. In 1794, General Anthony Wayne, 
of Revolutionary fame, was sent into the Indian country with a force 
of 3500 men. On the 20th of August, he inflicted a crushing defeat 
upon them at the falls of the Maumee. After this he ravaged their 
country, and pressed them so hard that they were glad to sue for 
peace, and for some years the territory was free from hostilities. 

By this time Cincinnati had been settled, and the country along the 
southwestern shore of Lake Erie was beginning to attract emigrants. 
The Miami country was thickly populated, and the shores of the Ohio 
were beginning to be dotted with farms. 

In 1799, the first Territorial Legislature assembled. Laws were 
passed confirming all that had been done by the Governor, and pro- 
viding for the future security of the Territory. William Henry Har- 
rison, then Secretary of the Territory, was chosen a delegate to Con- 
gress. Measures were begun and vigorously prosecuted, during the 
next two years, for the purpose of securing the admission of the Ter- 
ritory into the Union. These efforts were crowned with success. 
Early in 1802, a Convention met at Chillicothe, and adopted a State 
Constitution, which was accepted by Congress, and on the 30th of 
April, 1802, Ohio was admitted into the Union as a sovereign State. 

In 1810, war broke out with the Indians, who, under the leadership 
of the famous chief Tecumseh, began a series of bloody outrages upon 
the whites. General Harrison, then Governor of the Territory of 
Indiana, marched against them and defeated them in the battle of 
Tippecanoe, in 1811. During the second war with England, the 
western frontiers suffered greatly from the British and Indians. Ohio 
bore her full share in the struggle, and her sons were amongst the 
first to volunteer for service against the common foe. 

In 1816, the seat of Government was transferred from Chillicothe 
to Columbus, and, in 1817, the first steps were taken by the State for 
the construction of the canals which have added so much to her 
Wealth. 



832 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




STATE CAPITOL, AT COLUMBUS. 

After the treaty of 1815, the State grew with unparalleled rapidity. 
We have already shown the condition of Ohio at present, and can 
add nothing to the simple statement that this great and flourishing 
commonwealth but little more than half a century ago was "a howling 
wilderness." 

During the Rebellion this state contributed 317,133 men to the 
service of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of Ohio are, 
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo City, Zanesville, Sandusky, 
Chillicothe, Hamilton, Springfield, Portsmouth, Steubenville, Brook- 
lyn, Newark, Xenia, Piqua, Mansfield, Circleville, Marietta, Lancaster 
City, Mount Vernon, and Canton. 



COLUMBUS, 

The capital and fourth city of the State, is situated in Franklin 
county, on the east bank of the Scioto River, 90 miles from its mouth, 
120 miles northeast of Cincinnati, and 350 miles northwest of Wash- 
ington. Latitude 39° 57' N. ; longitude 83° 3' W. 



OHIO. 833 

The land on which the city is built rises gradually from the river, 
and the streets are laid out at right-angles. Broad street extends from 
the river along the National Road to the east of the city, and is 120 
feet wide ; and High street, 100 feet wide, crosses Broad at right-angles. 
This is the principal business street. At the intersection of the two 
thoroughfares is a handsome public square of 10 acres. The streets 
are shaded with trees, and are well paved. Street railways connect 
the various points of the corporate limits. The city is well built, and 
many of the buildings are handsome and spacious. 

The State Capitol stands in the centre of the public square. It is 
a splendid edifice, 304 feet long by 184 feet wide. It is built of a 
fine white limestone resembling marble. The interior decorations are 
very fine. The State Penitentiary is located immediately upon the 
bank of the river, and is built of Ohio marble. It is one of the most 
imposing structures in the State. The State Institution for the Blind, 
the Ohio Lunatic Asylum, and the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, are 
handsome buildings. 

The city contains a number of public and private schools. The 
Starling Medical College is a flourishing institution. The Lutheran 
Church has a theological seminary here. There are about 26 churches 
and several newspaper offices in Columbus. The city is lighted with 
gas ftnd is supplied with pure water. It is governed by a Mayor and 
Council. It is one of the principal railway centres of the State, and 
is the seat of a large and active trade with the surrounding country. 
In 1870, the population was 31,274. 

In 1812, Columbus was selected as the site of the State capital. At 
this time it was a wilderness, but it grew rapidly from the first, but 
was still a small inland village when the State Government was re- 
moved to it in 1816. In 1820, it had 1400 inhabitants. The com- 
pletion of the National Road to the city brought it into more direct 
communication with the rest of the country, and greatly, accelerated 
its growth. 

CINCINNATI, 

The metropolis of the State, is situated in Hamilton county, on the 
right or northern bank of the Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Licking 
River. It is 120 miles southwest of Columbus, 476 miles by water 
from Pittsburg, 529 miles from the mouth of the Ohio, 1520 miles 
from New Orleans, 280 miles southeast of Chicago, and 610 miles 
west of Washington. It is the eighth city in respect of population in 
the United States, and the third city in the West. 



834 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The city is beautifully located. It is in the centre of a lovely val- 
ley, surrounded by hills. It occupies the whole of the first and 
second planes above the Ohio River, and extends over the greater part 
of the third, or still higher elevations of Mount Adams, Mount Au- 
burn, Mount Washington, etc. The first of these planes or tables, 
called " the bottom," is at an elevation of 50 feet above low-water 
mark ; the second, called "the hill," about 60 feet higher, and is densely 
built upon, being the thickest settled portion of the city. Above this 
are the hills of Mount Auburn, etc;, 200 feet higher. Viewed from 
one of these last hills, the city appears to occupy the centre of an im- 
mense basin, the view being in every direction terminated by swelling 
hills. The grade of these planes or terraces has for years been 
changing to conform to the general improvement of the city, and 
now affords the regular and facile ascent required by heavy draughts, 
as well as to permit the safe drainage of water from the upper ter- 
races of the city. 

The city is regularly laid out, the streets crossing each other at 
right- angles. Tliey are generally about 66 feet in width; are well 
graded and paved, and are in many cases lined with beautiful shade 
trees. Tliose running east and west are denominated Water, Front, 
Columbia, Pearl, Third, Fourth, etc. ; while those running north and 
south are named Broadway,. Sycamore, Main, Walnut, Western 
Row, etc. Main street extends from the steamboat landing on the 
river northwardly to the northern bound of the second plane. The 
steamboat landing covers an open area of about 10 acres, with a front- 
age of 1000 feet. The shore is paved from low-water mark, and is 
provided with M'harfboats or floating wharves, which rise and fall 
with the river; in the height of wliicii there is a great variation, the 
mean annual range from high to low water being about 50 feet. Pearl 
street, parallel with the river, is the great jobbing mart. Fourth 
street is the "Fifth Avenue" of the town, a long, wide, elegant, 
fashionable promenade upon the crown of the First Terrace, follow- 
ing the course of the river. Fifth street contains the markets, and 
displays a scene of busy life through an extent of three or four 
miles. 

Cincinnati is one of the best built cities in the country, and in its 
business portions especially will compare favorably with any Ameri- 
can city. The improvement in this respect has been very marked 
during the last ten years. Many handsome residences lie within the 
city limits, and in the suburbs. The suburb of Clifton is one of the 



OHIO. 



837 




TIEW ON FOURTH STREET, CINCINNATI. 

handsomest villages in the Union. As in all western cities, how- 
ever, the buildings soon become tarnished and blackened by the coal 
smoke, the coal burned here being very soft, and throwing off a dense, 
black smoke. 

The public buildings give evidence of the rapid growth in wealth 
and importance of the city. The material generally employed in the 
best buildings is a fine freestone or sandstone, though white limestone 
is used to some extent. The Court House is a handsome edifice of 
white limestone, resembling marble. It cost $500,000. The City 
Hall, the Custom House, the Melodeon Hall, Mozart Hall, and the 
Masonic Hall, are the other prominent structures. The colleges, 
churches, and benevolent establishments of the city are among its 
principal ornaments. 

The schools are numerous, and are of a high character. There are 
a number of flourishing private schools and seminaries, and about 22 
public schools, including two high schools in operation. The Col- 
lege of St. Xavier, the Lane Theological Seminary (Presbyterian), 
the Fairmount Theological Seminary, the Wesleyan Female College, 



838 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and the Woodward and Eclectic Medical Colleges are the principal 
institutions of the higher class. 

The Benevolent Institutions are, the Lunatic Asylum, the Commer- 
cial Hospital, the Cincinnati, St. Peter's, St. Aloysius, and We.st Ger- 
man Protestant Orphan Asylums, the Widow's Home, the Asylum for 
Indigent Females, the House of Refuge, the Hotel for Invalids, the 
Longview Asylum, and the Almshouse. They are among tlie best 
arranged and most efficient institutions in the country. 

There are 9 public libraries in Cincinnati, two of which are German. 
The Cincinnati Observatory is located on IV^ount Adams, and forms a 
cons2)icuous object in any view of the city. It was built by the volun- 
tary contributions of the citizens, the grounds being the gift of the 
late Nicholas Lono-worth. Under the manag-ement of the* late Pro- 
fessor Mitchell it was raised to a high degree of excellence and useful- 
ness. 

The city contains 4 first-class hotels, about 110 churches, 4 theatres, 
about 56 newspapers and periodicals, 8 of which are daily, and several 
large ])ublishing houses. It is lighted with gas, and supplied with 
pure water from the Ohio River. Street railways connect its various 
portions, and it possesses an efficient police force, a police and fire- 
alarm telegraph, and a steam fire department. This city built the 
first steam fire-engine ever used in America. The city is governed 
by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 216,239. 

The Ohio is crossed at Cincinnati by a magnific«nt suspension 
bridge, uniting Cincinnati with Covington, Kentucky, begun in 1856, 
and completed in 1867. The entire length of the bridge is 2252 
feet; the distance between the towers 1057 feet; height of the towers 
230 feet ; elevation of the floor at the middle 100 feet above low-water 
mark. The entire cost of the bridge was over $1,500,000. It is 
traversed by a street railway, connecting Cincinnati and Covington. 
It is an imposing and massive structure, and a great ornament to the 
city. 

There are 10 cemeteries in the vicinity, the principal of which is 
the Spring Grove Cemetery, a very beautiful "city of the dead." 

Besides its river connections, Cincinnati has direct communication 
by railway with all parts of the State and Union. The Miami Canal 
connects it with Lake Erie, furnishing also excellent water-power for 
manufacturing purposes. Nine lines of railway enter the city, and 
through trains run from Cincinnati to all important points east and 
west. 



OHIO. 



839 




THE TYLER DAVIDSON FOUNTAIN. 



The river trade of Cincinnati is enormous, and is on the increase 
in spite of the activity of the various railway lines. During the year 
ending August 31, 1864, 435 steamboats and barges were engaged in 
this trade, or about 121 more than were employed in 1854. In the 
same year the arrivals of steamers numbered 2936, though the trade 
with the Lower Mississippi and New Orleans was destroyed by the 
war. Since the close of the war, and the opening of the Mississippi 
trade, the city has resumed its full share in this source of wealth. 

Cincinnati ranks next to Chicago as a pork market of the Republic. 
An English writer, who visited Cincinnati a few years ago, humorously 
says of this branch of its industry : 

" The great business of Cincinnati is hog killing now, as it used to 
be in the old days of which I have so often heard. It seems to be an 
established fact that in this portion of the world the porcine genus are 
all hogs. One never hears of a pig. With us a trade in hogs and 
pigs is subject to some little contumely. There is a feeling, which 
has perhaps never been expressed in words, but which certainly exists, 
that these animals are not so honorable in their bearings as sheep 



84!) OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and oxen. It is a prejudice which by no means exists in Cincinnati. 
There hog killing and salting and packing is very honorable, and the 
great men in the trade are the merchant princes of the city. I went 
to see the performance, feeling it to be a duty to inspect everj'where 
that which I found to be of most importance ; but I will not describe 
it. There were a crowd of men operating, and I was told that the 
point of honor was to 'put through' a hog a minute. It must be 
understood that the animal enters upon the ceremony alive, and comes 
out in tiiat cleanly, disemboweled guise in which it ftiay sometimes be 
seen hanging up previous to the operation of the pork butcher's knife. 
To one special man was appointed a performance which seemed to be 
specially disagreeable, so that he appeared despicable in ray eyes ; but 
when on inquiry I learned that he earned five dollars (or a pound 
sterling) a day, my judgment as to his position was reversed. And, 
after all, what matters the ugly nature of such an occupation when a 
man is used to it ?" 

Upwards of 40 houses are engaged in this trade. About 700,000 
hogs are annually killed and packed here. The value of the annual 
product of these houses in pork and lard is estimated at about 
$8,000,000. 

The city is largely engaged in manufactures. There are numerous 
iron and brass founderies, machine shops, flouring mills, manufacto- 
ries of furniture, of lard and stearine oil, and of candles, distilleries, 
and wine factories. Considerable quantities of clothing, tobacco, and 
wagons are also made here. The hills of the Ohio above and below 
the city are lined with extensive vineyards, which produce large quan- 
tities of wine, which finds a market in the city. The vineyard and 
wine cellars of the late Mr. Longworth are well known throughout 
the country. 

In 1864, the total exports of the city amounted to $239,079- 
825; and the imports to $389,790,537. The principal articles 
of export were valued as follows: merchandise, $85,973,400; cotton, 
$34,973,840; tobacco, $22,286,485; whiskey, $10,520,500; horses, 
$8,523,847 ; sugar, $6,790,054 ; oil, $5,610,580 ; candles, $3,043,768 ; 
. flour, $2,556,242; hemp, $2,363,760; and furniture, $2,154,075. 

The cities of Covington and Newport lie on the Kentucky shore, 
immediately opposite Cincinnati. 

Cincinnati was first settled on the 26th of December, 1788, by a 
party of men under Matthias Denman and Robert Paterson, sent out 
to improve a portion of the purchase made by the Hon. John Cleves 



OHIO. 841 

Symmes. This purchase embraced a tract of 311,682 acres, lying be- 
tween the Great and Little Miami rivers, and extending along the 
Ohio River for a distance of 37 miles. This party landed opposite 
the mouth of the Licking River, and laid out a village called Losan- 
tiville, a name shortly abandoned for that of Cincinnati. In Feb- 
ruary, 1789, Judge Symmes himself arrived with another party, and, 
landing at North Bend, laid out what was designed to be a large city, 
to which they gave the name of Symmes. This site is now marked 
by the village of Cleves. In a short while a detachment of United 
States troops was sent to the Bend to protect the settlers there. Fort 
Washington had been built at Cincinnati by this time, however, and 
the troops were removed thither soon after their arrival at the Bend, 
and in a short M'hile Symmes was compelled to yield its pretensions to 
Cincinnati. In 1790, the expedition of General Harrison against the 
Indians rendezvoused at and began its march from Fort Washington, 
which was also the starting point of the ill-fated expedition of St. 
Clair, in 1791. In 1792, the first (Presbyterian) church was erected, 
on what is now the corner of Main and Fourth streets. In 1793, the 
first newspaper, " The Sentinel of the Northwest Territory," was es- 
tablished. In January, 1794, a line of two keel boats, with bullet- 
proof covers and portholes, and provided with cannon and small arms,, 
was established between Pittsburg and Cincinnati, each making a trip 
once in four weeks. During this time the town progressed very 
slowly. With the opening of the present century a change for the 
better set in, and its growth became marked and rapid. The intro- 
duction of steam navigation placed in its hands the enormous river 
trade, which it has since retained. In 1819, it was incorporated as 
a city. Its progress since its settlement is shown by the following 
table : 

Year.- Population. 

1795, 500 

1800, 750 

1810, ■ . . . . 2,540 

1820, 9,602 

1830, 24,831 

1840, . . ■ 46,338 

1850, 115,436 

1860, 171,000 

1870, 216,239 

The city contains a large German population, the district mainly 

inhabited by them beinar known as " Over the Mhine." 
52 ^ *= 



842 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

CLEVELAND, 

The second city of the State^ is situated in Cuyahoga county, on the 
southern shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of Cuyahoga River, 135 
miles east-northeast of Cohimbus, 255 miles northeast of Cincinnati, 
and 195 miles by water southwest of Buffalo. 

The city is beautifully located on an elevated gravelly plain over- 
looking the lake, at an elevation of from 60 to 100 feet above it. The 
Cuyahoga River flows through the city, its tortuous coarse adding to 
the picturesque character of the scenery and affording an excellent 
harbor for several miles. From various points excellent views are ob- 
tained of the lake, which in summer seems a shoreless sea studded 
with the white sails of vessels, and in the winter resembles the Arctic 
Ocean, being a vast solitude of ice. 

Cleveland is justly considered one of the handsomest American 
cities. It is regularly laid ofF, the streets, with a few exceptions, 
intersecting each other at right-angles. They are generally from 80 
to 120 feet wide, and are so thickly shaded with maple trees — with 
the exception of the heavy business streets — that Cleveland has been 
named " The Forest City." In the centre of the city is a handsome 
public square of 10 acres, in which stands a marble statue of Commo- 
dore Perry, the hero of Lake Erie. The Nicholson or wooden pave- 
ment is used on all the principal streets. Superior street is the prin- 
cipal shopping thoroughfare, and contains the hotels. River and Mer- 
win streets, on the east bank of the river, are the heavy business 
streets ; and Euclid and Prospect streets are the favorite localities 
for residence. They are beautiful avenues, and are lined with hand- 
some dwellings. 

The principal public buildings are, the United States Building, con- 
taining the Custom House, Post Office, and United States Court; 
the United Stidcs Marine Hospital ; the County Court House; the 
City Police Court and Prison, and the County Jail. These ar(3 built 
of stone. The public schools of Cleveland have long been noted for 
their excellence. There are about 74 in all, including 2 high schools. 
Besides these, there are a number of private schools and seminaries 
in the city. The principal establishments of the higher class are, the 
Cleveland Medical College, Charity Hospital Medical College, and the 
Hommopathic Medical College,a\\ of which are flourishing institutions. 
The Cleveland Library Association possesses a fine library, and holds 
an annual course of lectures. 



OHIO. 



843 




SUPERIOR STREET, CLEVELAND. 



There are about 32 benevolent societies in tlie city. The princii>al 
establishments are, the United States Marine Hospital; the Cleveland 
Orphan Asylum; 3 Roman Catholic orphan asylums; the Home of the 
Friendless (Episcopal); the City Inji7'mary ; the House of Refuge; 
the Charity Hospital. 

Fourteen newspapers, 5 of which are daily, and 9 magazines, arc 
[>ublished in Cleveland. The city contains about 43 churches, and 7 
hotels. It is lighted with gas and is supplied with water, which is 
forced by steam from Lake Erie into an elevated reservoir, from -which 
it is distributed through the city. It is provided with an efficient 
police force, a police and fire alarm telegraph, a steam fire-engine de- 
partment, and a system of street railways. It is governed by a Mayor 
and Council. In 1870, the population was 92,829. 

The position of Cleveland on Lake Erie has placed it in possession 
of an important trade. It is next to Buffalo the most important port 
on the lake. The harbor is good, and has been greatly improved by 
the United States Government. During the season of navigation 
daily lines of passenger steamers ply between Cleveland and the Lake 
Superior ports, and about 20 lines of steam propellers maintain a 
busy trade with the principal towns on all the great lakes. There is 
direct cominunication between Cleveland and Liverpool, England, by 



844 OUR COUNTPvY AND ITS KESOURCES. 

mailing vessels, via the lakes, the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence. 
The lake trade is very large and valuable, and is increasing. The 
Ohio Canal connects the lake with the Ohio River at Portsmouth, 
and, by means of a branch at Beaver, seven lines of railway, one 
leading direct to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, connect the city 
V. ith all parts of the Union. These have added greatly to its trade. 
The lake trade alone is estimated at about $225,000,000 per annum. 
. Cleveland is largely engaged in ship-building. Many vessels have 
been constructed here for ocean service as well as for the lake trade. 
The manufactures of the city are growing rapidly. It is especiallv 
favored in this resj^ect, owing to its proximity to the coal fields, its 
daily receipts from the mines, and its great facilities for distributing 
its products over the country. 

MISCELLANY. 

SIMON KENTON. 

Simou Kenton Mas a Virginian by birth, and emigrated to the wilds of the 
West in the year 1771. He was born (according to a manuscript which he dic- 
tated to a gentleman of Kentucky, some years since,) in Fauquier county, on the 
15th of May, 1755, of poor parents. His early life was passed principally on a 
furni. At the age of 16, having a quarrel with a rival in a love affair, he left his 
antagonist upou the ground for dead, and made quick steps for the wilderness, 
la the course of a few days, wandering to and fro, he arrived at a small settle- 
ment on Cheat Creek, one of the forks of the Monongahela, where he called him- 
self Butler. Here, according to Mr. McClung, he attached himself to a small 
company headed by John Mahon and Jacob Greathonse, which was about start- 
ing fiirllier west, on an exploring expedition. He was soon induced, however, 
by a young adventurer of the name of Yager, who had been taken by the western 
Indians when a child, and spent manj' years among them, to detach himself from 
the company, and go with him to a land which the Indians called Kan-tuc-kee, 
and which he represented as being a perfect elysium. Accompanied by another 
young man, named Strader, they set off for the backwoods paradise in high 
spirits : Kenton not doubting that he should find a country flowing with milk and 
honey, where he would have little to do but to eat. drink, and be merrj'. Such, 
however, was not his luck. Tliey continued wandering through the wilderness 
for some weeks, without finding the "promised land." and then retraced their 
steps, and successively explored the land about Salt Lick, Little and Big Sandy, 
and Guyandotte. At length, being totally wearied out, they turned their atten- 
tion entirely to hunting and trapping, and thus spent nearly two years. Being 
discovered by the Indians, and losing one of his companions (Strader), Kenton 
was compelled to abandon his trapping-waters, and hunting-grounds. After 
divers hardships, he succeeded in reaching the mouth of the Little Kanawha, 
with his remaining companion, where he found and attached himself to another 
exploring party. This, however, was attacked by the Indians, soon after com- 
mencing the descent of the Ohio, compelled to abandon its canoes, and strike 
diagonally through the woods for Greenbriar county. Its members suffered much 



OHIO. 845 

in accomplishing this journey, from fatiyue, sickness, and famine ; and on reacli- 
ing the settlements separated. 

Kenton's rival of the love affair had long since recovered from the castigation 
which he had given him. But of this the young hero had not heard. He there- 
fore did not think proper to venture home; hut, instead, built a canoe on the 
Monongahela, and once more sought the moutii of the Great Kanawha, where he 
hunted till the spring of 1774. This year, he descended the Oiiio as far as the 
mouth of Big Bone Creek, and was engaged in various explorations till 1778, 
when he joined Daniel Boone in his expedition against the Indian town on Paint 
Creek. Immediately, on his return from this, lie was dispatched by Colonel 
Bowman, with two companions, to make observations upon the Indian towns on 
Little Miami, against which the colonel meditated an expedition. He reached 
the towns in safety, and made the necessary surveys without being observed by 
the Indians ; and the expedition might have terminated much to his credit, and 
been very useful to the settlers in Kentucky, had he not, before leaving the 
towns, stolen a number of the Indians' horses. The animals were missed early 
on the following morning, the trail of the marauders was discovered, and pursuit 
instantly commenced. Kenton and his companions soon lieard cr.ies in tlieir 
rear, knew that they had been discovered, and saw the necessit}' of riding for 
their lives. They therefore dashed through the woods at a furious rate, with the 
liue and cry after them, until their course was suddenly interrupted by an im- 
penetrable swamp. Here they, from necessity, paused for a few moments, and 
listened attentively. Hearing no sounds of pursuit, they resumed their course : 
and skirting the swamp for some distance, in the vain hope of crossing it, they 
dashed off in a straight line for the Ohio. They continued tlieir furious speed for 
48 hours, halting but once or twice for a few minutes to tiike some refreshment, 
and reached the Ohio in safety. The river was high and rough, and they found 
it impossible to urge the jaded horses over. Various efforts were made, but all 
failed. Kenton was never remarkable for prudence ; and, on this occasion, his 
better reason seems to have deserted him entirely'. B}' abandoning the animals, 
he might yet have escaped, though several hours had been lost in endeavoring to 
get them over. But this he could not make up his mind to do. He therefore 
called a council, when it was determined, as they felt satisfied they must be some 
12 hours in advance of their pursuers, that they should conceal their horses in a 
neighboring ravine, and themselves take stations in an adjoining wood, in the hope 
t!iat by sunset the high wind would abate, and the state of the river be such as to 
permit their crossing with the booty. At the hour waited for, however, the wind 
M'as higher, and the water rougher than ever. Still, as if completely infatuated, 
they remained in their dangerous position through the night. The next morning 
was mild ; the Indians had not yet been heard in pursuit, and Kenton again 
jirged the horses over. But, recollecting the difficulties of the preceding day, the 
affrighted animals could not now be induced to enter the water at all. Each of 
the three men therefore mounted a horse, abandoning the rest (they had stolen 
quite a drove), and started down the river, with the intention of keeping the 
Ohio and Indiana side till they should arrive opposite Louisville. But they were 
slow in making even this movement ; and thej'^ had not ridden over 100 yards 
when they heard a loud halloo, proceeding apparently from the spot which they 
had just left. •* They were soon surrounded by the pursuers. One of Kenton's 
companions effected his escape, the other was killed. Kenton was made pris- 
oner — "falling a victim," says Mr. McClung, "to his excessive love of horse- 
flesh." 



846 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

After the Indians had scalped his dead companion, and kicked and cuffed Ken- 
ton to their hearts' content, they compelled him to lie down upon his back, and 
stretch out his arms to their full length. They then passed a stout stick at right 
angles across his breast, to each extremity of which his wrists were fastened by 
thongs of buffalo-hide. Stakes were next driven into the earth near his feet, to 
which they were fastened in like manner. A halter was then tied round Jiis 
neck, and fastened to a sapling which grew near. And finally, a strong rope 
was passed under his body, and wound several times round his arms at the el- 
bows — thus lashing them to the stick which lay across his breast, and to which 
liis wrists were fastened, in a manner peculiarly painful. He could move neither 
feet, arms, nor head ; and was kept in this position till the next morning. The 
Indians then, wishing to commence their return-journey, unpinioned Kenton, 
and lashed him by the feet to a wild, unbroken colt (one of the animals he had 
stolen from them), with his hands tied behind him. 

In this manner he was driven into a captivity as cruel, singular, and remark- 
able in other respects, as any in the whole history of Indian warfare upon this 
continent. "A fatalist," says the author of the "Sketches of Western Adven- 
ture," "would recognize the hand of destiny in every stage of its progress. la 
the infatuation with which Kenton refused to adopt proper measures for his 
safety, while such were practicable ; in the i)ersevering obstinacy with which he 
remained on the Ohio shore until flight became useless ; and afterward, in that 
remarkable succession of accidents, by which, without the least exertion on his 
part, he was so often at one hour tantalized with a prospect of safety, and the 
next plunged into the deepest despair. He was eight times exposed to the 
gauntlet — three times tied to the stake — and as often thought himself upon the 
eve of a terrible death. All the sentences passed upon him, whether of mercy or 
condemnation, seem to have been pronounced in one council only to be reversed 
in another. Every friend that Providence raised up in his favor, was immedi- 
ately followed by some enemy, who unexpectedly interposed, and turned his 
short glimpse of sunshine into deeper darkness than ever. For three weeks he 
was constantly see-sawing between life and death ; and during the whole time he 
Avas perfectly passive. No wisdom, or foresight, or exertion, could have saved 
iiim. Fortune fought his battle from first to last, and seemed determined to per- 
mit nothing else to interfere." 

He was eventually liberated from the Indians, when about to be bound to the 
stake for the fourth time and burnt, by an Indian agent of the name of Drewycr, 
who was anxious to obtain intelligence for the British commander at Detroit, of 
the strength and condition of the settlements in Kentucky. He got nothing im- 
portant out of Kenton ; but in three weeks, Football of Fortune was sent to De- 
troit, from which place he effected his escape in about eight months, and returned 
to Kentucky. Fearless and active, he soon embarked in new enterprises ; and 
was with George Rogers Clarke, in his celebrated expedition against Viucennes 
and Kaskaskia ; with Edwards, in his abortive expedition to the Indian towns in 
1785 ; and with Wayne, in his decisive campaign of 1794. 

Simon Kenton, througliout the struggles of the pioneers, had the reputation of 
being a valuable scout, a hardy woodsman, and a brave Indian fighter ; but, in 
reviewing his eventful career, he appears to have greatly lacked discretion, and 
to have evinced frequently a want of energy. In his after life he was much re- 
spected, and he continued to the last fond of regaling listeners with stories of 
the early times. A friend of ours, who some years ago made a visit to the 



OHIO. 847 

abode of the venerable patriarch, describes in the following terms his appearance 
at that time : "Kenton's form, even under the weight of 79 years, is striking, 
and must have been a model of manly strength and agility. His eye is blue, 
mild, and yet penetrating in its glance. The forehead projects very much at the 
eyebrows — which are well defined — and then recedes, and is neither very hioh 
nor very broad. His hair, which in active life was light, is now quite gray • his 
nose is straight ; and his mouth, before he lost his teeth, nmst have been expres- 
sive and handsome. I observed that he had yet one tooth — which, in connection 
with his character and manner of conversation, was continually remindiuo- me of 
Leatherstocking. The whole face is remarkably expressive, not of turbulence or 
excitement, but rather of rumination and self-possession. Simplicity, frankness, 
honesty, and a strict regard to truth, appeared to be the prominent traits of his 
character." In giving an answer to a question which my friend asked him, I 
was particularly struck with his truthfulness and simplicity. The question was, 
whether the account of his life, given in the " Sketches of Western Adventure," 
was true or not. " Well, I'll tell you," said he ; " not true. The book says that 
when Blackfish, the Injun warrior, asked me, when they had taken me prisoner, 
if Colonel Boone sent me to steal their horses, I said, 'No, sir.' " Here he looked 
indignant and rose from his chair. " I tell you I never said ' sir ' to an Injun in 
my life ; I scarcely ever say it to a white man." Here Mrs. Kenton, who was 
engaged in some domestic occupation at the table, turned round and remarked, 
that when they were last in Kentucky, some one gave her the book to read to her 
husband ; and that when she came to that part, he would not let her read any 
further. "And I tell j'ou," continued he, "I was never tied to a stake in my 
life to be burned. They had me painted black when I saw Girty, but not tied to 
a stake." 

We are inclined to think, notwithstanding this, that the statement in the 
"Sketches," of his being three times tied to the stake, is correct ; for the author 
of that interesting work had before him a manuscript account of the pioneer's 
life, which had been dictated by Mr. Kenton to a gentleman of Kentucky, a 
. number of years before, when he had no motive to exaggerate, and his memory 
•was comparatively unimpaired. But he is now beyond the reach of earthly toil, 
or trouble, or suffering. His old age was as exemplary as his youth and man- 
hood had been active and useful. And though his last years were clouded by 
poverty, and his eyes closed in a miserable cabin to the light of life, yet shall he 
occupy a bright page in our border history, and his name soon open to the light 
of fame. 



INDIANA. 

Area, 33,809 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 1,350,428 

Population in 1870, 1,680,637 

The State of Indiana is situated between 37° 50' and 41° 50' N. 
latitude, and between (about) 84° 50' and (about) 88° W. longitude. 
It is bounded on the north by Michigan and Lake Michigan, on the 
east by Ohio and Kentucky, on the south by Kentucky, and on the 
Avest by Illinois. Its extreme length, from north to south, is about 
280 miles, and its extreme width, from east to west, about 144 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The Ohio River is bordered for the most part by a range of hills; 
and the country south of the White River is mostly rugged. A low 
ridge enters the State from Kentucky, and crosses the southern part 
in a northwestern direction. The White and Wabash rivers break 
through this ridge in a series of rapids. The rapids of the Ohio 
River are produced by the same cause. North of the White River, 
the country is either gently rolling or level. Fine prairies occupy 
the western counties, and the eastern part of the State is heavily 
timbered. Some swamp lands occupy several of the northwestern 
counties. 

Lake 3Iichigany already described, washes the western portion of 
the northern part of the State. Michigan City is the principal town 
on the lake. 

The Ohio Rivo^ washes the entire southern shore of the State, and 
receives the waters of its principal stream, the Wabash. The Wabash 
848 



INDIANA. 849 

rises in the western part of the State of Ohio, and enters Indiana near 
the centre of the eastern boundary. It then flows northwest to 
Huntington, where it bends to the southwest, and flows in that direc- 
tion across the State to the Illinois border, below Terre Haute. It 
then forms the boundary between Indiana and Illinois for about 100 
miles, and empties into the Ohio River at the southwestern extremity 
of the former State. It is 550 miles long, and is navigable for 300 
miles for steamboats, at high water. The White Rive)' is the principal 
branch of the Wabash. It is formed by two branches, called the* 
East Fork and the West Fork. The West Fork, which may be re- 
garded as the main stream, rises in the eastern part of the State, and 
is 300 miles long. It flows through the central part of Indiana, and 
is navigable, at high water, for 200 miles above the mouth of the 
White River. The East Fork is 250 miles long, and is navigable for 
flat-boats. The two branches unite near Kinderhook, in Davies 
county. The main stream is about 40 or 50 miles long. The gen- 
eral course of the White River and its branches is southwest. The 
Wabash is obstructed at low water by a ledge of rocks just above the 
mouth of the White River. The Maumee and its branches drain the 
northeastern counties, and the Kankakee, one of the sources of the 
Illinois, flows through the northwest. The Upper St. Joseph's of 
Michigan flows for 30 miles through this State, in the extreme northern 
part. The Tippecanoe and Mississinewa, flowing into the Wabash, 
the White Water and Blue River flowing into the Ohio, and the 
Flat Rock flowing into the White River, are the other streams of 
importance. 

MINERALS. 

The southwestern part of the State is rich in coal beds. It is esti- 
mated that they are capable of producing 50,000,000 bushels to the 
square mile. Iron, zinc, gypsum, marble, limestone, and sandstone, 
of an excellent building quality, and grindstones are found. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild as a general rule, but liable to sudden and 
severe changes. The summers are warm, but the winters, though 
severe, are short, and except in the most northern counties deep snows 
are not usual. 



850 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of the State is good, and has never been worked to its full 
capacity. The best and most fertile lands lie along the rivers. The 
State contains a great deal of excellent grazing land. 

According to the Report of the Agricultural Bureau for 1869, there 
were in Indiana 8,242,183 acres of improved land. In the same 
year, the other returns were as follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 20,600,000 

" Indian corn, 73,000,000 

" rye, 575,000 

" oats, 12,413,000 

" barley, 411,000 

" buckwheat, 303,000 

" potatoes, 4,750,000 

Pounds of tobacco, 7,000,000 

" butter, 18,306,051 

Tons of hay, • 1,200,000 

JiT umber of horses, 890,340 

" asses and mules, 35,340 

sheep, 1,011,120 

" milch cows, 390,450 

" swine, , 3,580,120 

" young cattle, 744,850 

Yalue of domestic animals, $50,855,539 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

This State has no foreign commerce, but has an active lake and 
river trade. 

Manufactures do not yet occupy the position to which the cheapness 
of fuel and abundance of water-power in Indiana entitle them. The 
State is almost entirely agricultural at present, but there is good reason 
to believe that it will one day become a prominent manufacturing 
community. In 1870, the State contained 11,847 establishments 
devoted to manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts. They em- 
ployed a capital of $52,052,425, consumed raw material worth $63,- 
135,492, and returned an annual product of ^108,617,278. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, Indiana contained 3529 miles of completed railroads, con- 
structed at a Gostof over$100,000,000. Nearly all thegreatlines between 
the far West and the East cross this State, which is one of the fore- 



INDIANA. 851 

most in the country in the work of internal improvements. A perfect 
network of roads covers the State, and there is scarcely a county 
which is not crossed in some part by a railroad. Seven lines centre 
at the capital, and half a dozen cross the northern part of the State to 
Chicago. All the important points are thus connected with each 
other, and with all parts of the country. The roads of Indiana are 
amongst the best in the country. 

There are 453 miles of canal navigation in the State. 

EDUCATION. 

Indiana is one of the first States in respect to the provision made 
for public education. 

In 1870, there were 26 colleges in the State, the principal of which 
is the State University, at Bloomington, which is a part of the public 
school system, and furnishes education free. A State Normal school 
has been established at Terre Haute. 

The educational system is under the general control of a Superintend- 
ent of Public Instruction, elected by the people for a term of two years. 
He reports the condition of the schools to the Legislature at the end 
of his term. A County Commissioner is in charge of the schools of 
each county, and in each city and township the schools are controlled 
by a Board of Trustees. An Examiner is appointed in each county 
by the Commissioner. It is the duty of this official to visit the sciiools 
and examine the teachers, under the direction of the Commissioner, and 
to hold a Teachers' Institute in his county at least once a year. 

In 1870, the school fund amounted to over $7,000,000. The num- 
ber of public schools in the State was 8871, and the number of pupils 
was 446,076. There were also 202 private schools, with about 18,000 
pupils. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

There are two State prisons in this State — the State Prison, North, 
at Michigan City, and the State Prison, South, at Jeffersonville. At 
the Jeffersonville prison, the labor of the convicts is let out to con- 
tractors, and the institution is self-sustaining. The State conducts 
the northern prison. 

The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is at Indianapolis, and is a 
flourishing and excellent institution. The Institute for the Education 
of the Blind, and the Hospital for the Insane, are also at Indianapolis. 
They are well managed. In the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, shoe- 



852 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

making and cabinet-making are taught the boys, while the girls are 
instructed in needle- work. Brush and broom making are carried on 
by the boys, and bead work of various kinds by the girls, at the Blind 
Asylum. In October, 1867^ there were 169 deaf mutes in the first 
institution named above; 96 blind persons in the second ; and in 1868, 
313 lunatics in the third. 

The Soldiers' and Seamen's Home is located in Rush county. It was 
established in this county in 1866, and will accommodate 100 patients. 

A State Reform School is just being put in operation in Hendricks 
county. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 3106 churches in Indiana, and the value of 
church property was $11,942,227 

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS. 

In 1870, there were 5301 libraries in the State, containing 1,125,- 
533 volumes. 

In the same year the number of newspapers and magazines pub- 
lished in this State was as follows : daily, 20 ; semi- weekly, 1 ; weekly, 
233; monthly, 28. Total, 293. Of these 240 were political, 9 religious, 
16 literary, and 28 miscllaneous. They had an aggregate annual cir- 
culation of 26,964,894 copies. 

FINANCES. 

On the 31st of October,1874, the State debt amounted to $1,172,755. 
The receipts of the Treasury during the fiscal year ending October 
31st, 1874, amounted to $2,410,917, and the expenditures for the 
same period to $1,544,216. 

In 1868, there were 68 National banks doing business in the State, 
with a capital of $12,867,000. 

GOVERNMENT. 

By the terms of the State Constitution, every male citizen of the 
United States, 21 years old, who has resided in the State six months, 
and every male of foreign birth, 21 years old, who has resided in the 
United States one year, and in the State six months, and has declared 
his intention to become a citizen of the United States, is entitled to 
vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 



INDIANA. 8o3 

Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, and Attorney- 
General, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 50 members) 
and a House of Representatives (of 98 members), all elected by the 
people. The General election is held in October. The Governor 
and Lieutenant-Governor are chosen for four years, and the other 
officers and the Legislature for two years. The Legislature meets 
biennially in January. 

The Courts of the State are the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and 
a Court of Common Pleas. The judges are elected by the people; 
those of the Supreme Court for seven years, those of the Circuit Courts 
for six years, and those of the Court of Common Pleas for four years. 
The Supreme Court consists of four judges. 

The seat of Government is established at Indianapolis. 

Indiana is divided into 92 counties. 



HISTORY. 

Originally a part of New France, Indiana was first explored by the 
French missionaries and traders. As early as 1700, Vincennes was 
a missionary station, and in 1716 it became a trading-post. It is be- 
lieved that the first actual white settlers were French soldiers, who, 
by frequent intermarriages with the Indians, lost their habits of civili- 
zation, and became a degenerate community, remaining a distinct 
class for fully one hundred years. 

The treaty of 1763, turned over to Great Britain all the French 
possessions east of the Mississippi. During the Revolution, the 
French settlers were bitterly hostile to the English, and in one instance 
gave such accurate information of the situation and condition pf the 
British fort at Vincennes, that General Rogers Clark, of Virginia, 
was enabled to capture it. After the close of the Revolution, the 
territory east of the Mississippi became the property of the United 
States. 

Soon after the settlement of Ohio, several military expeditions were 
sent into the present State of Indiana, which was then known as the 
Indian country. In 1790, General Harmar destroyed the Indian 
towns on the Maumee, which are supposed to have occupied the site of 
the present -town of Fort Wayne, but was himself very badly handled 
by the savages. In May, 1791, an expedition from Kentucky, under 
General Charles Scott, laid waste the towns on the Wabash and Eel 
rivers, without losing a man ; and in the following^ August, another 



Soi OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Kentucky expedition crossed into Indiana, and completed the work 
which General Scott had begun. 

The Indians continued hostile after the treaty of 1795, owing to 
the etforts of Tecuraseh, but a portion of them sold their lands to the 
United States for the benefit of the white settlers. 

In 1802 and 1803, and again in 1807, unsuccessful efforts were 
made to introduce slavery into the Indiana territory in spite of the 
prohibition of the ordinance by which the territory had been ceded to 
the United States. 

The Indians having become troublesome again, the Governor, Gen- 
eral William Henry Harrison, summoned the people to take up arras 
against them. The savages were led by Tecumseh and his brother 
The Prophet, two able and determined chieftains. General Harrison 
marched into their country with a considerable force. On the 7th of 
November, 1811, he appeared with his army before Tippecanoe {the 
Prophet's town) on the XV^abash, and demanded that the savages 
should restore all the property they had taken from the whites. A 
conference was held between the American commander and Tecumseh, 
in wliich it was agreed that hostilities should not begin until the next 
morning. Harrison, however, knew that the Indians would not 
scruple to disregard the truce, and bivouacked his army in order of 
battle. His suspicions were realized. Just before daylight Tecumseh 
made a furious attack upon the American camp, but, thanks to the 
wise precautions of Harrison, was repulsed, and his warrioi's routed 
with terrible loss. Harrison followed up his victory by devastating 
the Indian country. Soon after this the tribes sued for peace. 

During tlie w^ar of 1812 the Indians joined tiie British in their 
efforts against the Americans, but were terribly punished for so doing. 
Their \varriors were slain and their country laid waste, and in the 
battle of the Thames their famous chieftain, Tecumseh, Avas killed. 

In the year 1800 the region now included in the States of Illinois 
and Indiana was organized as the Territory of Indiana. In 1809 
Illinois Territory was separated from Indiana. 

On the 29th of June, 1816, a State Constitution was adopted by 
the people, in Convention, and on the 11th of December, of the same 
year, Indiana was admitted into the Union as a sovereign State. 

The new State grew rapidly, and attracted settlers from all parts 
of the country. Emigrants from Europe also came over, and it en- 
tered upon that splendid career of wealth and prosperity which it is 
still pursuing. 



INDIANA. 



855 




STATE HOUSE AT INDIANAPOLIS 



During the late war Indiana furnished 195,147 troops to the ser 
vice of the United States. 



CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State are, 
New Albany, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Terre Haute, 
Madison, Richmond, Laporte, Jeffersonville, Logansport, and Michi- 
gan City. 

INDIANAPOLIS, 

The capital and largest city of the State, is situated in Marion county, 
on the west fork of White River, just below the mouth of Fall Creek, 
109 miles northwest of Cincinnati, 200 miles southeast of Chicago, 
and 573 miles west by north of Washington. Latitude, 39° 46' N. ; 
longitude, 86° 5' W. It is located in an extensive plain, and lies in 
almost the exact centre of the State. The city is regularly laid out, 
and is well built. It is making rapid progress every year in the 
character of its edifices, both public and private, and is now noted as 
one of the handsomest and most attractive of the Western capitals. 
The streets are wide, and generally cross each other at right angles. 
Four of them, however, are diagonal, and converge to a circular area 
in the centre of the town. Washington street is the principal 
thoroughfare, and is 120 feet wide. The streets are well paved, are 
shaded with trees, and are traversed by lines of street railways. The 



r 



856 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

business portions boast many handsome and showy structures, and the 
private streets contain a large number of elegant residences. 

The public buildings are a credit to the city and State. Tiie State 
House is a noble edifice, built in imitation of the Parthenon, and sur- 
mounted by a dome. Its dimensions are 180 by 80 feet. The Court 
House and the Union Depot are the other prominent buildings. 

The schools of the city are excellent and prosperous. The public 
schools deserve special commendation, and the private academies and 
.seminaries are well conducted. The Northwestern Christian Univer- 
sity, conducted by the Christian Church, the Baptist Female College, 
the Indiana Female College, and the Indiana Medical College, are 
located here. The State and Mercantile Libraries are the principal 
collections of books. 

The Benevolent Institutions are, the State Lunatic Asylum, the State 
Asylums for the Blind, and for the Deaf and Dumb, and several local 
institutions for the relief of the poor and afflicted. 

The city contains about 34 churches, and several newspaper offices, 
IS lighted with gas, and is supplied with pure water. It is provided 
with an efficient police force, and a steam fire department, and is gov- 
erned by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 48,244. 

Eight railway lines centre at Indianapolis, and make it one of the 
most important railway points in America. 

Manufactures are carried on to a limited extent, iron, machinery, 
paper, flour, and window sashes being the principal products. 

Indianapolis is noted for its rapid growth. In 1820, when the site 
Avas selected for the capital of the State, it was covered with a dense 
forest. The first settlement was made in the spring of that year, and 
on the 1st of January, 1825, the State offices were removed from 
Corydon to this place. The State Capitol was finished in 1834. 

EVANSVILLE, 

In Vanderburgh county, on the northern bank of the Ohio, is the 
second city of the State, with respect to population. It is 200 miles 
above the mouth of the Ohio, 200 miles below Louisville, Ky., and 
144 miles southwest of Indianapolis. The city lies on a high bank 
of the river, the ground sloping gradually from the first street to the 
edge of the water. It is well built, and presents a handsome appear- 
ance from the river. The principal streets are M'ide and well paved. 
The public buildings are, th6 Court House, the Marine Hospital of the 
United States, and the State Bank. The city is lighted with gas, and 



INDIANA. 857 




EVAKSVILLE. 



is supplied with water from tlie Ohio. It contains about 30 churches, 
a number of public and private schools, about 4 newspaper offices, and 
several hotels. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 
the population was 21,830. 

Evansville is one of the most important places in the State. It is 
the terminus of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which is 462 miles long, 
and the principal market of the famous Green River Valley of Ken- 
tucky. The annual exports of the city exceed $8,000,000 in value, 
of which pork, lard, and tobacco are the principal articles. The city 
is also extensively engaged in the manufacture of iron, brass,, and 
flour. The coal for this purpose is rained about a mile from the 
Court House. A large portion of the population is of German origin. 

The town was laid out in 1836, at which time the site was covered 
with a dense forest. It received its name from Robert Morgan 
Evans, a native of Virginia, one of the original proprietors. 

FORT WAYNE, 

In Allen county, is situated at the confluence of the St. Joseph's and St. 

Mary's rivers, which here unite and form the Maumee. It is 1 12 miles 

northeast of Indianapolis, and 96 west of Toledo, Ohio. The city is laid 

out on the level prairie land, and is well built. It has grown rapidly 

in the past ten years, and its railway connections have made it a place 

of considerable importance. The Wabash and Erie Canal connects it 

with the Ohio and Lake Erie. 
53 



858 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




NEAV ALBANY. 



NEW ALBANY, 
In Floyd county, on the right bank of the Ohio River, is a very thriving 
city. It is 3 miles below the falls of the Ohio, and 5 miles below 
Louisville, 136 miles below Cincinnati, and 100 miles south-by-east 
from Indianapolis. It is a handsome city, built on level ground, at a 
slight elevation above the river, with broad well-paved streets, shaded 
with handsome trees. It contains some showy buildings and fine 
residences. The principal are the county buihlings. 

MISCELLANY. 

THE MEETING OF GENERAL HARRISON AND TECUMSEH. 

In the spring of 1810, General Harrison, being Governor of the Northwestern 
Territory, and residing at Vincennes — the seat of Government — had learned from 
various quarters that Tecumseh had been visiting the different Indian tribes, 
scattered along the valleys of the Wabash and Illinois, viiih a view of forming an 
alliance and making common cause against the whites, and that there was great 
probability that his mission had been successful. Aware, as he was, that if this 
was the case, and that if the combination had been formed, such as was repre- 
sented, the settlements in the southern portion of Indiana and Illinois were in 
great danger •, that Vincennes itself would be the first object of attack, and that, 
with a handful of troops in the territory, a successful resistance might not be 
made ; and not probably fully aware of the extent of tlie organization attempted 
by Tecumseh, and desirous of avoiding, if he could, the necessity of a call to 
arms, he sent a message to him, then residing at the " Prophet's Town," inviting 



INDIANA. 859 

him to a council, to be held at as early a period as possible, for the purpose of 
talking over and amicably settling all difficulties which might exist between the 
.whites and the Shawnees. It was not until the month of August of tlie same 
year, that Tecumseh, accompanied by about 70 of his warriors, made his appear- 
ance. Tliey encamped on the banks of the Wabash, just above the town, and 
Tecumseh gave notice to the Governor that, in pursuance of his invitation, he 
had come to hold a talk "with him and his braves." The succeeding day was 
appointed for the meeting. The Governor made all suitable preparations for it. 
The officers of the territory and the leading citizens of the town were invited to 
be present, while a portion of a company of militia was detailed as a guard — fully 
armed and equipped for any emergencJ^ ISTotice had been sent to Tecumseh, 
previous to the meeting, tliat it was expected that himself and a portion of his 
principal warriors would be present at the council. The council was held in the 
open lawn before the Governor's house, in a grove of trees which then sur- 
rounded it. But two of these, I regret to say, are now remaining. At the time 
appointed, Tecumseh and some 15 or 20 of his warriors made their appearance. 
With a firm and elastic step, and with a proud and somewhat defiant look, he 
advanced to the place where the Governor and those who had been invited to at- 
tend the conference were sitting. This place had been fenced in, with a view of 
preventing the crowd from encroaching upon the council during its dcHberations. 
As he stepped forward, he seemed to scan the preparations which had been made 
for his reception, particularly the military part of it, with an eye of suspicion — by 
no means, however, of fear. As he came in front of the dais^ an elevated portion 
of the place, upon which the Governor and the officers of tiie territory were 
seated, the Governor invited him, through his interpreter, to come forward and 
take a seat with him and his counsellors, premising the invitation by saying : 
"That it was the wish of tJieir ' Great Father,' the President of the United States, 
that he should do so." The chief paused for a moment, as tlie words were ut- 
tered and the sentence finished, and raising his tall form to its greatest lieight, 
surveyed the troops and the crowd around liini. Then, with his keen eyes fixed 
upon the Governor for a single moment, and turning them to the sky above, with 
his sinewy arm pointing toward the heavens, and with a tone and manner indi- 
cative of supreme contempt for the paternity assigned him, said, in a voice whose 
clarion tone was heard throughout the whole assembly : 

" My Father ?— The sun is my father — the earth is my mother — and on her 
bosom I will recline." Having finisiied, he stretched himself with liis warriors 
on tlie greensward. The effect, it is said, was electiin], and for some moments 
there was perfect silence. 

The Governor, through the interpreter, then informed him, "that he had un- 
derstood lie had complaints to make, and redress to ask, for certain wrongs 
which he (Tecumseh) supposed had been done his tribe, as well as the others ; 
tliat he felt disposed to listen to the one and make satisfaction for the other, if it 
was proper that he should do so. That in all his intercourse and negotiations 
with the Indians, he had endeavored to act justly and honorably with them, and 
believed he had done so, and had learned of no complaint of his conduct until he 
learned that Tecumseh was endeavoring to create dissatisfaction toward tlie Gov- 
ernment, not only among the Shawnees, but among the other tribes dwelling on 
the Wabash and Illinois ; and had, in so doing, produced a great deal of trouble 
betweeii them and the whites, by averring that the tribes whose land the Govern- 
liient had lately purchased, had no right to sell, nor their chiefs any authoritj to 



860 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

convey. That he, the Governor, had invited him to attend the council, -with a 
view of learning from liis own lips, whether there was any truth in the reports 
which he had heard, and to learn whether he, or his tribe, had any just cause of 
complaint against the whites, and, if so, as a man and a warrior, openly to avow 
it. That as between himself and as great a warrior as Tecumseh there should be 
no concealment — all should be done by them under a clear sky, and in an open 
path, and with these feelings on his own part, he was glad to meet him in coun- 
cil." Tecumseh arose as soon as the Governor had finished. Those who knew 
him speak of him as one of the most splendid specimens of his tribe — celebrated 
for their physical proportions and tine forms, even among the nations who sur- 
rounded them. Tall, athletic, and manly, dignified, but graceful, he seemed the 
bean ideal of an Indian chieftain. In a voice first low, but, with all its indis- 
tinctness, musical, he commenced his reply. As he warmed with his subject, his 
clear tones might be heard, as if " trumpet-tongued," to the utmost limits of the 
assembled crowd who surrounded him. The most perfect silence prevailed, ex- 
cept when the warriors who surrounded him gave their guttural assent to some 
eloquent recital of the red man's wrong and the white man's injustice. Well in- 
structed in the traditions of his tribe, fully acquainted with their history, the 
councils, treaties, and battles of the two races tor half a century, he recapitulated 
the wrongs of the red man from the massacre of the Moravian Indians, during 
the Revolutionary war, down to the period he had met the Governor in council. 
He told him "he did not know how he could ever again be the friend of the 
while man." In reference to the public domain, he asserted " that the Great 
Spirit had given all the coiiiilry from tlie Miami to the Mississippi, from the lakes 
to the Ohio, as a common property to all the tribes that dwelt within those bor- 
ders, and that the land could not, and should not be sold without the consent of 
all. That all the tribes on the continent formed but one nation. That if the 
United States would not give up the lands they had bought of the Miamis, the 
Delawares, the Potawatomies, and other tribes, that those united with him were 
determined to fall on those tribes and annihilate them. That they were deter- 
mined to have no more chiefs, but in future to be governed by their warriors. 
That their tribes had been driven toward the setting sun, like a galloping horse 
(Ne-kat-a-cush-e Ka-top-o-lin-to). That for himself and his warriors, he had de- 
termined to resist all further aggressions of the whites, and that with his consent, 
or that of the Shawnees, they should never acquire another foot of land." To 
those who have never heard of the Shawnee language, I may here remark it is 
the most musical and euphonious of all the Indian languages of the West. When 
spoken rapidly by a fluent speaker, it sounds more like the scanning of Greek 
and Latin verse, than anything I can compare it to. The effect of this address, 
of which I have simply given the outline, and which occupied an hour in the de- 
livery, may be readily imagined. 

William Henry Harrison was as brave a man as ever lived. All who knew 
him will acknowledge his courage, moral and physical, but he was wholly unpre- 
pared for such a speech as this. There was a coolness, an independence, a defi- 
ance in the whole manner and matter of the chieftain's speech which astonished 
even him. He knew Tecumseh well. He had learned to appreciate his high 
qualities as a man and warrior. He knew his power, his skill, his influence, not 
only over his own tribe, but over those who dwelt on the waters of the Wabash 
and Illinois. He knew he was no braggart— that what he said he meant— what 
he promised he intended to perform. He was fully aware that he was a foe not 



INDIANA. 861 

to be treated light— an enemy to be conciliated, not scorned— one to be met with 
kindness, not contempt. There was a stillness througliout the assembly when 
Tecumseh had done speaking which was painful. Not a whisper was to be 
heard— ail eyes were turned from the speaker to the Governor. The unwarranted 
and unwarrantable pi-etensions of the chief, and the bold and defiant tone in 
which he had announced them, staggered even him. It was some momejits be- 
fore he arose. Addressing Tecumseh, who had taken his seat with his warrioi's, 
he said : " That the charges of bad taith made against the Government, and the 
assertion that injustice had been done the Indians in anj-^ treaty ever made, or 
any council ever held with them by the United States, had no foundation in fact. 
That in all their dealings with the red man, they had ever been governed by the 
strictest rules of right and justice. That while other civilized nations had treated 
them with contumely and contempt, ours had always acted in good faith with 
them. Tiiat so far as he individually was concerned, he could say, in the pres- 
ence of the 'Great Spirit,' who was watching over their deliberations, that his 
conduct, even with the most insignificant tribe, had been marked with kindness, 
and all his acts governed by honor, integrit}', and fair dealing. That he had 
unilormly been the friend of the red man, and that it was the first time in his life 
that his motives had been questioned or lus actions impeached. It was the first 
lime in his life that he had ever heard such unfounded claims put forth, as Te- 
cumseh had set up, by any chief, or any Indian, having the least regard for 
truth, or the slightest knowledge of the intercourse between the Indian and the 
white man, from the time this continent was first discovered." Wliat tlie Gover- 
nor had said thus far had been interpreted by Barron, the interi)retcr to the 
Shawnees, and he was about interpreting it to the Miamis and Potawatomies, 
who formed part of the cavalcade, when Tecumseh, addressing the interpreter in 
Shawnee, said, "He lies!" Barron, who had, as all subordinates (especially in 
the Indian department) have, a great reverence and respect for the "powers that 
be," commenced interpreting the language of Tecumseh to the Governor, but 
not exactly in the terms made use of, wlien Tecumseh, who understood but Utile 
English, perceived from his embarrassment and awkwardness, that he was not 
giving his words, interrupted him, and, again addressing him in Shawnee, said ; 
" No, no ; tell Jiim he lies.'''' The guttural assent of bis party showed they coin- 
cided with their clilef 's opinion. General Gibson, Secretary of the Territory', 
who understood Shawnee, had not been an inattentive spectator of the scene, and 
understanding the import of the language made use of, and from the excited state 
of Tecumseh and his party, was apprehensive of violence, made a signal to the 
troops in attendance to shoulder their arms and advance. They did so. The 
speech of Tecumseh was literally translated to t!ie Governor. lie directed Barron 
to say to him, "he would hold no further council with him," and the meeting 
broke up. 

One can hardly imagine a more exciting scene — one which would be a finer 
Bubjcct for an "historical j)ainting," to adorn the rotunda of the Capitol. On 
the succeeding da}', Tecumseh requested another interview with tlie Governor, 
which was granted on condition that he should make an apology to the Governor 
for his language the day before. This he made through the interpreter. Measures 
for defence and protection were, however, taken, lest there should be another 
outbreak. Two companies of militia were ordered from the country, and the one 
in town added to them, wiiile the Governor and his friends went into council 
fully armed and prepared for any contingency. The conduct of Tecumseh upon 



862 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

this occasion was entirely diflFerent from that of the day before. Firm and in- 
trepid, showing not the slightest tear or alarm, surrounded as he was with the 
military force quadrupling his own, lie preserved the utmost composure and 
equanimity. No one could have discerned from his looks, although he must have 
fully understood the object of calling in the troops, that he was in tlie slightest 
degree disconcerted. He was cautious in his bearing, dignified in his manner, 
and no one from observing him would for a moment have supposed he was the 
principal actor in the thrilling scene of the previous day. 

In the interval between the sessions of the first and second council, Tecumseh 
had told Barron, the interpreter, ''that he had been informed by the ■whiles, that 
the people of the Territory were almost equally divided, half in favor of Tecum- 
seh, and the other adhering to the Governor." The same statement he made in 
council. He said "that two Americans liad made him a visit, one in the course 
of the preceding winter, the other lately, and informed him that Governor Harri- 
son had purchased land from the Indians without any authority from the Gov- 
ernment, and that one half of the people were opposed to the purchase. He also 
told the Governor that he, Harrison, had but two years more to remain in office, 
and that he, Tecumseh, could prevail upon the Indians who sold the lands not to 
receive their annuities for that time ; that when the Governor was displaced, as 
he would be, and a good man appointed as his successor, he would restore to the 
Indians all the lands purchased from them." After Tecumseh had concluded his 
speech, a Wyandotte, a Kickapoo, a Potawatomie, an Ottawa, and a Winnebago 
chief, severally spoke, and declared that their tribes had entered into the "• Shaw- 
nee Confederacy," and would support the principles laid down by Tecumseh, 
whom they had appointed their leader. 

At the conclusion of the council, the Governor informed Tecumseh that "he 
Avould immediately transmit his speech to the President, and as soon as his answer 
Avas received, Avould send it to him ; but, as a person had been appointed to run 
the boundary line of the new purchase, he wished to know whether there would 
be danger in his proceeding to run the line." Tecumseh replied, "that he and 
his allies were determined that the old boundary line should continue, and that 
if the whites crossed it, it would be at their peril." The Governor replied, 
"that since Tecumseh had been thus candid in stating his determination, he 
would be equally so with him. The President, he was convinced, would never 
allow that the lands on the Wabash were the property of any other tribes than 
those who had occupied them and lived on them since the white people came to 
America. And as the title to the lands lately purchased was derived from those 
tribes by fair purchase, he might rest assured that the right of the United States 
would be supported by the sword." 

" So be it," was the stern and haughty reply of the Shawnee chieftain, as 
he and his Jiraves took leave of the Governor and wended their way in Indian file 
to their camping ground. And thus ended tlie last conference on earth between 
the chivalrous and gallant Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief, and he lyho since the 
period alluded to has ruled the destinies of the nation as its Chief Magistrate. 
The bones of the first lie bleaching on the battle field of the Thames — those of 
tlie last are deposited in the mausoleum that covers them on the banks of the 
Ohio. 



ILLINOIS. 

Area, 55,410 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860 1,711,951 

Population in 1870, 2,539,891 

The State of Illinois is situated between 37° and 42° 30' N. lati- 
tude, and between 87° 30' and 91° 40' W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by Wisconsin, on the east by Lake Michigan and Indiana, 
on the south by Kentucky, and on the west by Missouri and Iowa. 
It is separated from Kentucky by the Ohio, and from Missouri and 
Iowa by the Mississippi. One half of the eastern partis divided 
from Indiana by the Wabash. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

There is a hilly region in the southern part, and some rugged 
country in the northwest; but as a general rule, the surface of Illinois 
is level, consisting in many parts of gently undulating prairies, which 
are covered with a luxuriant grass and an abundance of beautiful 
wild flowers. They also abound in wild fowl. Says a recent writer: 

" The great landscape feature of Illinois is its prairies, which are 
seen in almost every section of the State. The want of variety, 
which is ordinarily essential to landscape attraction, is more than 
compensated for in the prairie scenery, as in that of the boundless 
ocean, by the impressive qualities of immensity and power. Far as 
the most searching eye can reach, the great unvarying plain rolls on; 
its sublime grandeur softened but not weakened by the occasional 
groups of trees in its midst, or by the forests on its verge, or by the 
countless flowers everywhere upon its surface. The prairies abound 
in game. The prairie duck, sometimes but improperly called grouse, 

863 



864 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

are most abundant in September and October, when large numbers 
are annually taken. Perhaps the most striking picture of the prairie 
country is to be found on Grand Prairie. Its gently undulating 
plains, profusely decked with flowers of every hue, and skirted on all 
sides by woodland copse, roll on through many long miles from Jack- 
son county, northeast to Iroquois county, with a width varying from 
one to a dozen or more miles. The uniform level of the prairie region 
is supposed to result from the deposit of waters by which the land 
was ages ago covered. The soil is entirely free from stones, and is 
extremely fertile. The most notable characteristic of the prairies, 
their destitution of vegetation, excepting in the multitude of rank 
grasses and flowers, will gradually disappear, since nothing prevents 
the growth of the trees but the continual fires which sweep over the 
plains. These prevented, a fine growth of timber soon springs up; 
apd as the woodlands are thus assisted in encroaching upon and 
occupying the plains, settlements, and habitations will follow, until 
the prairie tracts are overrun with cities and towns. Of the thirty- 
five and a half millions of acres embraced within the State, but 
thirteen millions, or little more than one-third, were improved in 
1860, showing that despite her wonderful progress in population and 
production, she is yet only in her infancy. Excepting the specialty 
of the prairie, the most interesting landscape scenery of this State is 
that of the bold, acclivitous river shores of the Mississippi, the Ohio, 
and the Illinois rivers." * 

Lake Ilichigan forms the northern part of the eastern boundary. 
Chicago, the principal city, is situated near the southern end of the 
lake, and possesses a very large lake trade. The otlier towns on 
Lake Michigan are, Otsego, Waukegan, Rockland, and Evanston. 

The Mississippi River forms the western boundary of this State, 
and receives the waters of the Rook, Illinois, and Kaskaskia rivers, 
besides those of several smaller streams. The important places on 
the Mississippi, beginning on the north, are Galena, Rock Island, 
Oquawka, Quincy, Alton, East St. Louis, and Thebes. The Ohio 
River forms the southern boundary, and empties into the Mississippi, 
at the extreme southern end of the State. The city of Cairo is 
situated at the confluence of these two rivers, and is an important 
place. The Illinois River is the largest in the State. It is formed by 
the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee, which unite at 

* Appleton's Hand-Book of American Travel. 



ILLINOIS. 865 

Dresden, in Grundy county, southwest of Lake Michigan. It flows 
across the State in a southwestern direction, and empties into the 
Mississippi about 20 miles from Alton. It is about 320 miles long, 
and has been rendered navigable at all seasons, to Ottawa, 286 miles 
from the Mississippi. Peoria, 200 miles from its mouth, is the most 
important town on the river. The Fox and Sangamon rivers are its 
principal branches. The former rises in Wisconsin, and is 200 miles 
long. It is a fine mill-stream ; the latter rises in the east-central part 
of the State, and flows west into the Illinois. It is 200 miles lonsr, 
and is navigable at high water for small steamers. The Rock River 
rises in Fond du Lac county, in Wisconsin, about 10 miles south 
of Lake Winnebago, and flows southward into Illinois, near the 
centre of the northern part of the State. It then turns to the south- 
west and flows across the State into the Mississippi, at Rock Island 
City. It is 330 miles long, and though interrupted in several places 
by rapids, could be rendered navigable at a small expense ; steamers 
have ascended it to Jefferson, Wisconsin, 225 miles. It flows through 
one of the most beautiful and fertile portions of Illinois. The Kas- 
kaskia River rises in Champaign county, in the eastern part of the 
centre of the State, and flows southwest into the Mississippi a few 
miles below the town of Kaskaskia. It is 300 miles long, and is 
navigable for steamers for a considerable distance. The Vermilion, 
Embarras, and Little Wabash rivers, small streams, flow into the 
Wabash from this State. 

Several small lakes lie in the northern part of the State. 

MINERALS. 
There are extensive deposits of lead in the extreme northwestern 
part of this State, and extending into Wisconsin and Iowa. The 
principal mines lie in the vicinity of Galena. Copper exists in large 
quantities in the northern part of the State. Bituminous coal abounds. 
Iron is also found in abundance in the north, and to a limited extent 
in the south, and it is said that silver has been discovered in St. Clair 
county. There are a number of salt springs in the State, and a 
variety of medicinal springs. The other minerals are zinc, lime, 
marble, freestone, gypsum, and quartz crystals. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is not very severe, but is subject to sudden changes. 
Deep snows are not of general occurrence, but occasionally take place, 
and at long intervals the rivers are frozen over. 



866 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

Illinois is one of the richest agricultural States in the Confederacy. 
"The soils are all highly fertile and productive. In the bottoms, or al- 
luvial borders of the rivers, the soil is chiefly formed from the de- 
posits of water during flood. In some cases the mould so formed is 
twenty-five feet and upward in depth, and of inexhaustible fertility. 
A tract called the 'American Bottom,' extending along the Missis- 
sippi for ninety miles, and about five miles in average width, is of this 
formation. About the French towns it has been cultivated, and pro- 
duced Indian corn every year, without manuring, for a century and a 
half. The prairie lands, although not so productive, are yet not in- 
ferior for many agricultural purposes, and are preferred, where wood 
is to be had, on account of their superior salubrity. The barrens, or 
oak openings, have frequently a thin soil." 

The agricultural wealth of the State is thus summed up in the Re- 
port of the General Land Office for 1867 : 

"In 1850, Illinois had 76,208 farms, valued at $96,133,290; in 
1860, 144,338, valued at $408,944,033. The quantity of land in 
farms increased about 77 per cent, during the decade, the improved 
land 165 per cent., the cash value of farms about 325, and the value 
of farming implements and machinery nearly 200 per cent. 

"The value of live stock in 1850 was $24,209,258 ; in 1860, $72,- 
501,225; and in 1865, according to the State returns, it had advanced 
to $123,770,554, showing an increase, during the ten years following 
1850, of 200 per cent., or 20 per cent, per annum, and 70 per cent, for 
the five years following 1860, or 14 per cent, per annum. 

" New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are the only States making 
larger quantities of butter ; and, in the value of slaughtered animals, 
Illinois is exceeded only by New York. 

"In 1860, Illinois produced 23,837,023 bushels of wheat, and 115,- 
174,777 bushels of Indian corn, being 14 bushels of wheat and 67 
bushels of Indian corn to every man, woman, and child. 

" The State surpassed all others in wheat and corn products, there 
having been cultivated upon its soil nearly one-seventh of the entire 
wheat and corn crop of the United States. In 1865, 177,095,852 
bushels of Indian corn were produced, and 25,266,745 bushels of 
wheat. The entire grain crop in 1865, including Indian corn, wheat, 
rye, oats, barley, and buckwheat, amounted to 232,620,1 73 bushels. The 
cyop of potatoes was 5,864,408 bushels, tobacco, 18,867,722 pounds, and 



ILLINOIS. 8f)7 

hay, 2,600,000 tons, the whole amounting in value to $116^274,322. 
Besides this, there were produced in 1865, 5,000,000 pounds of 
cotton, a branch of industry just beginning to receive attention, yet 
already pronounced one of the most profitable crops in the southern 
part of the State ; also large quantities of grass-seeds, maple and 
sorghum sugar and molasses, flax, flaxseed, hemp, hops, silk cocoons, 
bees-wax, honey, wine, butter and cheese, peas and beans. The wool 
clip in 1865 was over 6,000,000 pounds; orchard products of the 
value of $2,000,000, and market $500,000. 

"The year 1865 was unfavorable for wheat in Ohio, Indiana and 
Illinois, the yield in each being less tlian either 1862, 1863, or 1864. 
Illinois.then produced 32,213,500 bushels. 

" In every year since 1860, the State has maintained a position as the 
leading wheat and corn-growing region, while the product of other 
staples is annually increasing." 

In 1869 the principal returns were as follows: 

Bushels of wheat, 29,200,000 

" Indian corn, 121,500,000 

" oats, 35,726,000 

" Irish potatoes, 7,500,000 

" rye, 675,000 

" -buckwheat, 251,000 

" barley, 1,250,000 

Pounds of butter 28,052,551 

Tons of hay, 2,800,000 

Number of horccs 1,340,320 

" mules and asses, 99,450 

" milch cows, 850,340 

sheep, 1,340,120 

" swine, * 3,502,820 

" young cattle, 2,320,500 

Value of domestic animals, $100,501,270 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Illinois possesses a large lake and river trade, dealing principally in 
agricultural products. The grain trade of Chicago is immense ; the 
lumber trade is also important, and Chicago is at present the principal 
pork market of the Republic. 

Manufactures are rapidly increasing in Illinois. In 1870, the 
State contained 12,597 establishments devoted to manufactures, mining, 
and the mechanic arts. They employed a capital of $94,368,057, and 
82,979 hands; consumed raw material worth $127,600,077, and 
yielded an annual product of $205,620,672. 



868 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Illinois is one of the foremost States in the Union in respect to its 
internal improvements. In 1872, there were 5904 miles of completed 
railroads in the State, constructed at a cost of nearly $200,000,000. 
The Report of the General Land Office for 1867 thus refers to the in- 
ternal improvements of this State: 

" The railroad system is on a scale commensurate with its advanta- • 
geous position in respect to agriculture and internal commerce; 3160 
miles are completed, and now in operation, 812 miles more are in 
course of construction, making in the aggregate 3979 miles, or one 
mile of railroad to 14 square miles of territory. Eight lines cross the 
eastern boundary of the State, and the Mississippi River is ap- 
proached within the State by thirteen, connecting with the east and 
west through routes across the States of Missouri and Iowa, and 
northern routes through Wisconsin and Minnesota, westward to 
the Pacific, and eastward to the great trade marts of the Atlantic 
coast. In addition to the facilities thus afforded to commerce, a canal 
has been constructed from Lake Michigan, at Chicago, to La Salle. 
on the Illinois River, 100 miles in length, affording communication 
by water between the lake and the Mississippi. The canal is now 
being enlarged by deepening its channel to accommodate large class 
vessels, so that the waters of Lake Michigan will flow through to the 
Illinois River, the bed of which is improved so as to establish unin- 
terrupted steam navigation at all seasons from the Mississippi, by way 

of the lakes and the St. Lawrence, to the Atlantic." 

• 

EDUCATION. 

There are twenty-four colleges in Illinois ; the majority of them are 
in prosperous condition. Some of them are really entitled to rank 
only as academies and seminaries. 

The public school system is excellent. There is a permanent school 
fund, and taxes are levied for the support of the schools. In 1870, 
the amount thus expended in the State was $6,027,510. In the same 
year there were 11,050 schools in the State, conducted by 20,097 
teachers, and attended by 677,623 children. 

The State Normal University is located at Normal, near the city of 
Bloomington, and is a flourishing institution, amply provided with 
buildings and grounds. At the close of the regular term, a Teachers' 



ILLINOIS. 869 

Institute is usually held for two weeks, and is attended by hundreds 
of teachers from all parts of the State. 

The State Industrial University is located at Quincy. It was 
opened in 1<S68, and has a good number of students. It embraces 
the following schools: Science, Literature, and Arts ; Agriculture; Me- 
chanical Science and Art; Military Tactics and Engineering; Mining 
and Metallurgy ; Civil Engineering ; Analytical and Applied Chem- 
istry ; Natural History and Practical Geology ; Commercial Science 
and Art. Students may choose their studies, provided they are suffi- 
ciently advanced to keep up with the regular classes. 

The educational system of the State is under the general supervision 
of a State Superintendent of Public Schools, who is elected by the 
people for four years. He has power to make such rules as he may 
deem necessary for the government of the schools, and his construction 
of existing laws upon this subject must be accepted by his subordi- 
nates. He reports once in two years to the Legislature. Each 
county is in charge of a County Superintendent, who is required to 
visit the schools and direct their general operations. He reports bi- 
ennially to the State Superintendent. Each township elects its 
Trustees, who have the immediate management of its schools. They 
report once in two years to the County Su{)erintendent. Each Dis- 
trict has three Directors, who manage the finances of the schools. 

All teachers are required to possess certificates of competency from 
the State or County Superintendent. A County Superintendent's 
certificate is good for two years in the county in which it is issued. 
The State Superintendent's certificate is good in any part of Illinois 
durino- the life of its holder. 

In 1870, there were 785 private schools in Illinois, attended by 
90,152 pupils. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Joliet, and was completed in 
1868. 

"The whole area of land pertaining to the Penitentiary is 72.19 
acres; whole ai-ea within main wall, 16 acres; the main wall is 25 
feet high and 6 feet thick ; there are 100 cells for separate system, 7 
by 15 feet, and 15 feet high, 900 cells for congregate system, and 100 
cells for females, 4 by 7 feet, and 7 feet high. Each cell has a dis- 
tinct ventilating tube extending to roof, with two registers in each^ 
All partitions, floors, and ceiling of cells are formed each of one stonCj 



870 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

eight inches thick. The buildings and walls stand on rock foun- 
dation. All the buildings and grounds are supplied with pure 
water from a spring at the bluff'; the buildings are warmed by steam ; 
the kitchen and wash rooms are furnished with steam and other cook- 
ing and washing fixtures of the most modern and approved kinds. 
The engines, of 150 horse power each, furnish the motive power 
for the machinery, running nearly 1500 feet of heavy line shafting. 
Altogether, it is one of the most complete prisons in the United States, 
as well as the most extensive and best arranged manufacturing estab- 
lishment in the West. Until July, 1867, the labor of convicts had 
been farmed out to contractors, who were bound to meet all the ex- 
penses of the prison. At that date, the State assumed entire control. 
A Board of Commissioners was appointed by the Governor, and this 
Board selected a Warden, who has the general management of the 
prison, under the direction of the Commissioners. All minors under 
the age of 18, except for the crime of robbery, burglary, or arson, con- 
victed of any criminal oifonce, are exempted from punishment in the 
Penitentiary. They maybe fined and sent to county jail, or either, 
for misdemeanors, but for higher crimes are always sent to the county 
jail. The number of these young offenders is steadily increasing in 
the State." * 

The Illinois State Hospital for the Insane, the Institution for the 
Education of the Blind, and the Institution for Idiots and Imbeciles, 
are located at Jacksonville. They are admirably organized and con- 
ducted, and are furnished with commodious buildings. They take 
rank among the first institutions of a similar nature in the Union. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 3459 churches in Illinois. The value of church 
property was $22,664,283. 

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS. 

In 1870, there were 13,570 libraries in Illinois, containing 3,323,- 
914 volumes. Of these, over 5000 are public libraries. 

In the same year the number of newspapers and periodicals pul)- 
lished in the State was as follows : daily, 39 ; serai-weekly, 4 ; tri- 
weekly, 10; weekly, 364 ; miscellaneous, 88 ; making a total of 505, 
with an aggregate annual circulation of 113,140,492 copies. 

* American Year Book, vol. i., p. 321. 



ILLINOIS. 871 

FINANCES. 

On the 30th of November, 1874, the State debt amounted to 
$1,730,972, being $329,178 less than on December 1st, 1872. The 
receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending November 30th, 
1868, were $2,276,763, and the expenditures $2,126,668. 

In 1868, there were 83 National banks, with a capital of $12,070,000 
doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male citizen, 21 years old, who has resided in the State one 
year, and in the county ninety days, is entitled to vote at the elections. 

The government of the State is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant- 
Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney- 
General, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 51 members 
chosen for four years, one-half retiring biennially), and a House of 
Representatives (of 153 members, chosen for two years), all elected 
by the people. All the State officers, except the Treasurer, whose 
term is two years, are chosen for four years. The Legislature meets 
annually on the first Monday in January. 

The courts of the State are, the Supreme Judicial Court, 28 Cir- 
cuit Courts, and Justices' Courts. The Supreme Court consists of 
three divisions, corresponding to the three divisions of the State, and 
has appellate jurisdiction only. The city of Chicago has its own 
courts. 

The seat of Government is established at Springfield. 

The State is divided into 102 counties. 

HISTORY. 

This State was first known to the whites by the name of " The 
Illinois Country," and was first explored, in 1673, by Marquette (a 
missionary), and Joliet, who came from Canada, and were followed by 
La Salle and Hennepin. About the year 1693, mission stations were 
established by the French at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Peoria. 
During the early part of the eighteenth century the French made 
several settlements on the lower Mississippi, and a Jesuit monastery 
was established at Kaskaskia. Towards the middle of the eighteenth 
century, the British began to advance their claims to the Illinois 



872 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

country, and the French commenced to build ne\y forts and strengthen 
the old ones to resist them. In 1763, all the French possessions 
east of the Mississippi were ceded to Great Britain, who thus became 
mistress of the Illinois country. 

During the Revolution the British had posts at Kaskaskia, Ca- 
hokia, and St. Vincent (the latter now Vincennes, Indiana). They 
were captured by General Rogers Clark, the American commander 
in this region, in one of the most memorable campaigns in our history. 

In 1784, Virginia ceded her territory northwest of the Ohio River 
(of which Illinois then formed a part) to the United States. In 1800, 
the Territory of Indiana was formed, embracing the country between' 
the State of Ohio and the Mississippi, and, in 1809, Illinois was 
erected into a separate Territory, with its present name. It grew 
rapidly in population, and on the 23d of December, 1818, was ad- 
mitted into the Union as a sovereign State. 

During; the war of 1812 the settlers suffered much from the savages 
and British. In the year 1812, Captain Heald, commanding Fort 
Dearborn, which occupied the site of the present city of Chicago, was 
directed by General Hull, who surrendered Detroit to the British, to 
evacuate that post, distribute his stores among the Indians, and retire 
to Fort Wayne, in Indiana. Captain Heald had no confidence in the 
savages, and threw his powder into the wells, and poured his whiskey 
on the ground. This done, he abandoned the fort, and set out on 
his march to Indiana. The savages were particularly anxious to 
obtain the powder and whiskey, and were so exasperated at failing 
to secure them that they fell upon the garrison after it had pro- 
ceeded two miles from the fort, and massacred 41 men, 2 women, and 
12 children. This terrible occurrence for a long time cast a gloom 
over the Territory. 

In 1832, during the prevalence of the Black Hawk "War, the 
northern part of the State suffered much from the depredations of 
the savages. 

In 1840, the Mormons, being driven out of Missouri, settled on 
the east bank of the Mississippi, in this State, and founded a city 
which they called Nauvoo. They were granted extraordinary privi- 
leges by the State, but were the object of the bitter hatred of the in- 
habitants of the surrounding country. Several conflicts occurred be- 
tween the two parties, and the State militia was called out to preserve 
the peace. Joseph Smith, the Mormon leader and " Prophet," and 
his brother, Hiram, were imprisoned in the jail at Carthage, where 



ILLINOIS. 



873 




!i;ill!*iftH> 



STATE HOUSE, SPRINGFIELD. 



tl-.ey were attacked by a mob and assassinated, on the 27th of June, 
1844. The prisoners were at the time under the protection of the 
State, and this made the assassination all the more outrageous. 
Like all such violent acts, it failed of its object, and made the 
success of Mormonism more certain. Soon after this, the Mormons 
abandoned Nauvoo, and began their emigration to their present home 
in Utah. 

During the late war, the State of Illinois furnished (to December 
], 1864) 197,364 troops to the service of the United States. 



CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides- the capital, the principal cities and towns of Illinois are, 
Chicago, Peoria, Quincy, Bellville, Alton, Rockford, Galena, and 
Bloom ington. 

SPRINGFIELD, 

The capital and fourth city of the State, is situated in Sangamon 
county, 3 miles south of the Sangamon River, 97 miles northeast of 
St. Louis, and 188 miles southwest of Chicago. Latitude 39° 48' 
N.; longitude 89° 33' W. The city lies near the centre of the 
State, and is built on the open prairie which surrounds it in every 
direction. It is regularly laid out, and is well built. The streets are 
54 



874 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

wide and straight, and are ornamented witii shade trees. From the 
abundance of its shrubbery and floral ornaments Springfield has been 
called " the City of Flowers." Many of the residences are large 
and handsome, and the business section contains numerous showy 
buildings. 

The State House is an elegant structure, and stands in a beautiful 
square of three acres, in the centre of the city. On the streets facing 
the square are the various public buildings of the State and city. The 
Court House and State Arsenal are the other prominent buildings. 
The city contains about 13 churches, several public and private 
schools, the Illinois State University, 2 hotels, and 5 newspaper offices, 
and is lighted with gas. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
In 1870, the population was 17,365. 

Lying in a country unsurpassed in fertility, Springfield is a place of 
considerable commercial importance. It has railway connections 
with Chicago and St. Louis, and with all parts of the State and the 
West. It is also engaged in the manufacture of flour, woollen goods, 
and iron ware. In the vicinity are extensive beds of bituminous coal. 

The city is noted as having been the home of the late President 
Lincoln. In the picturesque cemetery of Oak Ridge, two miles north 
of the city, the statesman lies buried. 

Springfield was first settled in 1819. In»1822 it was formally laid 
out, and in 1837 it became the capital of the State. 

CHICAGO, 

The metropolis of the State, is the fifth city of the Republic and the 
second city of the Western States. It is situated in Cook county, 
on the western side of Lake Michigan, about 30 miles north of its 
southern end, at the mouth of the Chicago River, on the margin of a 
prairie several miles in width. It is 188 miles northeast of Spring- 
field, 285 miles northeast of St. Louis, 300 miles northwest of Cincin- 
nati, 928 miles northwest of New York, and 763 miles northwest of 
Washington. 

The site of Chicago is low, being but five feet above the lake, but 
sufficiently elevated to prevent inundation. " The general direction 
uf the lake shore here is north and south. The water, except at the 
mouth of the river, is shoal, and vessels, missing the entrance ground, 
go to pieces in a storm within 100 yards of the shore. The harbor 
of Chicago is the river, and nothing more. It is a short, deep, slug- 
glish stream, creeping through the black, fat mud of the prairie, and 




iili' ' I 




mil 

mH'" 



ll 











ik 



Hit tttk L' 



i^ 



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"^f^i^iiiiiiiii^^ 



ILLINOIS. 877 

in some places would hardly be thought worthy of a name ; but it 
makes itself wonderfully useful here. Outside of its mouth a vessel 
has no protection, nor are there any piers or wharves. The mouth of 
the river has been docked and dredged out, to aiford a more easy 
entrance ; but, after you are once in, it narrows to a mere canal, from 
50 to 75 yards in width. The general course of the river, for about 
three-fourths of a mile, is at right angles with the lake shore, and this 
portion is known as the Chicago River. It here divides, or more 
properly, two branches unite to form it, coming from opposite direc- 
tions, and at nearly right angles to the main stream. These are called, 
respectively, the ' Nortli Branch ' and the * South Branch,' and are 
each navigable for some -i miles, giving, in the aggregate, a river front 
of some 15 or 16 miles, capable of being increased by canals and slips, 
some of which have iil ready been constructed. Into the ^ South 
Branch ' comes the Illinois Canal, extending from this point 100 
miles to La Salle, on the Illinois River, forming water communication 
lietween the lakes and the Mississippi. For the want of a map, take 
the letter H; call the upright column on the right hand the lak€ 
shore ; let the cross-bar represent the Chicago River, the left hand 
column will stand for the two branches, and you have a plan of the 
water lines of the City of Chicago, which will answer very well for all 
purposes of general description. The general divisions thus formed 
are called, respectively, ' North Side,' ' Soutli Side,' ' West Side.' In 
this narrow, muddy river, lie the heart and strength of Chicago. Dry 
this up, and Chicago would dry up with it, mean and dirty as it 
looks. From the mouth of the St. Joseph River, in Michigan, round 
to Milwaukie, in the State of Wisconsin, a distance, by the lake shore, 
of more than 250 miles, Chicago is the only place where 20 vessels 
can be loaded or unloaded, or find shelter in a storm. A glance at 
the map, then, will show that it is the only accessible port— and hence 
the commercial centre— of a vast territory, measuring thousands of 
square miles of the richest agricultural country in the world." 

The harbor is being gradually deepened to admit vessels of a large 
class, and is being so greatly improved at the expense of the General 
Government that it will soon be one of the best on the lakes. 

The city is regularly laid out in rectangular blocks, with the streets 
having an average width of 80 feet. From the lake the city extends 
westward for about 5 miles. Its length, parallel with the lake, is 
about 8 miles. The ground gradually rises to the westward to an ex- 
tent sufficient to drain the city thoroughly. The streets are paved 



878 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

to a great extent with the Nicholson pavement of wooden blocks. 
Until 1856, most of the streets of Chicago were planked, and the 
buildings then erected were generally without cellars. Consequently 
in the spring of the year the ground asserted its original character of 
a swamp. Since 1856, it has become necessary to change the grade 
of the city several times, and this has made a difference of from two 
to five feet in the original level. The process of raising the houses of 
Chicago was one of great interest. Buildings of immense size, and 
even entire blocks, were raised several feet above their original level 
without a crack being made in them, or a single thing displaced. 
During all this time the houses were occupied, and the business and 
every day life of the occupants went on as usual. The following 
account from the Chicago Tribune, of the raising of a entire block of 
business houses, in the spring of 1860, will show how the work was 
carried on : 

" For the past week the marvel and the wonder of our citizens 
and visitors has been the spectacle of a solid front of first-class busi- 
ness blocks, comprising the entire block on the north side of Lake 
street, between Clark and La Salle streets, a length of 320 feet, being 
raised about four feet by the almost resistless lifting force of 6000 
screws. The block comprises 13 first-class stores, and a large 
double marble structure, the Marine Bank Building. Its subdi- 
visions are a five-story marble front block of three stores ; a second 
four-story block of three stores, and a five-story block of four stores, 
at the corner of Clark street — these all presenting an unbroken front, 
in the heart of our city, and filled with occupants. This absence from 
annoyance to the merchants and the public was due to the skill with 
which the contractors hung the side walks to the block itself, and 
carried up the same with the rise of the building. The block was 
raised four feet eight inches, the required height, in five days, when 
the masons put in the permanent supports. The entire work occupied 
about four weeks. An estimate from a reliable source made the 
entire weight thus raised about 35,000 tons. So carefully was it done, 
that not a pane of glass was broken, nor a crack in masonry appeared. 
The internal order of the block prevailed undisturbed. The process 
of raising, as indicated above, was by the screw, at 6000 of which, 
three inches in diameter and of three-eighths thread, 600 men were 
employed, each man in charge of from eight to ten screws. A com- 
plete system of signals was kept in operation, and by these the work- 
men passed, each through his series, giving each .screw a quarter turn, 



ILLINOIS. 



879 




THE TRIBUNE BUILDING. 



then returning to repeat the same. Five days' labor saw the immense 
weight rise through four feet eight inches, to where it stood on tempo- 
rary supports, while rapidly being replaced by permanent foundations. 
The work, as it stands, is worth going miles to see, and has drawn the 
admiration of thousands within the past week." 

Chicago is one of the most magnificent cities on the continent, and 
is often called the " New York of the West." The business streets 
are lined with splendid warehouses, which have no superiors in ele- 
gance and convenience in any of the Eastern cities. Iron, stone, and 
marble are in common use. Lake street is the Broadway of Chicago, 
while Michigan avenue and Wabash avenue are lined with princely 
edifices, and are adorned with rows of luxuriant trees. South Water 
street is devoted to the heavy wholesale trade. Many of the private 
residences on the north and west side of the river are handsomely 
built, and are surrounded with elegantly ornamented grounds. 



880 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Chicago River is crossed by numerous bridges, uniting the 
various parts of the city. These are all drawbridges, made so in order 
not to interfere with the navigation of the river. They are hung in 
the middle, and turn on a pivot, only two men being needed for each 
bridge. In 1867-8, a tunnel was built under the river, and is now 
in constant use by vehicles and pedestrians. It is the only work of 
the kind in America, and with the exception of the Thames Tunnel, 
in London, the only one in the world. 

Street railways- connect the various portions of the corporate limits. 
The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water from Lake 
Michigan., The water is brought into the city by means of a tunnel, 
extending from the shore, under the bed of the lake, to a crib or well 
built up in the lake, twa miles from the land. The depth of the shore 
shaft is 69? feet,, and of the lake shaft 64 feet. The crib is simply a 
well into which the water of the lake is allowed to flow, and from 
which it makes its way ta the city through the tunnel, which is nearly 
circular in form, being & feet 2 inches high, and 5 feet 2 inches 
wide. It is enclosed in brick masonry, 8 inches thick. The cost of 
the entire -work was^ about $1,000,000. The city contains two arte- 
sian wells of great value. They are respectively 911 and 694 feet 
deep, and flow about 1,200,000 gallons daily. 

The principal public buildings are the Custom House, in which is 
the Post Office, a fine building of stone; the Chamber of Commerce, a 
beautiful edifice of white marble; the Court House ; Crosby^ s Opera 
House ; and the Iferchants' Exchange. There are about 112 churches 
in the city. Some of which possess handsome buildings. 

The schools of the city, both public and private, are noted for their 
excellence. There are about 27 public schools, 3 commercial colleges, 
and 24 Roman Catholic convents and schools in operation. The 
institutions of the higher class are the University of Chicago, founded by 
the late Senator Douglas, and possessing a series of elegant buildings; 
the Chicago Theological Seminary ; the Presbyfenan Theological Semi- 
nctry; the University of St. Mary of the Lake ; the Rush Medical College, 
and two other medical colleges. The Dearborn Observatory possesses 
a fine telescope. The Academy of Sciences has a collection of 38,000 
s]iecimens in the various departments of natural history. The His- 
torical Society Library numbers 85,000 bound and unbound books and 
[lamphlets. The library of the Young Men^s Association contains 
about 10,000 volumes; that of the Law Listitute numbers over 8000 
volumes. 



ILLINOIS. 881 

The charitable and benevolent institutions are numerous and well 
managed. The principal are the United States Marine Hospital; the 
Cook County Hospital; the Magdalen Asylum; the Protestant Or- 
phan Asylum; the Home/or the Friendless ; St. Joseph's (male) and St. 
Mary's (female) orphan asylums ; and the Soldiers' Home. 

The city contains about 5 theatres, and a number of concert and 
lecture halls, and second-class places of amusement. 

The cemeteries are 12 in number. Gracelaud, Rose Hill, Calvary, 
and Oakwoods are the principal. They are all situated beyond the 
city limits. 

The city contains a number of handsome public squares. The 
principal of these are the Esplanade or Lake Park, and Dearborn, 
Union, Jefferson, and Lincoln Parks. With the exception of the last, 
these contain from 1 to 5 acres each. Lincoln Park embraces an area 
of 60 acres, fronting on the lake, and will eventually be the hand- 
somest pleasure-ground in the West. 

The hotels of Chicago are among the best in the country, including 
four or five first-class establishments, and several inferior houses. The 
Grand Pacific, Sherman, Palmar, and Briggs' Houses are the leading 
establishments. 

The city is supplied with an efficient police force and steam fire de- 
partment, a police and fire alarm telegraph, and is governed by a 
Mayor and Council elected by the people. In 1870, the population 
was 298,977. 

The position of Chicago on the lake and its connections by rail- 
way with the rest of the Union have made it one of the most im- 
portant places in America. Possessing now one of the best harboi^s 
on the great chain of lakes, it c<-)ntrols a large share of the enormous 
trade of those inland seas, and its water communication with the Gulf 
of Mexico is made sure by means of the Michigan and Illinois 
Canal, which is so constructed as to turn the current of the Chicago 
River into the navigable portion of the Illinois River. This canal is 
being deepened so as to admit the passage of steamers from the Il- 
linois to Chicago and the lakes. Fifteen lines of railway centre here, 
and aiford rapid and direct communication with all parts of the 
'Union. Lines of steamships ply between Chicago and the various 
ports on Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. Some idea of the 
lake trade of Chicago may be gained from the following statement 
])ublished by the Custom House authorities of the port. The state- 
ment is for the year 1870: 



HS2 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

During the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, Oc- 
tober and November, the following number of vessels entered and cleared 
the port of Chicago, and those of the other cities mentioned : 

Ei.lereJ. Cleared. 

Chicago 12,546 12,358 

New York 5757 6158 

Philadelphia 2098 1698 

Baltimore '. 1736 1866 

New Orleans 1148 1352 

San Francisco 468 499 

Mobile 456 408 

Savannah 596 610 

Entered at Chicago during the eight months of navigation... 12,546 

Entered at other ports during the same time 12,259 



Chicago's excess 287 

Average tonnage of vessels entered at Chicago 239,921 

Average tonnage of vessels entered at New York 599,661 

Chicago is the largest interior grain market in the world. In 
1838, the first shipment of wheat was made, and consisted of 78 
bushels. In 1867, the total receipts of grain and flour were as fol- 
lows: 1,814,236 barrels of flour; 13,090,868 bushels of wheat ; 23,- 
018,827 bushels of corn; 10,988,617 bushels of oats; 1,306,204 
bushels of rye; 2,246,446 bushels of barley ; in all, equal to 59,722,142 
bushels of grain, the heaviest amount received in any one year. 

The grain elevators of Chicago are among its greatest curiosities. 
There are about 17 in all, possessing an aggregate capacity of 10,055,000 
bushels. An English traveller thus describes them : 

" An elevator is as ugly a monster as has been yet produced. In 
uncouthness of form it outdoes those obsolete old brutes who used to 
roam about the semi-aqueous world, and live a most uncomfortable 
life with their great hungering stomachs and huge unsatisfied maws. 
The elevator itself consists of a big moveable trunk — moveable as is 
that of an elephant, but not pliable, and less graceful even than an 
elephant's. Tiiis is attached to a huge granary or barn ; but in order 
to give altitude within the barn for the necessary moving up and 
down of this trunk — seeing that it cannot be curled gracefully to its 
purposes as the elephant's is curled — there is an awkward box erected 
on the roof of the barn, giving some twenty feet of additional height, 
up into which the elevator can be thrust. It will be understood, 
then, that this big moveable trunk, the head of which, when it is 
at rest, is thrust up into the box on the roof, is made to slant down 
in an oblique direction from the building to the river; for the ele- 



ILLINOIS. 



883 




SCENE ON LAKE STREET. 



vator is an amphibious institution, and flourishes only on the banks 
of navigable waters. When its head is ensconced within its box, and 
the beast of prey is thus nearly hidden within the building, the un- 
suspicious vessel is brought up within reach of the creature's trunk, 
and down it comes, like a .mosquito's proboscis, right through the 
deck, in at the open aperture of the hold, and so into the very vitals 
and bowels of the ship. When there, it goes to work upon its food 
with a greed and an avidity that is disgusting to a beholder of any 
taste or imagination. And now I must explain the anatomical ar- 
rangement by which the elevator still devours and continues to devour 
till the corn within its reach has all been swallowed, masticated, and 
digested. Its long trunk, as seen slanting down from out of the build- 
ing across the wharf and into the ship, is a mere wooden pipe; but 
this pipe is divided within. It has two departments; and as the 
grain-bearing troughs pass up the one on a pliable band, they pass 
empty down the other. The system, therefore, is that of an ordinary 
dredging machine ; only that corn and not mud is taken away, and 
that the buckets or troughs are hidden from sight. Below, within the 



884 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RE::OURCES. 

stomach of the poor bark, three or four laborers are at work, helping 
to feed the elevator. They shovel the corn up toward its maw, so 
that at every swallow he should take in all that he can hold. Thus 
the troughs, as they ascend, are kept full, and when tiiey reach the 
upper building they empty themselves into a shoot, over which a 
porter stands guard, moderating the shoot by a door, which the weight 
of his finger can open and close. Through this doorway the corn runs 
into a measure, and is weighed. By measures of forty bushels each, 
the tale is kept. There stands the apparatus, with the figures plainly 
marked, over against the porter's eye ; and as the sum mounts nearly 
up to forty bushels he closes the door till the grains run thinly through, 
hardly a handful at a time, so that the balance is exactly struck. 
Then the teller standing by marks down his figure, and the record 
is made. The exact porter touches the string of another door, and 
the forty bushels of corn run out at the bottom of the measure, dis- 
appear down another shoot, slanting also toward the water, and de- 
posit themselves in the canal boat. The transit of the bushels of corn 
front the larger vessel to the smaller will have taken less than a 
minute, and the cost of that transit will have been — a farthing. 

" But I have spoken of the rivers of wheat, and I must explain 
what are those rivers. In the working of the elevator, which I have 
just attempted to describe, the two vessels were supposed to be lying 
at the same wharf, on the same side of the building, in the* same 
water, the smaller vessel inside the larger one. When this is the case, 
the corn runs direct from the weighing measure into the shoot that 
communicates with the canal boat. But there is not room or time 
for confining the work to one side of tiie building. There is water 
on both sides, and the corn or wheat is elevated on the one side, and 
reshipped on the other. To effect this, tilie corn is carried across the 
breadth of the building ; but, nevertheless, it is never handled or moved 
in its direction on trucks or carriages requiring the use of men's 
muscles for its motion. Across the floor of the building are two gut- 
ters, or channels, and through these small troughs on a pliable band 
circulate very quickly. They which run one way, in one channel, are 
laden ; they which run by the other channel are empty. The corn 
pours itself into these, and they again pour it into the shoot which 
commands the other water. And thus rivers of corn are running 
through these buildings night and day. The secret of all the motion 
and arrangement consists, of course, in the elevation. The corn is 
lifted up; and when lifted up, can move itself and arrange itself, and 
weigh itself, and load itself." 



ILLINOIS. 885 

Next to its trade in grain is the lumber trade of Chicago; the city 
being the most important lumber market in the United States. In 
1867, there were received here 861,912,900 feetof lumber, 432,261,000 
shingles, and 143,847,000 pieces of laths. 

Chicago ranks next to New York as a beef and cattle market. 
In 1864, its receipts Avere 336,627 head. As a beef-packing point 
it is unsurpassed by any city on the continent, its annual packing 
amounting to about 100,000 head. 

As a pork-packing point it is the first in the Union, having sur- 
passed Cincinnati some years ago. In 1864-5, 760,514 hogs were 
killed and packed here. In the same year, the total receipts of hogs 
at Chicago amounted to 1,410,320. The pork houses of Chicago 
are models of their kind, and are richly worth visiting. The pork 
house is usually a substantial structure of brick, of about 180 by 
160 feet on the ground floor, with a large and commodious lard house 
adjoining, but separated from it by a heavy brick wall and iron 
doors to prevent the steam and vapor from entering the main build- 
ing. The pork house is three stories high, with a strong, double, 
flat roof, and this roof is arranged into convenient pens, the whole 
being capable of containing 4000 hogs at once. The lower floor is 
used for curing and storing the meat, the second for packing and 
shipping, and the third for cooking and cutting np the hogs. 

As soon as the hogs arrive at the pork house, they are driven 
up an inclined plane to the pens at the top of the building. They 
are allowed to remain there two nights and a day. By this arrange- 
ment they are given an abundance of pure, fresh air, and are brought 
to the best possible sanitary condition. If they were killed imme- 
diately after hard exercise and excitement, as in driving them to the 
slaughter pens, the flesh would be in a high state of fever, the marrow 
in a semi-fluid condition, and this would produce what is known as 
foul joints, and the meat would in a short time become tainted and 
eventually unfit for use. 

When the time for killing arrives, twenty hogs are driven into a 
pen with a fine grated floor. A man enters the pen, and with a long 
hammer deals each hog a blow on the forehead between the eyes, 
which fells him to the floor. He is followed by another man, who 
cuts the throat of each animal with a sharp knife, the blood flowing 
through the grated floor into gutters which conduct it to a large 
tank outside the building. Another lot of hogs is driven into an 
adjoining pen, and the same process gone through with. 



886 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

When the hogs have been bled sufficiently, they are, one at a time, 
slid down an inclined plane into a large scalding tub or vat, in 
which the water is kept at a regular temperature by steam coils. 
Here tliey are floated along slowly until they reach the table at the 
opposite end, where they are taken out by a very simple contrivance 
worked by one man. After being placed upon the table, they are 
passed along through the hands of different men, each of whom has 
stated duties to perform. The first two take from the back in an in- 
stant all the bristles suitable for the brushmaker or cobbler, and de- 
posit them in barrels ibr removal ; eight or ten pairs more of men strip 
the hog of its coat, and clean it, when the gambrel stick is put into 
it, and it is swung to an overhead railway, and thoroughly drenched 
with cold water to remove all impurities. It is then opened and the 
intestines removed, after which it is again drenched with cold water, 
and the back bone is split down, and the leaf lard loosened. It is 
then taken to the cooling room, and allowed to remain there two days, 
in which time all animal heat disappears. 

The hog is then cut up. One blow from an immense cleaver severs 
tiie head froin the body. Another man cuts away the hind-parts con- 
taining the hams, and the remainder of the hog is cut up according 
to the requirements of the market, the leaf lard being taken away by 
hand. So rapidly is the cutting process performed, that two expert 
men can easily cut up over 2000 hogs in eight hours, though the day's 
work is generally confined to about 1200 head. 

The process is completed in the curing room. Here a solution of 
saltpetre is liberally applied to all the green meat, except the shoulders ; 
and, while wet, it is covered with salt, and packed away in tiers to 
dry. In three weeks it is handled again ; receives a second dressing 
of salt, and is allowed to stand seven days more, when it is cured, 
and ready for packing. 

After the small intestines are removed from the hog, they are taken 
by men and boys, and all the fat is separated from them and placed in 
large vats of water to wash it clean, going through two waters, when 
it is ready to be pUt into the lard tank. 

The lard house is, like the main building, three stories in height. 
In the second story are seven large iron tanks, extending up through 
the ceiling into the third story, where they are each provided with 
an opening used for filling them. In these tanks all the fatty sub- 
stances used for making lard are placed until the vessels are full. 
The mass is then subjected to a jet of steam from the boilers, of a 



ILLINOIS. 887 

pressure of fifteen pounds to the square inch. Each tank is provided 
with a safety valve, so that on reaching the maximum pressure al- 
lowed the steam passes off, causing a continuous flow of steam through 
the whole mass. By this process every particle of lard is set free 
from the mass. 

After the steam has been kept on for a certain time, a faucet is 
opened midway of the tank, or about where the lard and water meet, 
and the former is drawn off into an immense clarifying vessel, in 
which, on being subjected to a heat of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, it is 
thoroughly cleared of all impurities, a part rising to the top of the 
lard, where it is skimmed off, and the rest settling at the bottom, from 
which it is drained off by a faucet. The remainder is the purest 
and sweetest lard that can be made, being entirely free from any un- 
pleasant odor, and as agreeable to the taste as new, unsalted butter. 

The refuse material is used in various ways, nothing that can be 
put to any conceivable use being thrown away. 

The salt trade of Chicago is alco important, varying from 650,000 
to 775,000 barrels annually. 

In 1867, there were 7500 buildings erected in Chicago, at a cost 
of $7,500,000. 

The name of the city is said to have been derived as follows : Along 
the shores of the river the wild onion was found in great abundance, 
to which the Indians gave the name Chi-ka-jo, from which the word 
Chicago is derived. The first white men to visit the spot were the 
early French Jesuit missionaries and fur traders. Father Marquette 
visited it in 1673, and Perrot about the year 1770. At that time, 
this territory was in possession of the Miami Indians, but subsequently 
the Potawatomies crowded the Miamis back, and became the sole 
possessors, until the year 1795, when they became parties to a treaty 
with Wayne, by which a tract of land, six miles square, at the mouth 
of the Chicago River, was ceded to the United States — the first ex- 
tinction of Indian title to the land on which Chicago is built. In 1804, 
Fort Dearborn was built by the United States on the point south of 
the river, near its mouth. In 1812, the Government, becoming appre- 
hensive that a fort so far advanced from the frontiers could not be 
successfully held against the British and their allies, ordered its evacu- 
ation. On the 12th of August, Captain Heald, the commandant, 
inarched out of the fort with his little garrison, consisting of about 75 
persons in all, and commenced his withdrawal along the lake shore. 
When he had gotten about two milas from the fort he was attacked 



S88 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

by the Potawa^xjmie Indians, and 52 persons, viz., 12 militia, 26 re- 
gulars, 2 women and 12 children, were killed and wounded. The rest 
succeeded in escaping. The Indians destroyed the fort, but it was 
rebuilt in 1816, under Captain Bradley. The fort was held as a mili- 
tary post until 1837, when the Indians having left the country, it was 
abandoned. In 1831, Chicago contained a few log cabins which had 
sprung up around the fort, and about a dozen families besides the 
officers and soldiers in Fort Dearborn. On the 26th of September, 
1833, the town was laid out, and on the 4th of March, 1837, received 
its first charter. At that time, it contained 4470 inhabitants. It re- 
mained stationary until about 1840, when it began its remarkable 
career of prosperity. The following table will show its rapid growth 
during the past thirty years: 

V>--i'-. Population. 

1840, 4853 

1850, . . . .• 29,963 

I860, 109,420 

1870, 298,977 

On the evening of Saturday, October 8th, 1871, a fire broke out in 
a stable on De Koven street, near the river, on the west side of the 
city. It was caused by the overturning of a kerosene lamp by the 
kick of a cow. The flames spread rapidly, and were fanned furiously 
l)y a high wind. The quarter in which the fire originated being of 
wood, there was everything to favor the progress of the conflagration, 
which soon defied all efforts to control it. It raged until after mid- 
night on the 9th, and destroyed the entire quarter between the lake 
and the north branch of the Chicago river, and the larger and more 
important part of the district lying between the lake and the south 
branch of the river, involving in the general ruin the entire business 
quarter, and a large portion of the residence section. It was the most 
disastrous conflagration of modern times. The total area burned over, 
including streets, was 2124 acres, or very nearly three and one-third 
square miles. The number of buildings destroyed was 17,450; about 
98,500 persons were rendered homeless; and 250 persons died during 
the conflagration. The loss occasioned by the fire amounted to $196,- 
000,000 as nearly as can be ascertained. The exact loss will probably 
never be known. 

The people of Chicago met their crushing disaster with a manly 
firmness that excited the admiration of the civilized world. The 



ILLINOIS. 889 

ashes of their city were scarcely cold when they set to work to rebuild 
it, and to win back the prosperity and comfort of which they had been 
so suddenly deprived. In the short space of two years they succeeded 
in almost obliterating the traces of the fire. New and splendid 
edifices were erected, and the city has assumed its old aspect, with this 
difference, — that the new buildings are generally of a handsomer and 
more substantial character than the old ones. A stranger visiting the 
city at present would scarcely believe that four years ago the busy, 
teeming city, with its splendid streets and superb edifices, was a 
blackened ruin. The city has profited by the lesson of the fire, and 
wooden edifices are disappearing and giving place to structures of 
brick, stone, and iron. The energy and enterprise which surmounted 
the great loss of 1871, and won back for Chicago the prosperity she 
had so fairly earned, must ever rank among the proudest achievements 
of the American people, or of the human race. 

The new city was visited, in 1874, by an extensive fire, which 
would have been regarded as a great disaster, but for the more serious 
calamity of 1871. 

QUINCY, 

In Adams county, is the second city of the State. It is situated on 
the eastern or left bank of the Mississippi, 160 miles above St. Louis, 
268 miles southwest of Chicago, and 109 miles west of Springfield. 
The city is built on a limestone bluff, 125 feet above the river, of 
which it commands beautiful and extensive views. It is well built, 
and contains a number of handsome edifices. Some of the residences 
are tasteful and elegant. It is lighted with gas and supplied with 
water. It contains several excellent public and private schools, 24 
churches, 10 public halls, a court house, and 5 newspaper offices. 
Two of these journals are printed in the German language, a large 
proportion of the inhabitants being of German origin. The city is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population was 
24,052. 

Quincy is actively engaged in the Mississippi River trade, and 
the landing is usually thronged with steamboats. The city is the 
terminus of two lines of railway, which connect it with all parts of 
the West on both sides of the Mississippi. The surrounding country 
is an extensive, fertile, and highly cultivated prairie; and of this 
region Quincy is the principal market. The city is to a limited 
extent engaged in manufactures; iron, tobacco, lumber, flour, ma- 



890 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCEa 




QUINCY. 

chinery and carriages being the principal articles produced. About 
100,000 hogs are packed here annually. 

Quincy was settled about the year 1822, the first inhabitant being 
John Wood, of the State of New York. In 1825, the town was 
laid out by order of the county court. It received its name on the 
day that John Quincy Adams was inaugurated President of the United 
States. The Indians continued in the vicinity as late as 1832, when 
the Black Hawk War occurred. At the time of the first settlement 
of the town, there were but three white inhabitants within the limits 
of the present county of Adams. These were obliged to go to Atlas, 
40 miles distant, where there was a horse-mill, in order to have their 
corn meal ground, this being their princii)al breadstuff. 



GALENA, 

In Jo Daviess county, is an important city. It is situated on Fevre 
River, 6 miles from its entrance into the Mississippi, 250 miles 
north-by-west of Springfieldj 160 miles west-northwest of Chicago. 



ILLINOIS. 891 

1651 miles above New Orleans, and 450 miles above St. Louis. " The 
river, sometimes called the Galena, on whose rocky shelf this town is 
built, is more properly an arm of the Mississippi Eiver, sitting up 
between lofty bluffs, around whose base it winds with picturesque 
effect. The streets rise one above another, and communicate with 
each other by flights of steps, so that the houses on the higher streets 
are perched like an eagle's eyrie, overlooking the rest, and command- 
ing an extensive prospect. Pleasant churches meet the eye on the first 
ledge or terrace above the levee, and private residences wearing an 
aspect of neatness and comfort adorn each successive height." The 
city is well paved, and the houses are built mostly of brick. It is 
lighted with gas, and contains, beside the county buildings, a number 
of churches and public schools, and several newspaper offices. It is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the j^opulation was 
7019. 

Galena is one of the oldest and most interesting towns in the State, 
but owes its importance entirely to the great lead mines by which it is 
surrounded in every direction. Considerable quantities of copper are 
found in connection with the lead. It is estimated that these mines 
are capable of yielding 150,000,000 pounds annually for an indefinite 
period in the future. Mineral from some eight or ten mining localities 
in Wisconsin is sent to Galena for shipment down the Mississippi, 
there being regular steamboat communication between Galena and the 
river towns. The city is connected with all points east and west by 
railway. 

The lead mines lie in every direction around the city. The country 
is hilly, and has a desolate and bleak appearance. A visitor thus 
describes it: 

"Every hill is spotted with little mounds of yellow earth, and is 
as full of holes as a worm-eaten cheese. Some winding road at 
length brings you to the top of one of these bare, bleak hills, and to a 
larger mound of the same yellowish earth, with which the whole 
country in sight is mottled. On the top of this mound of earth stands 
a windlass, and a man is winding up tubs full of dirt and rock, which 
continually increase the pile under his feet. Beneath him, forty, fifly, 
a hundred feet under ground is the miner. As we look around on 
every ridge, see the windlass-men, and know that beneath each one a 
smithy-faced miner is burrowing by the light of a dim candle, let us 
descend into the mines and see the miners at their work. The wind- 
lass-man makes a loop in the end of the rope, into which you put one 
55 



892 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

foot, and, clasping, at the same time, the rope with one hand, slowly 
you begin to go down; down, it grows darker and darker; a damp, 
grave-like smell tomes up from below, and you grow dizzy with the 
continual whirling around, until, when you reach the bottom and look 
uj) at the one small spot of daylight through which you came down, 
you start witli alarm as the great mass of rocks and earth over your 
head seem to be swaying and tumbling in. You draw your breath a 
little more freely, however, when you perceive that it was only your 
own dizziness, or the scudding of clouds across the one spot of visible 
sky, and you take courage to look about you. Two or three dark little 
passages, from four to six feet high, and about three feet wide, lead off 
into the murky recesses of the mine; these are called, in mining par- 
lance, drifts. You listen a little while, and there is a dull 'thud! 
thud!' comes from each one, and tells of sometliing alive away off in 
the gloom, and, candle in hand, you start in search of it. Y"ou eye 
the rocky walls and roof uneasily as, half bent, you thread the narrow 
passage, until, on turning some angle in the drift, you catch a glimpse 
of the miner, he looks small and dark, and mole-like, as on his knees, 
and pick in hand, he is prying from a perpendicular crevice in the 
rock, a lump of mineral as large as his head, and which, by the light 
of his dim candle, flashes and gleams like a huge carbuncle; or, per- 
haps, it is a horizontal sheet or vein of mineral that presents its edge 
to the miner; it is imbedded in the solid rock, which must be picked 
and blasted down to get at the mineral. He strikes the rock with his 
pick, and it rings as though he had struck an anvil. Y^ou cannot 
conceive how, with that strip of gleaming metal, seeming like a ma- 
gician's wand, to beckon him on and on, he could gnaw, as it were, 
his narrow way for hundreds of feet through the rock. But large, 
indeed, you think, must be his organ of hope, and resolute his perse- 
verance, to do it with no such glittering prize in sight. Y^et such is 
often the case, and many a miner has toiled for years, and in the 
whole time has discovered scarcely enough mineral to ])ay for the 
powder used. Hope, however, in the breast of the miner, has as 
many lives as a cat, and on no day, in all his toilsome years, could 
you go down into his dark and crooked hole, a hundred feet from 
grass and sunshine, but he would tell you that he was 'close to it now,* 
in a few days he hoped to strike a lode (pronounced among miners as 
though it was spelled leed), and so a little longer and a little longer, 
and his life of toil wears away, while his work holds him with a fasci- 
nation equalled only by a gambler's passion for his cards. Lodes or 



ILLINOIS. 893 

veins of mineral in the same vicinity run in the general direction. 
Those in the vicinity of Galena, run east and west. The crevice which 
contains the mineral, is usually perpendicular, and from 1 to 20 feet 
in width, extending from the cap rock, or the first solid rock above 
tiie mineral, to uncertain depths below, and is filled with large, loose 
rocks, and a peculiar red dirt, in which are imbedded masses of 
mineral. These masses are made up cubes, like those formed of crys- 
tallization, and many of them as geometrically correct as could be made 
with a compass and square. Before the mineral is broken, it is of 
the dull blue color of lead, but when broken, glistens like silver. 
Sometimes caves are broken into, whose roofs are frosted over with 
calcareous spar, as pure and white as the frost upon the window-pane 
in winter, and from dark crevices in the floor comes up the^gurgling 
of streams that never saw the sun. The life of a miner is a dark and 
lonesome one. His drift is narrow, and will not admit of two abreast; 
therefore, there is but little conversation, and no jokes are bandied 
about from mouth to mouth by fellow-laborers. The alternations 
of hope and disappointment give, in the course of years, a subdued 
expression to his countenance. There are no certain indications by 
which the miner can determine the existence of a vein of mineral 
without sinking a shaft. Several methods are resorted to, however. 
The linear arrangement of any number of trees that are a little larger 
than the generality of their neighbors, is considered an indication of 
an opening underground corresponding to their arrangement. De- 
pressions in the general surface are also favorable signs, and among 
the older miners there are yet some believers in the m^'stic power of 
witch-hazel and the divining-rod. In the large.st number of cases, 
however, but little attention is paid to signs other than to have con- 
tinuous ground — that is, to dig on the skirts of a ridge that is of good 
width on top, so that any vein that might be discovered would not 
run out too quickly on the other side of the ridge. On such ground 
the usual method of search is by suckering, as it is called. The miner 
digs a dozen or more holes, about 6 feet deep, and within a stone's 
throw of each other, and in some one of these he is likely to find a few 
pieces of mineral, the dip of certain strata of clay then indicates the 
direction in which he is to continue the search, in which, if he is so 
successful as to strike a lode, his fortune is made; in the other event, 
he is only the more certain that the lueky day is not far off." 

The city derives its name from the French word signifying a lead 
■mine. It was settled in 1826, and was then about 300 miles from the 
settlements. Previous to the war it was the home of President Grant 



894 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

He was at that time an unknown man, and was a clerk in the leather 
house of "J. R. Grant." "He was courteous and popular with all 
who met him on business, but never sought acquaintances. He was a 
very poor salesman, could not chaifer, and did not always know the 
price of an article." While residing there, he once declared he would 
like to be mayor of Galena, as he would then cause the sidewalk 
from his house to the business quarter of the town to be properly laid. 
His remark was laughed at at the time, but was remembered in after 
years. He was residing in Galena at the commencement of the civil 
war. 

In the summer of 1865, Grant returned to Galena on a brief visit. 
He had left it an unknown man ; he returned to it one of the most 
noted personages in the world, the conqueror in the most formidable 
struggle of the century. His biographer thus describes his reception : 
"As he neared Galena, the enthusiasm was unbounded. When the 
train arrived there, cannon Avere booming, bands playing, flags flying, 
and thousands of human throats lustily cheering. . . . An arch 
spanned one street, bearing the inscription wreathed with flowers, 
' General, ihe sidewalk is built.' The people had presented to him a 
completely furnished house — costing sixteen thousand dollars — first 
buildino; a new sidewalk half a mile to the station." 

ALTON, 
In Madison county, is a prominent city. It is situated on the 
left or east bank of the Mississippi River, 3 miles above the mouth 
of the Missouri River, 21 miles above St. Louis, 20 miles below 
the mouth of the Illinois, 76 miles southwest of Springfield, and 257 
miles southwest of Chicago. 

" The site of the city is quite uneven and broken, with high stony 
bluffs, and in front of it the Mississippi runs almost a due course from 
east to west." The city is one of the handsomest in the State, and is 
well built. It contains a splendid City Hall, 10 churches, one of which 
(the Cathedral) is a magnificent structure, 4 newspaper offices, and a 
number of flourishing public and private schools. Shurtlcff College 
and the Monticello Female Seminary are located in the vicinity. The 
city is lighted with gas, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 
1870, the population was 8665. 

Alton is one of the principal towns on the Mississippi, and is actively 
engaged in the trade of that river and of the Missouri. It has direct 
railway communication with Chicago and Terre Haute, Indiana. It 
is engaged in manufactures to a considerable extent. 



ILLINOIS. 



895 




ALTON. 

Alton was first settled about the year 1808. The first settlers were 
much exposed to the savages, and lived in block houses for their mu- 
tual protection. The town was laid out about the year 1818. It 
grew slowly until 1832, when the Penitentiary of the State was lo- 
cated here. This gave a considerable impetus to Alton. The Peni- 
tentiary has since been removed to Joliet. In 1837, Alton was incor- 
porated as a city. 



MISCELLANIES. 
GREAT CONFLAGRATION IN CHICAGO. 

The following account of the origin and progress of tlie fire is taken from 
Harper's Weekly : 

The fire had an ignoble beginning. Late on Sunday evening, October 8th, 1871, a 
woman went into a stable on Dekoven street, near the river, on the west side, to 
milk a cow, carrying; with her a kerosene lamp. This was kicked over by the 
cow, and the burning fluid scattered among the hay and straw. A single fire- 
extinguisher on the premises, or the immediate application of water, would have 
confined the flames to the quarter where the fire began ; but the engines were 
waited for, and when they arrived the firemen, stupefied by their exposure and 
exertions at a large fire the previous night, worked with less than their usual 
readiness and skill. The flames soon obtained headway. A high wind fanned 
them into hxry, and they became uncontrollable. They sprang from house to 
house, and from square to square, until the district burned over the day belore 
was reached. In tiie other direction the flames crossed the river north of 
Twelfth street to the south side, and threatened the business portion of the 
city. 

The full extent of the danger was then for the first time realized ; the firemen, 
already worn out and exhausted, worked like heroes, and the Mayor and other 
officials bestirred themselves to take measures for the protection of the city. But 



896 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the opportunity was lost. The time when thorough organization could have 
blown up buildings, or prepared for the emergency, had been allowed to pass, and 
it was now a fight tor life. The wind blowing a stitf gale had possession of the 
flames, and the beautiful buildings, Cliicago's glory, lay before them. Harrison, 
Van Buren, Adams, Monroe, and Madison streets were soon reached, the inter- 
vening blocks from the river to Dearborn street, en tlie east, being consumed ; 
and within an incredibly short space of time nearly a mile of brick blocks was 
consumed, as if by magic. 

It being Sunday evening, this part of the city was nearly deserted. Proprie- 
tors and employes were at home, utterly unconscious of what was taking place. 
Those who saw the light of this fire supposed it was tlie remains of Saturthiy 
night's fire, and, having confidence in the Fire Department, were unconcerned ; 
but l)et\veen 11 and 12 o'clock, a rumor got abroad tliat the fire was in the busi- 
ness portion of the city. Then everybody was on the alert, and from the southern 
part of tlie city a stream of people poured toward the scene of the conflagration. 
By this time nearly all the public buildings were either consumed or in flames. 
The air was filled with burning brands, which, carried north and east by the 
wind, kindled new fires wlierever they fell. The fire-engines were powerless. 
The streams of water appeared to dry up the moment tliey touched the flames. 
An attempt was made to blow up the buildings ; but this availed little, as the 
high wind carried the flaming brands far across the space tljus cleared away. 

To add to the horrors of the scene, the wooden pavements took fire, driving 
the firemen from stations where their eflbrts might have been continued ibr many 
precious minutes. Nothing could long resist the terrible heat of the flames. They 
seemed to strike right through the most solid walls. Buildings supposed to be 
fire-proof burned like tinder, and crumbled to pieces like charred j^aper. Block 
after block was consumed. The red hot coal shot higher and higher, and the 
flames spread further and furtlier, until that part of the city lying north of Lake 
street was a vast sea of fire. At one time the people were so hemmed in by the 
circle of flame that thousands were in danger of perishing, and escaped only Viy a 
precipitate retreat. The hotels were hurriedly emptied of tlieir guests, who 
swarjned into the streets with whatever they could carry away. Tliose who 
could do so, made their way to the yet unburned bridges, and escaped across the 
river, while others fled to the lake shore, and found a safe line of retreat to the 
southern part of the city. This, it must be borne in mind, was in the night-time, 
but the city and the country and lake for miles around wej-e illuminated with a 
lurid light. 

When morning dawned at length, there was but one block of buildings left in 
what the day before had been the most flourishing business part of the city. The 
magnificent Court House, the Board of Trade building, the Slierman House, and 
other hotels, and hundreds of stores and offices, were in ruins. The Tribune 
block alone remained unharmed. A wide space had been burned around it, and 
its safety was supposed to be assured. A patrol of men, under Mr. Samuel 
Medill, swept off live coals and put out fires in the side walls; and another 
patrol, under the direction of the Hon. Joseph Medill. watched the roofs. Up 
to 4 o'clock in the morning, writes the correspondent of the World, the reporters 
had sent in detailed accounts of the fire. At 5 o'clock the forms were sent dowa. 
In ten minutes the two eight-cylinders in the press-room would have been throw- 
ing off" the morning paper. Then the front basement was discovered to be on 
fire. The plug on tlie corner was tapped, but there was no water. The con- 
flagration which had for some time been raging on the north side had destroyed 



ILLINOIS. ^99 

the Water-works. There was not a drop of water in the city. The pressmen 
were driven from their presses. Tiie attaches of the office said good-by to the 
handsomest newspaper otfice in the AVestern country, and tearfully withdrew to 
a place of safety. In a very short time the office was enveloped in fire, and by 
10 o'clock the whole block was a mass of blackened ruins. M'Vickar's fine 
theatre, the Crosby Opera House, which was to have been reopened Monday 
evening, the office of the PuUman Car Company, the great Union Railroad 
Depot at the toot of Lake street, all the banks, and many of the finest churches 
in the city had already been destroyed. 

By the destruction of the Water- works, on the north side of the river, early in 
the day, the efficiency of the Fire Department was fatally impaired. It was 
impossible, owing to the smoke and fire, to get to the lake or river. So intense 
was the heat that the sluggish river seemed to boil, and clouds of steam rose from 
its surface to mingle with the smoke from the flames. 

Early in the forenoon of Monday, it became evident that nothing could save 
the cit}^ and all the streets leading southward and westward from the burning 
quarter were crowded with men, women, and children, all flying for life, and 
attempting to save sometliing from the general wreck. The number is vaguely 
estimated at T.'iiOOO. Ever}^ sort of vehicle was pressed into service. With the 
selfishness which on such occasions comes uppermost in some natures, the truck- 
men charged enormous prices for transporting trunks, boxes, and packages, and 
turned a deaf ear to all who could not pay tlie money down. Thousands of per- 
sons, inextricably commingled with horses and vehicles, poor people of all colors 
and shades, and of every nationalitj', mad with excitement, struggled with each other 
to get away. Many were trampled under foot. Men and women were loaded 
with bundles, to whose skirts children were clinging, half-dressed and barefooted, 
all seeking a place of safety. Hours afterward these people might have been 
seen in vacant lots, or on the streets far out in the suburbs, stretched in the dust. 

Many pitiful sights were witnessed in the course of this terrible scramble for 
life. There were mothers and fathers, who, leaving children in places of sup- 
posed safety, had gone to save clothing and valuables from their burning houses, 
and returned to find their little ones swept away, and were seeking them in vain 
among the maddened crowd. Tliere were men and women whom terror had 
made insane. 

Among the saddest incidents of this calamity was the appearance in the streets 
of hundreds of men and boys in a state of beastly drunkenness. In the North 
Division the liquor saloons were broken open, and their contents flung into the 
streets, where they were eagerly seized upon by the maddened crowd, who seem 
to have felt the same impulse that leads sailors on a sinking ship to drown their 
terrors in the delirium of intoxication. There can be hardly any doubt that many 
of these poor wretches found their death in the flames from which they were 
helpless to escape. Several hundred persons sought refuge on a barge, and were 
towed out into the lake, where they remained all niglit. The loss of life cannot 
yet be definitely ascertained, but will probably reach several hundred. 

Thus the dreadful day wore on, and night drew near. The principal business 
portion of the city, and the North Division, from the river to Lincoln Park, had 
been swept by the flames, comprising an area of more than 5 square miles. As 
the awful day drew to its close, thousands of anxious eyes watched the clouds of 
smoke that hung over the scene of desolation, dreading lest a change of wind 
might drive the flames upon that portion of the city which was still unburned, 
and fervent were the prayers for rain. 



900 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

No pen can describe the horrors of the night, a. hundred thousand people 
encamped in the fields and in Liiicohi Park. The weather was tempestuous and 
cold. A heavy rain the day previous had drenched "the turf, which tlie trampling 
feet of tlie thousands of fugitives from the fire had soon beaten into a morass. 
And there, on the bleak prairie, shelterless and half-naked, delicate women slept 
with their babes clasped to their breasts, or moaned in unspeakable anguish 
throughout tlie dreadful night, longing for day and yet dreading its dawn. What 
hearts were broken during that awful watch in cold, and darkness, and terror, 
what lives of lingering sickness and pain prepared, can never be known. It 
would seem as if such distress might soften the most obdurate heart ; yet even 
there armed patrols were needed to guard the helpless from robbery and the 
baser passions of desperate ruflians, who, under cover of the general panic and 
disorganization, sought to inaugurate a new reign of terror. Houses were broken 
open and pillaged all over the town. Rape, and arson, and murder were not 
unfrequent; and it became necessary to form vigilance committees. Fortunately 
General Sheridan was at his post. The city was placed under martial law, and 
wretches caught in the act of pillaging or setting fire to buildings — for, incredible 
as it may seem, men became incendiaries in the midst of the burning town — 
were executed on the spot. 

During the whole of the night of the 9th, the fire continued to burn on the 
north side ; but the wind went down, and shortly after midnight rain commenced 
falling, and by daylight the flames were under control. Freed from an.xicty in 
regard to the further spreading of the flames, the citizens took measures for the 
protection of property and for the care of the thousands who -were homeless and 
shelterless. The first night few could be provided with shelter, and the most 
harrowing scenes were witnessed on every hand. Several children were born 
into the world in the midst of the storm, only to die. There were invalids of 
every age and condition of life, who had been taken from their beds and carried 
where death came to them less swiftly but not less surely than in the fiery flood. 

In response to the cry for help that went up from the stricken city, instant and 
abundant relief was sent from every part of the Union. The General Govern- 
ment sent thousands of tents and army rations. Societies and private citizens 
sent money, clothing, and provisions. Railroad companies dispatched special 
tniins laden with these gifts. From Canada and from Europe came expressions 
of sympathy and proffers of assistance. Wherever the news M'as carried, it 
awakened the best impulses of human nature. 

The spirit and courage exhibited by the business people of Chicago is above all 
praise. The smoke still hung over their ruined city, when they met and resolved 
upon measures that would restore its fame and magnificence, and maintain its 
credit unimpaired. The newspapers, with their accustomed enterprise, immedi- 
ately resumed publication as best they could, and generous assistance was 
afforded by the press of other cities, in the shape of type, paper, etc. Temporary 
buildings were erected in every direction, and in less than a week after the cessa- 
tion of the fire, hundreds of houses were ready for occupation. The spirit of 
prostration gave way to one of confidence and hope. Every business man who 
could hire a shed resumed business. One hundred thousand dollars were sub- 
scribed toward rebuilding the Chamber of Commerce, and the work will be 
cotnmenced at once. With this spirit animating her citizens, Chicago will soon 
recover from this great calamity, more magpificent and beautiful than she was 
before the fire. 



ILLINOIS. 901 



THE MASSACRE AT CHICAGO. 

On the 7th of August, 1812, in the afternoon, Winnemeg, or Catfish, a friendly- 
Indian of the Potawatomie tribe, arrived at Chicago and brouglit despatches from 
General Hull, containing the first, and at that time the only intelligence of the 
declaration of war. General Hull's letter announced the capture of Mackinaw, 
and directed Captain Heald "to evacuate the fort at Chicago, if practicable, and 
in that event, to distribute all of the United States property contained in the fort, 
and the United States factory, or agency, among the Indians in the neighbor- 
hood, and repair to Fort Wayne." Winnemeg, having delivered his despatches 
to Captain Heald, and stated that he was acquainted with the purport of the com- 
munication he Iiad brought, urged upon Captain Heald the policy of remaining 
in the fort, being supplied as tliey were witli ammunition and provisions for a 
considerable time. In case, however, Captain Heald thought proper to evacuate 
the place, he urged upon him the propriety of doing so immediately, before the 
Potawatomies (through whose country they must pass, and who were as yet ig- 
norant of the object of his mission) could collect a force sufficient to oppose them. 
This advice, though given in great earnestness, was not sufficiently regarded by 
Captain Heald ; who observed that he should evacuate the fort, but having re- 
ceived orders to distribute the public property among the Indians, he did not feel 
justified in leaving it until he had collected the Potawatomies in its vicinity, and 
made an equitable distribution among them. Winnemeg then suggested the ex- 
pediency of marching out, and leaving everything standing; "while the Indians," 
said he, "are dividing the spoils, the troops will be able to retreat without mo- 
lestation." This advice was also unheeded, and an order for evacuating the fort 
was read next morning on parade. Captain Heald, in issuing it, had neglected 
to consult his junior officers, as it would have been proper for him to have done 
in such an emergency, and as he proba!)ly would have done had there not been 
some coolness between him and Ensign Ronan. 

The lieutenant and ensign, after the promulgation of this order, waited on 
Captain Heald to learn his intentions ; and being apprised, for the first time, of 
the course he intended to pursue, they remonstrated against it. "We do not," 
said they to Captain Heald, "believe that our troops can pass in safety through 
the country of the Potawatomies to Fort Wayne. Although a part of their chiefs 
were opposed to an attack upon us last autumn, they were actuated by motives 
of private friendship for some particular individuals, and not from a regard to the 
Americans in general ; and it can hardl}'^ be supposed that in the present excited 
state of feeling among the Indians, those chiefs will be able to influence the whole 
tribe, now thirsting for vengeance. Besides," said they, "our march must be 
slow, on account of the women and children. Our force, too, is small. Some 
of our soldiers are superannuated, and some of them are invalids. We tbink, 
therefore, as your orders are discretionary, that we had better fortity ourselves as 
strongly as possible, and remain where we are. Succor may reach us before we 
shall be attacked from Mackinaw ; and, in case of such an event, we had better 
fall into the hands of the English than become victims of the savages." Captain 
Heald replied that his force was inadequate to contend with the Indians, and 
that he should be censured were he to continue in garrison when the prospect of 
a safe retreat to Fort Wayne was so apparent. He therefore deemed it advisable 
to assemble the Indians and distribute the public property among them, and ask 
of them an escort thither, with the promise of a considerable sum of money to be 
paid on their safe arrival ; adding, that he had perfect confidence in the friendljr 



902 OUR COUNTRY A^V ITS RESOURCES 

professions of the Indians, from whom, as well as from the soldiers, the capture 
of Mackinaw had studiously been concealed. 

From tills time forward, the junior officers stood aloof from their commander, 
and, considering his project as little short of madness, conversed as little upon 
the subject as possible. Dissatisfaction, however, soon filled the camp ; the sol- 
diers began to murmur, and insubordination assumed a threatening aspect. 

The savages, in the meantime, became more and more troublesome ; entered 
tlie fort occasionally in defiance of the sentinels, and even made their way with- 
'out ceremony into the quarters of its commanding officer. On one occasion, an 
Indian, taking up a rifle, fired it in the parlor of Captain Heald. Some were of 
opinion that this was intended as the signal for an attack. The old chiefs at this 
time passed back and forth an>ong the assembled groups, apparentlj'^ agitated, 
and the squaws seemed much excited, as though some terrible calamity was im- 
pending. No further manifestations, however, of ill-feeling were exhibited, and 
the day passed without bloodshed. So infatuated at this time was Captain Heald 
that he supposed he had wrought a favorable impression upon the savages, and 
that the little gariison could now march forth in safety. 

From tlie 8tii to the 12th of August, the hostility of the Indians was more and 
more apparent ; and the feelings of the garrison, and of those connected with 
and dependent upon it for their safety, more and more intense. Distrust every- 
where at length prevailed, and the want of unanimity among the officers was ap- 
palling. Every inmate retired to rest, expecting to be aroused by the war-whoop ; 
and each returning day was regarded by all as another step on the road to massacre. 

The Indians from the adjacent villages having at length arrived, a council was 
held on the 13th of August. It was attended, however, only by Captain Heald 
on the part of the military ; the other officers refused to attend, having previously 
learned that a massacre was intended. This fact was communicated to Captain 
Heald ; he insisted, however, on their going, and they resolutely persisted in their 
refusal. When Captain Heald left the fort, they repaired to tlie blockhouse, 
which overlooked the ground where the council was in session, and, opening the 
port-holes, pointed their cannon in its direction. This circumstance and their 
absence, it is supposed, saved the whites from massacre. 

Captain Heald informed the Indians in Council that he would next day distri- 
bute among them all the goods in the United States factory, together with the 
ammunition and provisions with which the garrison was supplied ; and desired 
of them an escort to Fort Wayne, promising them a reward on their arrival 
thither, in addition to the presents they were about to receive. The savages as- 
sented with professions of friendship to all he proposed, and promised all he 
required. 

Tlie council was no sooner dismissed, than several, observing the tone of feel- 
ing which prevailed, and anticipating from it no good to the garrison, waited on 
Captain Heald, in order to open his eyes, if possible, to their Qondition. 

The impolicy of furnishing the Indians with arms and ammunition, to be used 
against themselves, struck Captain Heald with so much force that he resolved, 
without consulting his officers, to destroy all not required for immediate use. 

On Auguk 13th, the goods in the factory store were distributed among the 
Indians who had collected near the fort ; and in the evening the ammunition, 
and also the liquor belonging to the garrison, were carried, the former into the 
sallyport and thrown into the well, and the latter through the south gate, as si- 
lently as possible, to the river bank, where the heads of the barrels were knocked 
in and their contents discharged into the sti-eam. 



ILLINOIS. 903 

The ludiaus, however, suspecting the game, approached as near as possible 
and witnessed the whole scene. The spare muskets were broken up and thrown 
into the well, together with bags of shot, flints, and gun screws, and other 
things ; all, however, of but little value. 

On the 14th, the despondency of the garrison was for a while dispelled by the 
arrival of Captain Wells and 15 friendly Miamis. Having heard at Fort Wayne 
of tlie order to evacuate Chicago, ami knowing the hostile intentions of the Pota- 
watomies, he hastened thither, in order to save, if possible, the little garrison 
from its doom. Having on his arrival learned that the ammunition had been de- 
stroyed, and the provisions distributed among the Indians, he saw there Avas no 
alternative. Preparations were tlierefore made for marching on the morrow. 

In the afternoon, a second council was held with the Indians, at wiiicli they 
expressed their resentment at the destruction of the ammunition and liquor in 
the severest terms. Notwithstanding the precautions which had been observed, 
the knocking in of the heads of the whiskey barrels had been heard by the In- 
dians, and the river next morning tasted, as some of them expressed it, "like 
strong grog." Murmurs and threats were ever3'where heard, and nothing ap- 
parently was wanting but an opportunity ft)r some public manifestation of their 
resentment. 

The morning of the 15th dawned as usual. The sun rose with uncommon 
splendor, and Lake Michigan "was a slieet of buruislied gold." 

Early in the day, a message was received in the American camp from To-pce- 
na-bee, a chief of the St. Joseph's band, informing them tliat mischief was brew- 
ing among the Potawatomies, who had promised them protection. 

About 9 o'clock, the troops left the fort with martial music and in military 
array. Captain Wells, at the head of the Miamis, led the van, his face blackened 
after the manner of tlie Indiarts. The garrison vwith loaded arms followed, and 
the wagons with the baggage, the women and children, the sick and the lame, 
closed the rear. The Potawatomies, about 500 in number, who had promised to 
escort them in safety to Fort Wayne, leaving a little space, afterward followed. 
The party in advance took the beach road. They liad no sooner arrived at the 
sand-hills, which separate the prairies from the beach, about a mile and a half 
from the fort, when the Potawatomies, instead of continuing in the rear of the 
Americans, left the beach and took to the prairie. The sand-hills, of course, in- 
tervened, and presented a barrier between the Potawatomies and the American 
and Miami line of march. This divergence had scarcely been effected when 
Captain Wells, who, with the Miamis, was considerably in advance, rode back 
and exclaimed : "They are about to attack us ; form instantly and charge upon 
them." The words had scai-cely been uttered before a volley of musketry Irora 
behind the sand-hills was poured in upon tiiem. Tlie troops were brought im- 
mediately into a line, and cliarged up the bank. One man, a veteran of seventy, 
fell as they ascended. The battle at once became general. The ^Miamis fled in 
the outset ; tlieir chief rode up to the Potawatomies, charged them with duplicity, 
and, brandishing his tomahawk, said, "he would be the first to head a pai'ty of 
Americans, and return to punish them for their treachery." He then turned his 
horse and galloped off in pursuit of his companions, who were then scouring 
across the prairie, and nothing was seen or heard of them more. 

Tbe American troops beliaved gallantly. Though few in number, they Gold 
their lives as dearly as possible. They felt, however, as if their time had come, 
and sought to forget all that was dear on earth. 

While the battle was raging, the surgeon. Doctor Voorhes, who was badly 



904 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

wounded, and whose horse had been shot from under him, approaching Mrs. 
Hehn, tlie wife of Lieutenant' Helm (who was in the action, participating in all 
its vicissitudes), observed : "Do you think," said he, "they will take our lives? 
I am badly wounded, but I think not mortally. Perhaps we can purchase safety 
by offering a large reward. Do you think," continued he, "there is any chance?" 
— " Doctor Voorhes," replied Mrs. Helm, "let us not waste the few moments 
which yet remain, in idle or ill-founded hopes. Our fate is inevitable. We must 
soon appear at the bar of God. Let us make such preparations as are yet in our 
power." — "Oh," said he, "I cannot die! I am unfit to die ! If I had a short 
time to prepare! — Death ! — oh, how awful I" 

At this moment Ensign Ronan was fighting at a little distance w ith a tall and 
portly Indian ; the former, mortally wounded, was nearly down, and struggling 
desperately on one knee. Mrs. Helm, pointing her finger and directing the at- 
tention of Doctor Voorlies thither, observed : " Look," said she, "at that young 
man, he dies like a soldier." 

" Yes," said Doctor Voorhes, " but he has no terrors of the future ; he is an 
unbeliever." 

A young savage immediately raised his tomahawk to strike Mrs. Helm. She 
sprang instantly aside, and the blow intended for her head lell upon her shoulder. 
She thereupon seized him around his n'eck, and while exerting all her efforts to 
get possession of his scaiping-knife, was seized by another Indian, and dragged 
forcibly from his grasp. 

The latter bore her, struggling and resisting, toward the lake. Notwithstand- 
ing, however, the rapidity with which she was hurried along, she recognized, as 
she passed, the remains of the unfortunate surgeon, stretched lifeless on the prairie. 

She was plunged immediately into the water and held tliere, notwithstanding 
her resistance, with a forcible hand. She shortly, however, perceived that the 
intention of her captor was not to drown her, as he held lier in a position to keep 
her head above the water.. Thus reassured, she looked at him attentively, and, 
in spite of his disguise, recognized the "white man's friend." It was Black 
Partridge. 

AVhen the firing had ceased, lier preserver bore her from the water and con- 
ducted her up the sand-bank. It was a beautiful day in August. The heat, 
however, of the sun was oppressive, and walking through the sand exposed to its 
burning rays in her drenched condition, weary and exhausted by efforts beyond 
her strength, anxious beyond measure to learn the fate of her friends, and alarmed 
for her own, her situation was one of agony. 

The troops having fought with desperation till two-thirds of their number were 
slain, the remainder, 27 in all, borne down by an overwhelming force and ex- 
hausted by efforts hitherto unequalled, at length surrendered. They stipulated, 
however, for their own safety and for the safety of their remaining women and 
children. The wounded prisoners, however, in the hurry of the moment, were 
unfortunately omitted, or rather not particularly mentioned, and were therefore 
regarded by tlie Indians as having been excluded. 

One of the soldiers' wives, having frequently been told that prisoners taken by 
the Indians were subjected to tortures worse than death, had frbm the first ex- 
pressed a resolution never to be taken, and when a party of savages approached 
to make her their prisoner, she fought with desperation, and though assured of 
kind treatment and protection, refused to surrender, and was literally cut in 
pieces, and her mangled remains left on the field. 

After the surrender, one of the baggage-wagons, containing 12 children, was 



ILLINOIS. 905 

assailed by a single savage, and the whole number were massacred. All, with- 
out distinction of age or sex, fell at once beneath his murderous tomahawk. 

Captain Wells, who had as yet escaped unharmed, saw from a distance the 
whole of this murderous scene, and being apprised of the stipulation, and on see- 
ing it thus violated, exclaimed aloud, so as to be heard by the Potawatomies 
around him, whose prisoner he then was : " If this be your game, I will kill 
too!" and, turning his horse's head, instantly started for the Potawatomie camp, 
where the squaws and Indian children had been left ere the battle began. 

He had no sooner started than several Indians followed in his rear, and dis- 
charged their rifles at him as he galloped across the prairie. He laid himself flat 
on the neck of his horse, and was apparently out of their reacli when the ball of 
one of his pursuers took. effect, killing his horse and wounding him severely. He 
was again a prisoner. As the savages came up, Winnemeg and Wa-ban-see, two 
of their number and both his friends, used all their endeavors in order to save 
him ; they had disengaged him already from his horse, and were supporting him 
along, when Pec-so-tum, a Potawatomie Indian, drawing a scalping-knife. 
stabbed him in the back, and thus inflicted a mortal wound. After struggling for 
a moment, lie fell, and breathed his last in the arms of his friends — a victim for 
tliose he had sought to save— a sacrifice to his own rash, presumptuous, and per- 
haps indiscreet intentions. 

The battle having ended, and the prisoners being secured, the latter were con- 
conducted to ihe Potawatomie camp near the fort.- Here the wife of Wau-bee- 
nee-mali, an Illinois chief, perceiving the exhausted condition of Mrs. Helm, 
took a kettle, and dipping up some water from the stream which flowed slug- 
gishly by tliem, threw in^o it some maple sugar, and stirring it up with her hand, 
gave her to drink. "It was," says Mrs. Helm, "the most delicious draught I 
had ever taken, and her kindness of manner amid so much atrocity touched my 
heart." Her attention, however, was soon directed to ether objects. The fort, 
after the troops had marched out, became a scene of plunder. The cattle were 
shot down as they ran at large, and lay dead, or were dying around her. It 
called up afresh a remark of Ensign Ronan's, made bcibu: "Such," said he, 
"is to be our fate— to be shot down like brutes." 

The wounded prisoners, we have already remarked, were not included in the 
stipulation made on the battle field, as the Indians xinderstood it. On reaching, 
therefore, the Potawatomie camp, a scene followed which beggars description. 
A wounded soldier lying on the ground was violently assaulted by an old squaw, 
infuriated by the loss of friends, or excited by the murderous scenes around her — 
who, seizing a pitchfork, attacked with demoniac ferocity and deliberately mur- 
dered in cold blood the wretched victim, now helpless and exposed to the burn- 
ing rays of the sun, his wounds already aggravated by its heat, and he writhing 
in torture. During the succeeding night 5 other wounded prisoners were toma- 
hawked. 

Those unwounded remained in the wigwams of their captors. The work of 
plunder being now completed, the fort next day was set on fire. A fair and equal 
distribution of all the finery belonging to the garrison had apparently been made, 
and shawls, ribbons, and feathers were scattered about the camp in great profusion. 
Most of the prisoners remained among the Indians until the treaty made in the 
next year, when they were returned to their friends. Captain Heald and hi3 
wife, and Lieutenant Helm and his wife, were ransomed soon after their capture. 
Their suff"erings and perils, however, during their short captivity were most trying 



MICHIGAN. 

Area, 56,451 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 749,113 

Population in 1870, 1,184,059 

The State of Michigan is situated between 41° 40' and 47'' 30' N. 
latitude, and 82° 12' and 90° 30' W. longitude. It is bounded on 
the north by Canada and Lake Superior, on the east by the River 
Ste. Marie, Lake Huron*, the Lake and River St. Clair, the Detroit 
River, and Lake Erie, which separate it from Canada, on the south 
by Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin, and on the west by Wisconsin and 
Lake Michigan. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Lakes Michigan and Huron, and the Straits of Ma- kinaw, divide 
the State into two unequal peninsulas. The Northern Peninsula is 
about 320 miles long, from southeast to northwest, with an extreme 
width of 130 miles. The Southern Peninsula is about 283 miles 
long, from north to south, and 210 miles wide in its broadest part. 

" The Southern Peninsula of Michigan, so interesting in its agri- 
cultural and economical aspects, is rather tame in its topographical 
features, as there is no considerable elevation (compared with the 
country immediately around it) within its whole extent, though the 
ridge which divides the waters flowing into Lakes Huron and Erie 
from those flowing into Lake Michigan, is 300 feet above the level 
of the lakes, and about 1000 feet above the sea. The country, how- 
ever, may be generally characterized as a vast undulating plain, sel- 
dom becoming rough or broken. There are occasional conical eleva- 
tions of from 150 to 200 feet in height, but generally much less. The 
906 



MICHIGAN". 



907 




A WESTERN PaVEll. 



shores of Lake Huron are often steep, forniinjj; bluffs; while those of 
Lake Michigan are coasted by shifting sand-hills of from 100 to 200 
feet in height. In tlie southern part are those natural parks, thinly 
scattered over with trees, called in the parlance of the country, ' oak 
openings;' and in the southwest are rich prairie lands. The Northern 
'Peninsula exiiibits a striking contrast, both in soil and surface, to the 
southern. While the latter is level or moderately undulating, and 
luxuriantly fertile, the former is picturesque, rugged, and even moun- 
tainous, with streams abounding in rapids and waterfalls — rich in 
minerals, but rigorous in climate, and sterile in soil. The Wisconsin 
or Porcupine Mountains, which form the watershed between Lakes 
Michigan and Superior, are muoh nearer the latter than the former, 
and attain an elevation of about 2000 feet in the northwestern portion 
of the peninsula. The jeastern part of this division of the State is 
undulating and picturesque, but the central is hilly, and composed of 
table-land. The shores of Lake Superior a,re composed of a sandstone 
rock, which, in many places, is worn by the action of the wind and 
waves into fancied resemblances of castles, etc., forming the celebrated 



908 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Pictured Rocks ; while the shores of Lake Michigan are composed of 
a limestone rock. The streams on the northern slope of the Porcu- 
pine Mountains have a rapid descent, and abound in picturesque falls 
and rapids. The Northern Peninsula is primitive, and the Southern 
secondary ; but primitive rocks are scattered over the plains of the 
latter, of more than 100 tons weight, most abundant on the borders 
of the Great Lakes, on the flanks of valleys, and where traces of recent 
floods are apparent." * 

Lake Superior, washes the northern shore of the State, Lake 
Michigan the western, and Lakes Huron and Erie the eastern. They 
have all been described, together with the channels connecting them, 
in the chapter devoted to the United States. Detroit, between Lakes 
Erie and St. Clair, and Grand Haven on Lake Michigan, are the 
principal ports of the State. 

The principal bays are Saginaw and Thunder bays on Lake Huron, 
Tequamenon and Kewechaw bays on Lake Superior, and Green, 
Little and Grand Traverse bays, and the Great and Little Bays des 
Noquets on Lake Michigan. 

A number of small lakes lie in the State. They possess no com- 
mercial value, but form a beautiful feature of the landscape. 

The rivers of the State are nearly all small. The Detroit and 
Ste. Marie Iiave been noticed. Those of the southern peninsula empty 
into Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie. Those flowing into Lake 
Michigan are the St. Joseph's, Kalamazoo, Grand, Maskegon and 
Manistee. The Au Sable and Saginaw flow into Lake Huron, the 
latter through Saginaw Bay, and the Huron and Raisin into Lake 
Erie. The rivers of the northern peninsula are fine mill streams, but 
are unfit for navigation by reason of rocks and rapids. The princip;il 
are the Menomonee, Montreal, and Ontonagon. The first flows into 
Gi'cen Bay, and the others into Lake Superior. 

A group of Islands, forming Manitou county, lies in the northern 
part of Lake Michigan. 

MINERALS. 

" The upper peninsula, rich in minerals, prominent among which 
is copper, is mostly of primitive geological character; the lower exclu- 
sively secondary. The copper deposits among the primary rocks of 
the northern peninsula are the richest in the world, the copper belt 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer, p. 1189. 



MICHIGAN. 90f) 

being 120 miles long and from 2 to 6 miles wide. A block of several 
tons of almost pure copper, taken from the mouth of Ontonagon 
River, has been built into the wall of the Washington monument at 
the national capital. A mass weighing 150 tons was uncovered, in 
1854, in the North American mine. Isle Royale abounds in this 
mineral ; one house in that district, during five and a half months of 
1854, shipped over 2,000,000 of pounds, and in the nine years pre- 
vious there were produced 4824 tons. The yield of copper in the 
State has risen to an annual average of 8000 tons, with promise of 
steady increase. The opening of the St. Mary's Canal and the clear- 
ing of the entrance into Portage I^ake have given fresh impetus to this 
branch of mining industry, which is becoming one of the most cherished 
interests of the State. Silver has been found in connection with the 
copper in the proportion of from 25 to 50 per cent, of the precious 
metal. Iron of a superior quality has been discovered in a bed of slate 
from 6 to 25 miles wide, and 150 long, extending into Wisconsin. 
In the production of this mineral, in 1863, Michigan was only second 
to Pennsylvania, having produced 273,000 tons of ore. Bituminous 
coal is mined on an enlarging scale to meet the demand of manufac- 
tures. Salt also exists in quantities repaying the investment of capital.. 
The high prices lately prevailing have caused a rapid development 
of the salt fields around Saginaw, a basin some 40 or 50 miles square, 
in which, by boring some 800 feet, an inexhaustible supply of brine 
is obtained, yielding 80 or 90 per cent, of salt." * 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of the State is less severe than that of other portions 
of the country in the same latitude, being greatly tempered by the lake 
breezes. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil in the middle and lower part of the southern peninsula is 
very rich, and yields handsome returns. It consists generally of a 
deep, dark, rich sandy loam, which is frequently mixed with gravel 
and clay. The northern part abounds in excellent timber. The 
northern peninsula is heavily wooded with white ])Ine, spruce, hem- 
lock, birch, and oak. The iiardier grains do well in this part of the 
State, but maize i§ not suited to it. 



* General Land Office Report. 

56 



910 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

There are upwards of 5,000,000 acres of improved land in the State. 
The principal agricultural returns are as follows: 



Bushels of wheat, 16,800,000 

" Indian corn, 14,100,000 

oats, ; . . . 8,700,000 

Irish potatoes, 10,325,000 

" rye, 160,000 

" peas and beans, 350,000 

" buckwheat, 450,000 

" barley, 840,000 

Tons of hay, 1,300,000 

Pounds of butter, 25,000,000 

cheese, 675,000 

Number of horses, 230,000 

" asses and mules, 2,500 

milch cows, 255,000 

sheep, 2,000,000 

swine, 425,000 

young cattle, 270,000 

Value of domestic animals, $52,000,000 

Pounds of wool, 8,750,000 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Wheat, and otVier grains, flour, pork, lumber, copper, and wool, are 
the principal exports of the State. Michigan is admirably located for 
commerce, having many good harbors, and an immense water front. 
In 1863, the foreign exports of the State were valued at $2,008,599, 
and the imports at $771,834. 

Manufactures are yet in their infancy. In 1870, there were in this 
State 9455 establishments devoted to manufactures, mining, and the 
mechanic arts. They employed a capital of $71,712,283, consumed 
raw material worth $68,142,515, and yielding an annual product of 
$118,394,676. The principal products were valued as follows : 

Pig iron, $2,911,515 

Copper, 9,260,976 

Sawed and planed lumber, 33,078,241 

Flour, 21,174,247 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872 there were 2235 miles of completed railroads in Michigan, con- 
structed at a cost of over $1 00,000,000. The only railroad in the northern 
peninsula is from the upper end of Green Bay to the iron region. In 



MICHIGAN. 911 

the lower peninsula the railroads lie south of Saginaw Bay, beyond 
which tiie State is comparatively unsettled. The principal towns of 
the State have railroad communication with each other and with all 
parts of the Union. 

EDUCATION. 

There are seven colleges in Michigan, the principal of which is the 
University of Michigan, which is located at Ann Arbor, in the south- 
east ])art of the State. It embraces departments of literature, law, and 
medicine, and, in 1867, was attended by 1255 students. 

The State has a Normal School at Ypsilanti. It was opened in 
1854, and is in a prosperous condition. 

The system of public education is under the general supervision of 
a State Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is elected by the 
people for two years. Each county is in charge of a County Superin- 
tendent, who manages the schools thereof. 

In 1870, there were 5110 public schools in Michigan, attended by 
278,086 children. The amount expended on these schools during the 
year was $2,783,943. The State has three distinct school funds (the 
Primary School, University, and Normal School Funds), amounting 
in the aggregate to $2,925,644. 

In 1870, there were 181 private schools \'n the State, attended by 
about 12,000 pupils. 

In 1870, there were 26,763 libraries in the State, with 2,174,744 
volumes. 

In the same year, there were 16 daily, 3 tri-weekly, 174 weekly, 
and 18 other newspapers and ])eriodicals published in the State, mak- 
ing a total of 211. Of these, 167 were political, 7 religious, and 37 
miscellaneous. Their total annual circulation was 19,686,978 
copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The Michigan State Prison is located at Jackson. It is provided 
with ample buildings, and in November, 1870, contained 663 convicts. 
The prisoners are required to labor, and the institution is self-sup- 
porting. < 

The Reform School, at Lansing, was opened in 1856, and contains 
about 262 boys. 

The Michigan Insane Asylum is located at Kalamazoo. It was 
opened in 1859. On the 1st of January, 1870, it contained 305 in- 
mates — 156 males and 149 females. 



912 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOUKCES. 

The Asylum for the Education of the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind is at 
Flint. It was opened in 1854, and, in 1870, contained 120 deaf 
nintes, and 30 blind persons. 

State i)risoners are sent to the Detroit House of Correction (a city 
institution) for crimes punishable with imprisonment in the county 
jails. • 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 1415 churches in Michigan. The value of 
church property was $9,133,816. 

FINANCES. 

On the 30th of November, 1874, the State debt amounted to 
$1,588,135. The total receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year 
ending on that date, including a balance of $854,713 on hand from 
the previous year, amounted to $3,065,879, and the total expenditures 
for the same period to f 1,995,604. 

In 1868 there were 42 National banks, with a capital of $5,210,010, 
doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

All citizens of the United States over 21 years of age, who have 
resided in the State six months, and all male foreigners who have 
resided in the State two years, and have declared their intention to 
become citizens six months before the elections, are entitled to vote at 
the elections in this State. All civilized Indians residing in the State, 
not belonging to any tribe, are also entitled to vote. 

The government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor-General, and Attorney-General, 
and a Legislature consisting of a Senate (of 32 members) and a House 
of Representatives (of 100 members), all elected by the people for 2 
years. The Legislature meets biennially, on the first Wednesday in 
January. The general election is held in November. 

The Courts of the State are the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, 
Probate Courts, and Courts held by Justices of the Peace. The 
Supreme Court consists of four judges, elected for 8 years, one judge 
retiring every 2 years. All judges in this State are elected by the 
j>eople. , 

The seat of Government is located at Lansing. 

The State is divided into 62 counties. 



MICHIGAN. 913 



HISTORY. 



Michigan was first settled by the Freuch. It derives its name 
from an Indian word (Michi-sawg-ye-gan), meaning " the Lake 
Country." In 1630 the French missionaries established a station on 
Lake Huron, and in 1660 founded one on Lake Superior. In 1668 
a mission was established at the Sault-Ste.-Marie, and in 1671 Father 
Marquette founded the mission of St. Ignatius on the main land, to 
the north of the island of Mackinaw. These missionaries were so 
successful in their efforts that nearly all the Hurons were converted 
to Christianity. Soon after this became known to the other tribes, 
the converts were attacked, and massacred or dispersed by the Iroquois. 

In 1667 the trading posts were garrisoned by French soldiers by 
order of the king of France, who wished to foster the fur trade. In 
1 701 Detroit was founded by a colony from Montreal. A fort was 
erected and garrisoned for the protection of the settlement, and a 
flourishing trade opened with the western Indians. The settlements 
languished, however. The home Government did but little to encourage 
them, and the Iroquois were their constant enemies. 

In 1763 the whole country passed, with Canada, into the hands of 
the British. Pontiac, one of the leading chiefs, now induced the 
tribes to take concerted measures for the expulsion of the whites. 
Simultaneous attacks were made upon the English forts. Mackinaw 
w^as taken by stratagem, and all the western posts were captured and 
destroyed. Detroit was invested and besieged for several months. 
It held out bravely, however, and the majority of the Indians, be- 
coming tired of the siege, returned to their homes. Thus deserted 
by his allies, Pontiac was forced to abandon the struggle. 

In 1783 Michigan, as a part of the Northwest Territory, became 
the property of the United States. The British, however, appreciat- 
ing the importance of Detroit, held on to it for a much longer time, 
and did not finally surrender it to the Americans until 1796. 

In 1805 the territory of Michigan was organized, and General 
William Hull, an officer who had served gallantly through the Revo- 
lution, was appointed Governor. Detroit was made the seat of 
government. 

The Territory was sparsely settled, but suffered much during the 
second war with England. The fortress of Mackinaw was surren- 
dered to the British and Indians on the 17th of July, 1812. On the 
16th of August, General Hull surrendered Detroit to General Brock, 



914 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

without making the least effort to defend it. In Januar)^, 1813, 
General Winchester was surprised and surrounded at Frenchtown 
on the River Raisin, by a strong force of British troops and Indians. 
He made a stubborn defence, but finally surrendered upon the condi- 
tion that his men should be protected from the Indians. General 
Proctor violated his word, however, and suffered his Indian allies 
to massacre Americans, the wounded and many of the disarmed 
prisoners. 

In September, 1813, the gloom which the reverses of the Americans 
had cast over the frontier was lightened by the splendid victory won 
over the British fleet in Lake Erie, only a few miles from the shores 
of Michigan, by Commodore O. H. Perry. This was followed by the 
evacuation of Detroit by the British, and the important triumph 
achieved by the American army under General Harrison, over the 
British and Indians, on the banks of the River Thames, in Canada, 
and but a few miles distant from Detroit. Tecumseh was killed in 
this battle. Several other minor actions occurred along the Michigan 
frontier, but the Territory was not again occupied by the enemy. 

In 1820 the population of the Territory was 8900 souls, and in this 
estimate the dwellers in the present State of Wisconsin were included. 

"About the year 1832, the tide of emigration began to set strong 
towards Michigan Territory. Steamboat navigation had opened a 
new commerce upon the lakes, and had connected the eastern lakes 
and their population with the Illinois and Upper Missi&sij)pi. Tiiis 
immense lake navigation encircled the peninsula of Michigan. It 
became an object of exploration. Its unrivalled advantages for navi- 
gation, its immense tracts of the most fertile arable lands, adapted to 
the cultivation of all the northern grains and grasses, attracted the 
attention of western emigrants. The tide soon began to set strong 
into Michigan. Its fine level and rolling plains, its deep and endur- 
ino; soil, and its immense advantages for trade and commerce had be- 
come known and duly appreciated. The hundreds of canoes, pirogues, 
and barges, with their half-civilized couriers du bois, which had annu- 
ally visited Detroit for more than a century, had given way to large 
and splendid steamboats, which daily traversed the lakes from Buffalo 
to Chicago, from the east end of Luke Erie to the south-western ex- 
tremity of Lake Michigan. Nearly a hundred sail of sloops and 
scjiooners were now travei-slng every part of these inland seas. Under 
these circumstances, how should Michigan remain a savage wilderness? 
New York State and the New England States began to send forth their 



MICHIGAN. 915 

numerous colonies, and the wilderness to smile. At the end of two 
years more, or in 1834, the population of Michigan had increased to 
87,273 souls, exclusive of Indians. The following year the number 
amounted to more than 90,000 persons, distributed over 38 counties, 
comprised in the southern half of the peninsula, and the 'attached 
Huron, or Wisconsin District,' lying west of Lake Michigan. The 
town of Detroit, which in 1812 was a stockade village, had now be- 
come 'a city,' with nearly 2500 inhabitants. The humble villages 
and wigwams of the Indians, sparsely distributed over a wide extent 
of wilderness, had now given way to thousands of farms and civilized 
habitations. Towns and smiling villages usurped the encampment 
and the battle-field. The fertile banks of the 'River Raisin' were 
crowned with hamlets and towns instead of the melancholy stockade. 
A constitution had been adopted on the 15th of June, 1836, and the 
'State of Mijhigan' was admitted into the Union on the 26th day of 
January, 1837, and Stephens T. Mason was made the first Governor." 
During the late war Michigan contributed 90,119 troops to the 
service of tiie United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State are, 
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Adrian, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Jackson and 
Monroe. 

LANSING, 

The capital of the State, is sitnated in Ingham county, on the Grand 
River, 110 miles northwest of Detroit. Latitude 42° 42' 30" N. ; 
longitude 84° 28' W. 

Tiie city Avas originally laid out upon quite an extensive plan, and 
is not yet built with sufficient compactness to do justice to the designs 
of its founders. The streets are broad, intersect each other at right- 
tangles, and are shaded with trees. The principal building is the 
State House, a large and handsome structure, located on an eminence, 
50 feet above the level of the river. The State Agricultural College 
is located in the vicinity, and the House of Correction, for juvenile 
offenders, stands in the eastern portion of the city. Lansing contains 
a female college, 2 good public schools, 2 newspaper offices, and 12 
churches. In 1870, the population was 5241. 

The city has railway communication with all parts of the State. 
The river affords excellent water-power, which is used for operating 
BBveral flour mills and factories 



916 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1847, a Mr. James Seymour, owning some land on the Grand 
River, made a proposition to the Legislature of Michigan, that if they 
would remove the seat of Government on to his lands, he would give 
20 acres, and erect the capitol and buildings for the use of the State 
authorities. This oiFer was not accepted, but the Legislature passed a 
bill locating the capital in the township. At this period but one 
family occupied the site of the future capital. In May, 1847, the 
town of Lansing was laid out, and within the next few weeks one 
thousand persons moved into the place, which was named from Lan- 
sing in New York, the former home of some of the settlers. In 1850, 
the seat of Government was formally transferred from Detroit to this 
place. 

DETROIT, 

The metropolis of the State, is situated on the right or northwest bank 
of the Dvjtroit River, 18 miles from the head of Lake Erie, 8 miles 
from the outlet of Lake St. Clair, and 110 miles by railway from 
Lansing. The width of the river averages about five-eighths of a 
mile, the width from the docks of Detroit to the opposite docks of Wind- 
sor, in Canada, being about half a mile. The depth between the docks 
varies from 12 to 48 feet, averaging 32 feet; the descent from Lake 
St. Clair to Lake Erie is about 6 feet, averaging 3 inches per mile; 
and the velocity of the current in the deepest part opposite the city is 
two miles and a half per hour. The stream is so deep and its current 
so strong and uniform, that it keeps itself clear, and its navigation is 
not affected as is that of the Mississippi, with either rocks, sand-bars, 
trees, or sawyers. Its current also carries along the ice with a slow 
and uniform motion, so that it is never dammed up in winter, while 
the St. Lawrence, at Montreal, is shallow, full of rocks, against which 
the ice lodges, and often forms a dam across the river, and raises the 
water from 20 to 25 feet, overflowing its low banks for miles, and 
sweeping off and destroying large amounts of property. These pecu- 
liarities make Detroit a secure and accessible harbor in all seasons. • 
Bordering the river, along which it extends for several miles, and 
for 1200 feet back from the water, the plan of the city is rectangular. 
In the rear of this portion it is triangular. The city covers an area 
of about 10 square miles, and is for the most ])art well built. The 
streets and avenues are wide, many of them from 100 to 200 feet. 
Five of these centre at a public ground, called the Grand Circus. In 
the city are several public squares or spaces, the principal of which 



MICHIGAN. 919 

are tlie Grand Circus and the Campus Martius. The streets arc gen* 
erally well paved, with broad side walks, and are shaded with noble 
forest trees. Jefferson and Woodward avenues, and Congress street 
are the most important thoroughfares. Lines of street cars connect 
the principal points of the city. 

A largo portion of the city is built of wood, but of late years, brick, 
stone, and iron have been largely used in erecting new edifices and in 
improving old ones. In consequence of this, the business streets now 
present a handsome appearance, and in the private sections are to be 
found many elegant and tasteful residences. 

The principal buildings are the Custom House, a magnificent stone 
edifice ; the City Hall, a fine structure of stone ; and the Old State 
House, now used for literary purposes. ^ 

The city contains about 66 public schools, each of which is provided 
with handsome and convenient buildings. The citizens are very 
proud of their free school system, and with good reason. 

The benevolent and charitable institutions are numerous, and are 
well conducted. The principal establishments are the Industrial 
School, the Harper, St. Mary^s, and Marine Hospitals, the Orphan 
Asylum, and the House for the Friendless. In the Industrial School, 
the ragged and vagrant children of the city are gathered and taught 
to read, write, and sing, to mend and make their clothing, and are 
given a good meal every day. 

The city contains about 38 churches, some of which are among its 
principal ornaments, 11 news[)aper, and 3 magazine offices, and 3 first- 
class hotels. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied with pure water, 
which is pumped from the Detroit River by means of a steam engine 
into a hydraulic reservoir, from which it is supplied to the city pipes. 
The city is provided with an efficient police force and a steam fire de- 
partment, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the 
population was 79,577. 

The admirable position of Detroit has made it an important com- 
mercial point. It controls a large share of the commerce between the 
United States and Canada, but its chief source of prosperity is the lake 
trade. Commanding the only outlet of the three upper lakes, it of 
necessity controls a large share of their commerce, and also conducts a 
large trade with the ports of Lake Erie. It is largely interested in 
the rich trade which the working of the copper and iron mines of 
Lake Superior has developed. Regular lines of steamers ply between 
the city and the ports on the lakes. Detroit has direct railway com- 
munication with all parts of the Union, and the terminus of the Great 



920 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Western Railway of Cauada is at Windsor, on the opposite side of 
the river. The grain trade of Detroit is important, and is increasing 
every year. 

The city is extensively engaged in manufactures. The most im- 
portant articles produced are locomotives, iron machinery, window 
sashes and blinds, cabinet ware, leather, malt liquors, iron and brass 
ware, and lumber. The Detroit Copper Smelting Works annually 
smelt over $2,000,000 worth of copper ore into ingot copper. Another 
large establishment is engaged in manufacturing iron from the iron 
ore sent from the Lake Superior mines. 

In 1670, the French built a fort on the present site of Detroit. 
The vicinity at this time was occupied by villages of the Huron, Po- 
tawatomy, and Ottowa Indians. Ninety years later, in 1760, the 
French posts passed into the hands of Great Britain. In 1783, 
after the close of the Revolution, Detroit became a part of the United 
States, but was not formally delivered up to the American forces until 
1796. 

MISCELLANIES. 

PONTIAC'S EFFORT TO CAPTURE DETROIT. 

As every appearance of war was at an end, and the Indians seemed to be on a 
friendly footing, Fontiac approached Detroit without exciting any suspicions in 
the breast of the Governor or the inhabitants. He encamped at a httle distance 
from it, and let the commandant know that he was come to trade ; and being de- 
sirous of brightening the chain of peace between the English and his nation, 
desired that he and his chiefs might be admitted to hold a council with him. The 
Governor, still unsuspicious, and not in the least doubting the sincerity of the 
Indians, granted their general's request, and fixed on the next morning for their 
reception. 

On the evening of that day an Indian woman, who had been appointed by 
Major Gladwyn to make a pair of Indian shoes out of a curious elkskin, brought 
them home. The major was so pleased with theui that, intending these as a 
present for a friend, he ordered her to.take the remainder back and make it into 
others for himself. He then directed his servant to pay her for those she had 
done, and dismissed her. The woman went to the door that led to the street, 
but no further ; she there loitered about as if she had not finished the business on 
whicli she came. A servant at length observed her, and asked her why she 
stayed there. She gave him, however, no answer. 

Some short time after, the Governor himself saw her, and inquired of his ser- 
vant what occasioned her stay. Not being able to get a satisfactory answer, he 
ordered the woman to be called in. When she came into his presence, he de- 
sired to know what was the reason of her loitering about, and not hastening 
home before the gates were shut, that she might complete in due time the work 
he had given her to do. She told him, after mucli hesitation, that as he had always 



MICHIGAN. 921 

behaved -with great goodness towards lier, she was unwilling to tal.e awaj^ the 
remainder of the skin, because he put so great a value upon it ; and yet had not 
been able to prevail upon herself to tell him so. He then asked her why slie was 
more reluctant to do so now than she had been when she made the former pair. 
With increased reluctance she answered, that she should never be able to bring 
them back. 

His curiosity was now excited ; he insisted on her disclosing the secret that 
seemed to be struggling in her bosom for utterance. At last, on receiving a 
promise that the intelligence she was about to give him should not turn to her 
prejudice ; and that, if it appeared to be beneficial, she should be rewarded for it, 
she informed him that at the council to be held with the Indians on the following 
day, Pontiac and his chiefs intended to murder him, and, after having massacred 
the garrison and inhabitants, to plunder the town. That for this purpose all the 
chiefs who were to be admitted into the council-room had cut their guns short, so 
that they could conceal them under their blankets ; with which, on a signal given 
by their general on delivering the belt, they were all to rise up and instantly to 
fire on him and his attendants. Having effected this, they were immediately to 
rush into the town, where they would find themselves supported by a great num- 
ber of their warriors that were to come into it during the sitting of the council 
under the pretence of trading, but privately armed in the same manner. Having 
gained from the woman every necessary particular relative to the plot, and also 
the means by which she acquired a knowledge of them, he dismissed her with 
injunctions of secrecy, and a promise of fulfiUing on his part with punctuality the 
engagements he had entered into. 

The intelligence the Governor had just received gave him great uneasiness, 
and he immediately consulted the officer who was next him in command on the 
subject. But this gentleman, considering the information as a story invented for 
some artful purpose, advised him to pay no attention to it. This conclusion, 
however, had happily no weight with him. He thought it prudent to conclude it 
to be true till he was convinced it was not so ; and therefore, without revealing 
his suspicions to any other person, he took every needful precaution tliat the time 
would admit of. He walked around the fort for the whole night, and saw himr 
self that every sentinel was upon duty, and every weapon of defence in proper 
order. 

As he traversed the ramparts that lay nearest to the Indian camp, he heard 
them in high festivity, and, little imagining that their plot was discovered, pro- 
bably pleasing themselves with the anticipation of their success. As soon as the 
morning dawned, he ordered all the garrison under arms, and then, imparting his 
apprehensions to a few of the principal officers, gave them sucli directions as he 
thought necessary. At the same time he sent round to all the traders to inform 
them, that as it was expected a great number of Indians would enter the town 
that day, who miglit be inclined to plunder, he desired they would have their 
arms ready, and repel any attempt of tliat kind. 

About 10 o'clock, Pontiac and his chiefs arrived, and were conducted to the 
council chamber, where tlie Governor and his principal officers, each with pistols 
in his belt, awaited iiis arrival. As the Indians passed on, they could not help 
ohserving that a greater number of troops than usual were drawn up on the 
parade, or marching about. No sooner were they entered, and seated on the 
skins prepared for them, than Pontiac asked the Governor on what occasion h'i 
young men, meaning the soldiers, were thus drawn up and parading the street^. 



922 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

He received for answer that it was only intended to keep them perfect in their 
exercise. 

The Indian chief warrior now began his speech, which contained the strongest 
professions of friendsliip and good-will towards the English : and when he came 
to the delivery of the belt of wampum, the particular mode of which, according 
to the woman's information, was to be the signal for thf chiefs to fire, the Gover- 
nor and all his attendants drew their swords half way out of their scabbards ; and 
the soldiers at the same time made a clattering with their arms before the door, 
which liad been purposely left open. Pontiac, though one of the bravest men, 
immediately turned pale and trembled ; and instead of giving the belt in the 
manner proposed, delivered it according to the usual way. His chiefs, who had 
impatiently expected the signal, looked at each other with astonishment, but 
continued quiet waiting the result. 

The Governor, in his tut-n, made a speech ; but, instead of thanking the great 
warrior for the professions of friendship he had just uttered, he accused him of 
being a traitor. He told liim that the English, who knew everything, were con- 
vinced of his treachery and villanous designs ; and as a prr)of that they were 
acquainted with his most secret thoughts and intentions, he stepped towards an 
Indian chief that sat nearest to him, and drawing aside the blanket, discovered 
the shortened firelock. This entirely disconcerted the Indians and Irustrated 
their design. 

He then continued to tell them, that as he had given his word, at the time they 
had desired an audience, that their persons should be safe, he would hold his 
promise invioiable, though they so little deserved it. However, he desired them 
to make the best of their way out of the fort, lest his young men, on being 
acquainted with their treacherous purposes, should cut every one of them to 
pieces. 

Pontiac endeavored to contradict the accusation, and to make excuses for his 
suspicious conduct ; but the Governor, satisfied of the falsity of liis protestations, 
would not listen to him. The Indians immediately left the fort ; but, instead of 
being sensible of the Governor's generous behaviour, they threw off the mask, 
and the next day made a regular attack upon it. 

Thus foiled, Pontiac laid formal siege to the fortress, and for many months that 
siege was continued in a manner and with a perseverance unexampled among 
the Indians. Even a regular commissariat department was organized, and bills 
of credit drawn out upon bark were issued, and, what is rarer, punctually paid. 

MASSACRE AT THE RIVER RAISIN. 

Immediately after the battle of the 18th of .January, 1813, some of the French 
inhabitants, who had sold provisions to the Britisb, followed them to Maiden to 
get their pay. On their return, they brought word that the British and Indians 
were collecting in large force, to the amount of 3000, to attack Frenchtown. 
General Winchester paid but little attention to these reports, feeling considerable 
confidence in his own strength, and expecting reinforcements that would render 
him safe beyond a doubt, before the enemy could possibly attack him. The 
British seemed to be aware that they must make the attack before these reinforce- 
ments came up, if they wished to effect anything ; hence they hastened their 
preparations. On the 21st, several of the more prominent French citizens went 
to "Winchester and told him that they had reliable information that the American 



MICHIGAX. 923 

camp would be attacked tliat night or the next duy. He was so infatuated that 
he paid no further deference to their statement than to order those sokliers who 
were scattered around the settlement, drinking cider with the inhabitants, to 
assemble and remain in camp all night. 

About daylight, on the morning of the 23d of January, 1813, a large force of 
British and Indians, under.Proctor and the celebrated Indian chiefs. Round Head 
and Split Log, attacked the camp of the Americans. The attack was made all 
along the lines, but the British forces were more particularly led against the 
upper camp, occupied by Major Madison and Colonels Lewis and Allen, and the 
Indians against the lower camp, occupied by Colonel Wells. The Britisli were 
unsuccessful at their part of the lines, where the Americans fought with great 
bravery, and were protected very much by the pickets, which, being placed at 
some distance from the woods, afforded the Kentucky riflemen a tine opportunity 
to shoot the enemy dowu as they were advancing. An attempt was then made 
by the British to use a field piece just at the edge of the woods, by which they 
hoped to prostrate the pickets and batter down the houses, but the Kentuckians, 
with their sharpshooters, picked the men off as fast as they attempted to load it, 
80 that they were forced to abandon the attack and suffer a repulse. 

"While these things were happening at the upper camp, a far different state of 
things existed at the lower one. The attack of the Indians was so impetuous, 
the position so indefensible, ami the American force so inadequate, consisting of 
only 200 men, that, notwithstanding the bravery of Colonel Wells and his men, 
it was impossible to retain the position. Colonels Lewis and Allen attempted to 
take a reinforcement to the right wing, to enable Colonel Wells to retreat up the 
river on the ice, under cover of the high bank, to the upper camp. But before 
they arrived at the lower camp, the fire of the savages had become so galling that 
Wells was forced to abandon his position. This he attempted to do in good 
order, but as soon as his men began to give way, the Indians redoubled their 
cries and the impetuosity of their attack, so that the retreat speedily became a 
rout. In this condition they were met by Colonel Allen, who made every effort 
• to call them to order and lead them in safety to the upper camp. But, notwith- 
standing the heroic exertions of Colonel Allen, and his earnest protestations and 
commands, they continued their disordered flight, and from some unaccountable 
reason, probably through an irresistible panic, caused by the terrible cries and 
onslaught of the savages, instead of continuing up the river to the upper camp, 
they fled diagonally across to the Hull road, so called, which led to Maumee, and 
attempted to escape to Ohio. And now the flight became a carnage. The Indians 
seeing the disorder of the Americans, who thought of nothing save running for 
their lives, and escaping the tomahawks of the savages, having warriors posted 
all along the woods which lined or were within a short distance of the river, now 
raised the cry that the Americans were flying, which cry was echoed by thousands 
of warriors, who all rushed to the spot and outstripped the fleeing soldiers. Some 
followed them closely in their tracks and brained them with their tomahawks 
from behind ; some posted themselves on both sides of the narrow road and shot 
them down as they passed ; and finally some got in advance, and headed them 
off at Plumb Creek, a small stream about a mile from the River Raisin. Here 
the panic-stricken soldiers, who had thrown away most of their arms to facilitate 
their flight, huddled together like sheep, with the brutal foe on all sides, were 
slaughtered, and so closely were they hemmed in, tradition says, that after the 
battle. 40 dead bodies were found lying scalped and plundered on 2 rods square. 



924 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

General Winchester, impressed with the foolish idea tliat an attack would not 
be made, had retired the night before without having made any arrangements for 
safety or dispatch in case of an attaclt. Therefore, when awakened by the firing, 
lie and his aids made great confusion, all crying for their horses, which were in 
Colonel Navarre's stable, the servants scarcely awake enough to equip them with 
haste. The luckless commander became very impatient to join his forces, nearly 
a mile distant, and, to gratify his desire. Colonel Navarre offered liim his best 
and fleetest horse, whicli had been kept saddled all night, as Navarre, in common 
witli all the French inhabitants, expected an attack before morning. On tliis 
horse he started for the camp, but, on the way, finding that a large number of 
the troops were then fleeing on the Hull road, he followed after them to rally 
them, and, if possible, regain the day ; but on his way he was taken prisoner by 
an Indian fsaid to have been Jack Brandy), who knew by his clothes that he was 
an officer, and therefore spared his life. Proctor persuaded the Indian to deliver 
him over into his hands. Colonel Allen was also taken prisoner about the same 
time ; he had behaved with extraordinary courage during the whole action, 
although wounded in the thigh. He was finally killed by an Indian while held 
a prisoner. 

With Winchester as his prisoner. Proctor felt that he could dictate terms to 
that portion of the American troops under the command of Major Madison in the 
upper camp, who had thus far made a successful resistance. Proctor sent with a 
flag one of General Winchester's aids, with the peremptory orders of the latter, 
directing Major Madison to surrender. Colonel Proctor had demanded an imme- 
diate surrender, or he would burn the settlement, and allow the Indians to 
massacre the prisoners and the inhabitants of the place. Major Madison replied, 
that it was customary for the Indians to massacre the wounded and prisoners 
after a surrender, and he would not agree to any capitulation General Winchester 
might make, unless the safety and protection of his men were guaranteed. After 
trying in vain to get an unconditional surrender. Major Madison and his men 
being disposed to sell their lives as dearly as possible, rather than run the risk of 
being massacred in cold blood. Proctor agreed to the terms demanded, which 
were, that private property should be respected, that sleds should be sent next 
morning to take the sick and wo^inded to Maiden, and that their side arms should 
be restored to the officers on their arrival there. 

These terms completed, the surrender was made, and the prisoners, and British, 
and Indians started for Maiden ; not, however, until the Indians had violated the 
first article of the agreement, by plundering the settlement. But finally all 
departed, except the sick and wounded American soldiers, who were left in the 
two houses of the upper camp, to await the coming of the sleds on the morrow. 
Only two or three persons were left in charge of them, a neglect which was 
nearly or quite criminal on the part of Proctor. The last and most disgraceful 
scene in this bloody tragedy was yet to be enacted. The sleds that were to take 
the ill-fated sufferers to Maiden never came. In their stead came, the next 
morning, 800 Indians, painted black and red, determined on massacreing the 
wounded Americans, in revenge for their loss the day before. The slaughter 
soon commenced in earnest. Breaking into the houses where the Americans 
were, they first plundered and then tomahawked them. The houses were set on 
fire, and those within were consumed ; if any attempted to crawl out of the doors 
or windows, they were wounded with the hatchet and pushed back into the 
flames : those that happened to be outside were stricken down, and their dying 



MICHIGAN. 925 

bodies thrown into the burning dwellings. Major Wolfolk, the secretary of 
General Wincliester, was killed in the massacre. Thus ended the " Massacre of 
the River Raisin." Thus perished in cold blood some of Kentucky's noblest 
heroes : their death filled with sorrow many homes south of the Ohio. No monu- 
ment marks the place of their death: but little is known of the private history of 
those brave spirits who traversed a wilderness of several hundred miles, and gave 
up their lives for their country: who died alone, unprotected, wounded, in a 
settlement far from the abode of civilization. 

But few of the killed were ever buried. Their bones lay bleaching in the sun 
for years. On the 4th of July, 1818, a company of men under the charge of 
Colonel Anderson, an old settler of Frenclitown, went to the spot of the battle 
and collected a large quantity of the bones, and burled them, with appropriate 
ceremonies, in the old graveyard in Monroe. For years after, however, it was 
not uncommon to find a skull, fractured by the fatal tomahawk, hidden away in 
some clump of bushes, where the dogs and wild beasts had dragged the body to 
devour its flesh. 



WISCONSIN. 

Area, 53,924 Square Miles. 

Populiitiou ill IStJO, ......... 775,881 

Population in 1870, 1,054,670 

The State of Wisconsin is situated between 42° 30' and 46° 55' N. 
latitude, and between 87° and 92° 50' W. longitude. It is bounded 
on tlie north by Micliigan, Lake Superior and Minnesota; on tlie east 
by Lake Micliigan; on the south by Illinois; and on the west by 
Iowa and Minnesota. Its extreme length, from north to south, is about 
285 miles, and its greatest breadth, from east to west, about 255 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the State is generally an elevated rolling prairie. 
The highest point is in the northwest, while a slight ridge divides the 
waters flowing into Lake Superior from those flowing into the Mis- 
sissippi. Another ridge crosses the south central part of the State. A 
third ridge crosses the southeast corner, and separates the rivers flow- 
ing into Green Bay from those emptying into Lake Michigan. The 
rivers which flow into Lake Superior descend abruptly to it, and are 
broken by numerous falls and rapids, which afford fine mill sites. 

Lake Superior washes the northern shore of the State, and Lake 
Michigan the western. 

Green Bay enters the State from Lake Michigan, in the extreme 
northeast. It is about 100 miles long, and from 15 to 35 miles wide. 
It lies between this State and the northern peninsula of Michigan. It 
has an average depth of 500 feet, and abounds in picturesque scenery. 
It possesses an active trade, and is navigated by steamers to Green 
Bay City, its head. The Fox River unites the Bay with Lake Win- 
926 



WISCONSIN. 927 

nd)ago, about 25 miles south of Green Bay City. This lake is about 
28 miles long, and about 10 miles wide. It is navigable for steamers, 
as is also the Fox River. The scenery is very beautiful. Fond du 
Lac, at the southern end of the Lake, is the principal town. From 
Oshkosh, on the western side of the Lake, a ship canal has been con- 
structed to Portage City, which affords uninterrupted communication 
between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. The Mississippi 
River washes the southwestern shore of the State as far as Prescot, 
where it bends to the northwest, and passes into Minnesota. It re- 
ceives the waters of the St. Croix, the Chippewa, the Black, the Bad 
Axe, and the Wisconsin rivers. The St. Groix River rises south of 
the western end of Lake Superior, and flows southwest to the Minne- 
sota line, when it turns to the south, separates Wisconsin from Min- 
nesota, and empties into the Mississippi about 40 miles southeast of 
I'-tt. Paul. It is about 200 miles long. Near its mouth it expands 
into a lake 36 miles long, and 4 miles wide, known as St. Croix 
I^ake. It is about 100 yards wide at its mouth. It is repeatedly 
broken by falls. The Chippewa is about 200 miles long, and the 
Black about 150. The Wisconsin River rises in the extreme 
jivorthern part of tlie State, and flows south to Portage City, where it 
is joined by the waters of a number of small lakes, extending north- 
east into Lake Winnebago. This chain forms the Grand Portage, by 
means of which water communication is maintained between the Mis- 
sissippi and the lakes. From Portage City it flows southwest into the 
Mississippi, near Prairie du Chien. It is about 500 miles long, and 
is navigable for steamers for about 200 miles. The Menomonee forms 
a part of the northeast boundary, and flows into Green Bay. It falls 
1049 feet during its course, and is an excellent mill stream. 
A number of small lakes are scattered through the State. 

MINERALS. 

" The mineral resources of the State are varied and valuable. The 
lead region of Illinois and Iowa extends over an area of 2140 square 
miles in Wisconsin, which compares with the other portions in the 
abundance and richness of the ores. In 1863, there were 848,625 
pounds of lead received at Milwaukee. The completion of the 
Southern Wisconsin Railroad will raise the aggregate to 2,500,000 
pounds. It is mingled with copper and zinc ores. The iron region 
of Lake Superior presents within the limits of this State abundant 
deposits of great richness. Magnetic iron, plumbago, and the non- 
57 



928 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




COPPER 3IIXE, 



metallic earths abound. Copper deposits have also been developed, 
bat as yet have only been worked to a limited extent. Beautiful 
n?iarbles, susceptible of elaborate working, exist. The mineral pro- 
ductions are rapidly opening a very inviting field for capital and in- 
dustry, promising an immense addition to the resources of this 
energetic young State." * 

CLIMATE. 

The winters are long and severe, but the temperature is somewhat 
mitigated by the lake breezes. The summers are warm, but pleasant. 
The State is healthy as a general rule, and is less liable than other 
new places to the diseases incident to new settlements, owing to the 
openness of the country. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil, as a general rule,, is fertile, and is productive, even in tho 
mineral regions of the north. The best lands are on the prairies, 
where the soil consists of a dark brown vegetable mould, from one to 



Report of the General Land Office. 



WISCONSIN. 929 

two feet in depth, very mellow^ and entirely destitute of stones or 
gravel . 

" Wisconsin possesses abundant timber resources, and an immense 
lumbering business is carried on in many of tiie northern and western 
counties, the pineries of Marathon, Chippewa, Clark, Wood, St. 
Croix, and other counties, furnishing many millions of feet of logs and 
lumber annually. Our Clark correspondent claims that 100,000,000 
feet of pine timber is cut each year in that county alone ; while in 
Monroe 30,000,000 feet is annually cut into lumber by about twenty 
mills. Hard wood timber also abounds in all parts of the State, and 
there are few counties without sufficient wood for local uses. The 
lumbering business is a source of great profit to those engaged in it, 
and in Brown county parties boast of cutting enough white pine logs 
from eighty acres to net $1200 to |1500." * 

Wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, and hay, are the staple crops of this 
State, the first named being the most important. 

In 1870, there were in Wisconsin 5,795,538 acres of improved land. 
In the same year the returns were as follows ; 

Bushels of wheat, 25,323,647 

" rye, 1,356,736 

" Indian corn, 14,875,968 

" oats, 19,878,794 

barley, 1,627,569 

. " potatoes, 6,642,845 

Pounds of wool, 4,086,638 

butter, 22,257,117 

cheese, 1,494,145 

hops, 4,738,222 

Tons of hay, • 1,280,432 

Number of horses 149,989 

" asses and mules, 1,998 

cattle, . 480,319 

sheep, ■. . . . 790,458 

swine, 865,998 

" milch cows, 250,312 

Yalue of domestic animr.ls, about, $28,000,000 

Estimated value of all farm productions, . . . $77,507,261 
Total assessed value of real and personal estate, $326,765,238 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Possessing water communication with the St. Lawrence and the 
Mississippi, Wisconsin has a growing commerce. Her exports of grain 

* Agricultural Report, April, 1868. 



930 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and lumber are very large. In 1863, the foreign exports were valued 
at $3,323,637, and the imports at $24,479. A large part of the pro- 
ducts of the State passes through Chicago. 

Manufactures are yet in their infancy. In 1870, there were in the 
State 7136 establishments, employing 39,055 operatives, and pro- 
ducing goods to the amount of $85,624,966, 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The State contaitied, in 1872, 1725 miles of completed railroads, 
constructed at a cost of nearly |45,000,000. The principal towns of the 
State are connected with each other, and with all parts of the Union. 
The main lines lead either to Chicago, Illinois, or to St. Louis, 
Missouri. 

Besides these roads, there is the Portage Canal, already mentioned, 
connecting the Wisconsin with Lake Winnebago, which was con- 
structed by the State. 

EDUCATION. 

There are seven colleges in the State, the principal of which is the 
State Universityy at Madison. It embraces a College of Letters, a 
College of Arts, a Preparatory Department, and a Female Department. 
It is well endowed. 

There is a Normal School at Platteville, and one at Whitewater, 
and measures are on foot to establish others at Stoughton, Oshkosh, 
"and Sheboygan. Teachers* Institutes are held at stated times' in 
various parts of the State. 

The educational system is under the general supervision of a Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction, elected by the people of the State for 
two years. Each county and each city has a separate Superintendent, 
who manages its affairs, a3 in the other Western States. There is a 
permanent school fund, amounting to $2,205,487. In 1870, the 
amount expended for the schools was $2,094,160. The number of 
public schools was 5000, attendal by 264,525 pupils. 

In the same year there were about 400 private schools in the State, 
attended by about 30, 000 pupils. 

In 1870, there were 2857 libraries in Wisconsin, containing 880,508 
volumes. 

In the same year, the number of newspapers and periodicals pub- 
lished in the State was 173, nearly all political. They had an ag- 
gregate annual circulation of nearly 11,000,000 copies. 



WISCONSIN. 931 



PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Prison is located at Waupun, and is one of the best in the 
country. In October, 1870, it contained 217 convicts. In May, 1870, 
the M'orkshops were destroyed ; loss, $70,000. 

The HospUal for the Insaney at Madison, is an excellent institution, 
and is iu a prosperous condition. In October, 1870, it contained 532 
inmates. 

The Institute for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb is at Delavan, 
and the Institvlion for the Education of the BlirA, at Janesville. The 
former contains about 122, and the latter 64 pujuls. The}' are excel- 
lent institutions, and besides furnishing their pupils with the rudiments 
of a plain education, teach them some simple, but useful employment. 

The State Reform School, at Waukesha, is in excellent condition, 
and is conducte<l on the family system. In 1870, it contained 239 
boys and girls. 

The Soldiers' Orphan^s Home School, at Madison, is in a prosperous 
condition, and is crowded to its utmost capacity. Iu 1870, it con- 
tained 331 pupils. 

* RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 1466 churches in Wisconsin. The value of 
church property was $4,890,781. 

FINANCES. 

In 1870, the total debt of the State amounted to $2,252,057. The 
receipts of the Treasury for the fiscal year, ending September 30th, 
1870, were $886,696, and the expenditures $906,329. 

In 1868, there were 34 National banks, with a capital of $2,960,- 
000 doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

In this State, all citizens of the United States, without regard to 
color, all foreigners who have legally declared their intention to be- 
come citizens, Indians who have been declared citizens by Congress, 
and civilized persons of Indian descent who do not belong to any 
tribe, are entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a Legis- 



932 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

lature, consisting of a Senate (of 33 members) and House of Repre- 
sentatives (of 100 members), all chosen by the people. The State 
officers and Senators are elected for two years, and Representatives for 
one year. The general election is held in November. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court (consisting of a 
Chief Justice and two Associates, elected by the people for six years), 
Circuit Courts, County Courts with probate powers, and in Jusiices of 
the Peace. All judges are elected by the people. 

The seat of Government is established at Madison. 

The State is divided into 58 counties. 

HISTORY. 

The country west of Lake Michigan was first explored* by the 
French, in 1659. Its name is derived from its principal river, which 
was called by the Chippewas, who dwelt along its head waters, Wees- 
kon-san, which signifies "gathering of the waters." In 1661, the 
Jesuits in Canada began to establish missions along the south side of 
Lake Superior; and in 1668, after the peace between the French and 
the Six Nations, a number of new missions were established, and the 
country fully explored. Father Marquette and his companions passed 
from the head of Green Bay to an Indian village on the upper part 
of Fox River. Father Allouez had visited this village, but no 
Frenchman had ever gone beyond it. 

"Being guided by the friendly Indians, Marquette and his compan- 
ions came to the Wisconsin River, about three leagues distant, whose 
waters flowed westward. They floated down the river till the 17th 
of June, 1673, when they reached the Mississippi, the great ' Father 
of Waters,' which they entered with *a joy that could not be expressed,' 
and raising their sails to new skies, and to unknown breezes, floated 
down this mighty river, between broad plains, garlanded with majestic 
forests and chequered with illimitable prariesand island groves. They 
descended about 180 miles, when Marquette and Joliet landed, and 
followed an Indian trail about six miles, to a village. They were 
met by four old men, bearing the pipe of peace and 'brilliant with 
many colored plumes.' An aged chief received them at his cabin, and, 
with uplifted hands, exclaimed : * How beautiful is the sun. French- 
men, when thou comest to visit us ! — our whole village awaits thee — 
in peace thou shalt enter all our dwellings.' Previous to their depart- 
ure, an Indian chief selected a peace pipe from among liis warriors, 
embellished with gorgeous plumage, which he hung around the neck 



WISCONSIN. 933 

of Marquette, ' the mysterious arbiter of peace and war — the sacred 
calumet — the white man's protection among savages.' On reaching 
tlieir boats, the little group proceeded onward. ' I did not,' says 
Marquette, ' fear death ; I should have esteemed it the greatest happi- 
ness to have died for the glory of God.' They passed the mouth of 
the Missouri, and the humble missionary resolved in his mind, one 
day, to ascend its mighty current, and ascertain its source; and 
descending from thence toward the west, publish the gospel to a peo- 
ple of whom he had never heard. Passing onward, they floated by 
the Ohio, then, and for a brief time after, called the Wabash, and 
continued their explorations as far south as the mouth of the Arkan- 
sas, where they were escorted to the Indian village of Arkansea. 
Being now satisfied that the Mississippi entered the Gulf of Mexico, 
west of Florida, and east of California ; and having spoken to the 
Indians of God and the mysteries of the Catholic faith, Marquette 
and Joliet prepared to ascend the stream. They returned by the route 
of the Illinois River to Green Bay, where they arrived in August. 
Marquette remained to preach the gospel to the Miamis, near Chicago. 
Joliet, in person, conveyed the glad tidings of their discoveries to 
Quebec. They were received with enthusiastic delight. The bells 
were rung during the whole day, and all the clergy and dignitaries of 
the place went in procession, to the cathedral, where Te Deum was 
sung and high mass celebrated." 

The country continued to be occupied by French traders and mis- 
sionaries, until the treaty of 1763, by which it was surrendered to 
Great Britain. Tlie territoiy was governed by the laws of Canada 
until after the Revolution. Great Britain parted with it reluctantly, 
and did not withdraw her garrison from the post at Green Bay, until 
1796. It was then made a part of the Northwest Territory of the 
United States. In 1809, it was included in the Territory of Illinois, 
and continued to form a part of it until 1818, when Illinois became a 
State of the Union. Then Wisconsin was joined to Michigan for 
purposes of government. 

The principal events of the Black Hawk war occurred within the 
limits of the present State of Wisconsin, and the country was thus 
brought so conspicuously before tiie public, that its merits excited a 
decided enthusiasm amongst the people. After the peace, many 
emigrants- located themselves in the southern part. 

In 1836, Mi(;higan was erected into a State, and Wisconsin was 
organised as a separate Territory. In 1841, a heavy emigration set 



934 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in, and continued during 1842 and 1843. In the last year, the num- 
ber of persons who settled in the Territory is estimated at over 60,000. 
The population increased rapidly, and on the 29th of May, 1848, 
Wisconsin was admitted into the Union as a State. 

During the rebellion this State contributed 96,118 men to the ser- 
vice of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State are . 
Milwaukee, Green Bay, Watertown, Prarie du Chien, Racine, Kenosha, 
Janesville, Beloit, La Crosse, and Fond du Lac. 

MADISON, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Dane county, on an isthmus 
between Lakes Mendota and Monona, 80 miles west of Milwaukee, 
and 132 miles northwest of Chicago. Latitude 43° 5' N., longitude 
89° 20' W. 

The city lies in the midst of the " Four Lake Region," so called 
from a chain of beautiful lakes which extend over a distance of 16 
miles, and discharge their surplus waters into Yahara or Catfish 
River, a tributary of Rock River. Mendota, or Fourth Lake, the 
uppermost and largest, is 9 miles long, G miles ^^ide, and from 50 to 
70 feet deep in some places, and is fed chiefly by springs. It has 
beautiful white gravelly shores, and pure cold water. Monona, or 
Third Lake, is 5| miles long, and two miles wide; and lakes Waubesa 
and Kegonsa are each about 3 miles in length, by 2 miles in width. 
The isthmus is about three-quarters of a mile in width. The city stands 
in the centre of a broad valley surrounded by heights from which it 
can be seen for several miles. " Madison perhaps combines and over- 
looks more charming and diversified scenery, to please the eye of fancy, 
and promote health and pleasure, than any other town in the West ; 
and in these respects it surpasses every other State capital in the Union. 
Its bright lakes, fresh groves, rippling rivulets, shady dales, and flow- 
ery meadow lawns are commingled in greater profusion and disposed 
in more picturesque order than we have ever elsewhere beheld." 

The city is handsomely built, with broad, well-shaded, and paved 
streets dropping down to the shores of its pretty lakes. It contains 
many handsome public buildings, commercial edifices, and private 
dwellings. The Capitol is the pincipal edifice. It stands in the centre 
of the city, in the midst of a beautiful park of 14 acres, and is 70 feet 



WISCONSIN. 



935 










MADISON. 



above the level of the lakes. It is built of native limestone, and is an 
imposing structure. Its original cost was $500,000. The Com-t 
House is a tasteful building. 

The public schools of the city are among the best in the State, and 
are in a flourishing condition. They consist of a high school, and a 
grammar school for each ward. Besides these are several private 
schools. The State University stands on the outskirts of the city, in a 
grove of 40 acres, and on an eminence overlooking the lakes. It has 
an annual income of over $80,000. It possesses a fine library. The 
Historical Society is a flourishing institution, with a good library and 
collection of relics, etc. The libraries of the city, including that of the 
State, number over 30,000 volumes. The State Lunatic Asylum is 
located here. 

The city contains about 14 churches, and 6 newspaper offices. It is 
lighted with gas and supplied with pure water. It is governed by a 
Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population was 9176. 

3Iadison is supplied with excellent water-power, and is to a limited 
extent engaged in manufactures. It is a place of considerable trade, 
and since the completion of the railways connecting it with the other 
])arts of the State, has grown in every respect with marked rapidity. 
It is much frequented by pleasure seekers as a place of summer resort, 
und is regarded as one of the healthiest cities in the Union. 



936 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1836, Madison was selected as the seat of the State Government. 
At this time but a solitary log cabiu marked the site. For several 
years its growth was slow, but the completion of t»he railways from tb^ 
southward gave it an impetus which set it fairly on the way to its 
present prosperity. 

MILWAUKEE, 

The metropolis of the State, is situated in the county of the same 
name, on the western shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the 
Milwaukee River, 75 miles east of Madison, and 90 miles north of 
Chicago. " The river approaches from the north in a direction nearly 
parallel with the lake shore, and is joined about half a mile from its 
mouth by the Menomonee River, which comes from the west. The 
largest boats of the lakes can ascend the river two miles from its 
mouth, as also the Menomonee for some distance above its confluence 
with the Milwaukee. About $400,000 have been expended for the 
improvement of the harbor in addition to the appropriation by Con- 
gress for that purpose, so that now the city has one of the best harbors 
upon the whole chain of lakes." 

The city lies on both sides of the river, and is built partly upon the 
river flats and partly upon the bluffs which overlook the lake. These 
latter are from 20 to 100 feet high, and are nearly perpendicular. 
The city is regularly laid out, with wide, straight, well-paved streets. 
It is one of the best built cities in the west, and is noted for its pe- 
culiar appearance. A large portion of its buildings are of brick made 
in the vicinity. These bricks are of .a light straw color and are very 
hard and smooth. They give to the city a light and pleasing appear- 
ance which has earned it the name of the " Cream City " of the lakes. 
The " Milwaukee brick" is now very popular in all parts of the coun- 
try, and large quantities of it are shipped annually, even as far east 
as Xew York and Boston. Many of the residences are elegant and 
tasteful, and the business portions contain some splendid warehouses. 

The principal public buildings are the Custom House and Court 
Souse. The former is a fine structure of Athens stone. 

There are about 13 public schools, a female college, and several 
private schools in the city. Also about 43 or 44 churches, 5 daily 
and 7 weekly newspapers, and 3 hotels and a public library. 

The Benevolent and Charitable institutions include 3 orphan asy- 
lums, 2 hospitals, and several associations for the relief of the poor and 
afflicted. 



WISCONSIN". 



937 




RIVER VIEW IN MILWAUKEE. 



The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water. Street 
railways connect the distant points. There are also an efficient police 
force, a fire alarm telegraph, and a steam fire department. The city 
government consists of a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the popula- 
tion was 71,499. Nearly one-half of the inhabitants are Germans or 
of German parentage, and the city is in many respects as much Ger- 
man as American in its characteristics. The annual product of lager 
beer is nearly 3,000,000 gallons. 

Six railways connect Milwaukee with all parts of the country, and 
steamers ply between it and the other lake ports. It is the shipping 
point and outlet of one of the richest grain producing countries in the 
world, and is the greatest primary wheat market in the world. In 
1862, its receipts of wheat, and flour reduced to wheat, amounted to 
18,000,000 bushels. In 1865, 13,250,000 bushels were exported. It 
is provided with ample storage accommodations for grain, and its 
elevators are among the curiosities of the place. That of the Mil- 
waukee and St. Paul Railway will hold 1,500,000 bushels. There 
is direct communication with Detroit during the whole year, steamers 
])lying regularly between Milwaukee and Grand Haven in connection 
with the Milwaukee and Detroit Railway. Great quantities of lumber 
tre annually exported. 



938 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Milwaukee River has been dammed, and affords fine water- 
power, which is used by the rapidly growing manufactories of the city. 
Flour, iron, and iron ware, machinery, and beer, are the principal 
products. One of the largest rolling mills in the West is located 
here. 

Milwaukee derives its name from an Indian word Me-ne-aw-kee, 
said to signify rich or beautiful land. In 1785, a trading post was 
established here by Alexander Laframboise, from Mackinaw, but the 
town was not settled until 1835. At first its growth was not only 
slow, but was hampered by the obstacles so common to western land 
speculations in those days. From about the year 1841, however, the 
improvement of Milwaukee has been rapid. In 1846, it was incor- 
porated as a city. In 1840, the population was 1751 ; in 1850, 20,035 ; 
in 1860, 45,254; in 1870, 71,499. 

MISCELLANY. 

THE OLDEST MAN IN THE WORLD. 

Joseph Crele died in Caledonia, a little town in Wisconsin, on the 27th of 
.Tanuary, 1866. He was probably the oldest man in the world, being, at the time 
of his death, 141 years of age. He was born of French parents, in 1725, at a 
French trading-post, which has since grown into the present city of Detroit. 
The baptismal register of the Catholic Church in that city settles this fact posi- 
tively. He lived in Wisconsin for about 100 years. He was at one time a Frencii 
soldier, and bore arms at Braddock's defeat. He married in New Orleans iu. 
1754, when nearly 30. A few years after his marriage, he settled at Prairie du 
Chien, while Wisconsin was still a province of France. Before the Revolution- 
ary war, he was employed to carry letters between Prairie du Chien and Green 
Bay. A few years ago, he was called as a witness in the Circuit Court of Wis- 
consin, to give testimony relating to events that had transpired 80 years before. 
For some years before his death, the old gentleman resided with a daughter by 
his third wife at Caledonia. He was 69 when this child was born. Until 1864, 
Mr. Crele was as hearty and active as most men of 70. He could walk several 
miles without fatigue, and frequently chopped wood for the family use. 

He cast his first vote for Washington, and after that never failed to vote at 
every election. He had no bad habits, except that he was a constant smoker. 
In person, he was rather above the medium height, spare in flesh, but showing 
evidences of having been in his prime — 100 years ago — a man of powerful 
physical organization. During the last lew years of his life, he experienced a 
haunting sense of loneliness, and would frequently exclaim with sadness that he 
feared Death had forgotten him. 



MINNESOTA. 

Area, 83,531 Square Mn'es. 

Population in 1860, 172,413 

Population in 1870 439,706 

The State of Minnesota is situated between 43° 30' and 49° K 
latitude, and between 89° 30' and 97° W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by British America, on the east by Lake Superior and 
Wisconsin, on the south by Iowa, and on the west by Dakota 
Territory. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The State Government has recently published an excellent descrip- 
tion of Minnesota, prepared by Col. Girart Hewitt, of St. Paul. We 
take the following from it : 

"Although Minnesota is not a mountainous country by any means, 
its general elevation gives it all the advantages of one, without its 
objectionable features. Being equidistant from the Atlantic and 
Pacific oceans, situated on an elevated plateau, and with a system of 
lakes and rivers ample for an empire, it has a peculiar climate of its 
own, possessed by no other State. The general surface of the greater 
part of the State is even and undulating, and pleasantly diversified 
with rolling prairies, vast belts of timber, oak openings, numerous 
lakes and streams, with their accompanying meadoM's, waterfalls, 
wooded ravines, and lofty bluffs, which impart variety, grandeur and 
picturesque beauty to its scenery. 

" The Mississippi River, 2400 miles long, which drains a larger 
region of country than any stream on the globe, with the exception :)f 
939 



940 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



FALLS OF ST AXTIIONY. 



the Amazon, rises in Lake Itasca, in the northern part of Minnesota, 
and flows southeasterly through the State 797 miles, 134 of which 
forms its eastern boundary. It is navigable for large boats to St. 
Paul, and above the Falls of St. Anthony for smaller boats for about 
150 miles farther. The season of navigation has opened as early as 
the 25th of March, but usually opens from the first to the middle of 
April, and closes between the middle of November and the first of 
December. In 1865 and 1866, steamboat excursions took place on 
the first of December, from St. Paul, and the river remained open 
several days longer; in 1867 until December 1st. The principal 
towns aud cities on the Mississippi in Minnesota, are, Winona, Wa- 
bashaw. Lake City, Red Wing, Hastings, St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. 
Anthony, Anoka, Dayton, Monticello, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Little 
Falls, Watab. The Minnesota River, the source of which is among 
the Coteau des Prairies, in Dakota Territory, flows from Big Stone 
Lake, on the western boundary of the State, a distance of nearly 500 
miles, through the heart of the southwostern part of the State, and 
empties into the Mississippi at Fort Snelling, 5 miles above St. Paul. 



MINNESOTA. 941 

It is navigable as high up as the Yellow Medicine, 238 miles above 
its mouth during good stages of water. Its principal places are 
Shakopee, Chaska, Carver, Belle Plaine, Henderson, Le Sueur, Tra- 
verse des Sioux, St. Peter, Mankato, and New Ulm. The 8t. Croix 
Rive)', rising in Wisconsin, near Lake Superior, forms about 130 miles 
of the eastern boundary of the State. It empties into the Mississippi 
nearly opposite Hastings, and is navigable to Taylor's Fall, about 50 
miles. It penetrates the pineries, and furnishes immense water-power 
along its course. The principal places on it are Still water and Taylor's 
Falls. The Tied River rises in Lake Traverse, and flows northward, 
forming the western boundary of the State from Big Stone Lake to 
the British possessions, a distance of 380 miles. It is navigable from 
Breckenridge, at the mouth of the Bois de Sioux River, to Hudson's 
Bay ; the Saskatchewan, a tributary of the Red River, is also said to' 
be a navigable stream, thus promising an active commercial trade 
from this vast region when it shall have become settled up, via the 
St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, which connects the navigable waters of 
the Red River with those of the Mississippi. Among the more 
important of the numerous small streams are Rum River, valuable 
for lumbering ; Vermilion River, furnishing extensive water-power, 
and possessing some of the finest cascades in the United States ; the 
Crow, Blue Earth Root, Sauk, Le Sueur, Znmbi-o, Cottonwood, Long 
Prairie, Red Wood, AVaraju, Pejuta Ziza, Mauja, Wakau, Buifalo, 
Wild Rice, Plum, Sand Hill, Clear Water, Red Lake, Thief Black, 
Red Cedar, and Des Moines rivers; the St. Louis River, a large stream 
flowing into Lake Superior, navigable for 20 miles from its lake out- 
let, and furnishing a water-power at its falls said to be equal to that 
of the Falls of the Mississippi at St. Anthony, and many others, 
besides all the innumerable hosts of first and secondary tributaries to 
all the larger streams." 

Lahe Superior washes the eastern boundary of the State for a dis- 
tance of 167 miles, and has several fine harbors. Minnesota is thickly 
studded with small lakes, which abound in fish and game, and give a 
rich beauty to the landscape. Professor Maury says that Minnesota 
is the best watered State in the Union, although one of the farthest 
from the sea, owing its abundant summer rains to the presence of 
these lakes. 

MINERALS. 

Iron is abundant along the shores of Lake Superior. Copper is 
found in small quantities. Coal and red pipe-clay are the other mine- 



942 OUPw COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

rals. Grold quartz has been found in Carlton county, and gold and 
silver about 80 miles northwest of Lake Superior. 

CLIMATE. 

Minnesota has been so strongly recommended as a resort for inva- 
lids, that the following remarks upon the climate, taken from the work 
of Colonel Hewitt, will be found interesting. 

" The assertion that the climate of Minnesota is one of the healthiest 
in the world, may be broadly and confidently made. It is sustaine<l 
by the almost unanimous testimony of thousands of in\^lids who have 
sought its pure and bracing air, and recovered from consumption and 
other diseases after they had been given up as hopeless by their home 
physicians ; it is sustained by the experience of its inhabitants for 
• twenty years ; and it is sustained by the published statistics of mortality 
in the different States. Minnesota is entirely exempt from malaria, 
and consequently the numerous diseases known to arise from it, such 
as chills and fever, autumnal fevers, a^iie cake or enlarged spleen, en- 
largement of the liver, etc., dropsy, diseases of the kidneys, affections 
of the eye, and various bilious diseases, and derangements of the 
stomach and bowels, although sometimes arising from other causes, 
are often due wholly to malarious agency, and are only temporarily 
relieved by medicine, because the patient is constantly exposed to the 
malarious influence which generates them. Enlargement of the liver 
and spleen is very common in southern and southwestern States. 
We are not only free from those ailments, but by coming to Minne- 
sota, often without any medical treatment at all, patients speedily 
recover from this class of diseases ; the miasmatic poison being soon 
eliminated from the system, and not being exposed to its further 
inception, the functions of health are gradually resumed. Diarrhcea 
and dysentery are not so prevalent as in warmer latitudes, and are 
of a milder type. Pneumonia and typhoid fever are very seldom met 
with, and then merely as sporadic cases. Diseases of an epidemic 
character never have been known to prevail here. 'Even that dread- 
ful scourge, diphtheria, which, like a destroying angel, swept through 
portions of the country, leaving desolation in its train, passed us by 
with scarce a grave to mark its course. The diseases common to 
infancy and childhood partake of the same mild character, and seldom 
prove fatal.' This is the language of Mrs. Colburn, an authoress, 
and the experience of physicians corroborates this opinion. That 
dreadful scourge of the human family, the cholera, is alike unknown 



MINNESOTA. 943 

here. During the summer of 1866, while hundreds were daily cut 
down by this visitation in New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and other 
places, and it prevailed to an alarming extent in Chicago, not a single 
case made its appearance in Minnesota. Another, and a very large 
class of invalids, who derive great benefit from the climate of Minne- 
sota, are those whose systems have become relaxed, debilitated, and 
broken down by over-taxation of the mental and physical energies, 
dyspepsia, etc." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTS. 

" The prevailing soil of Minnesota," says the work quoted above, 
" is a dark, calciireous, sundy loam, containing a various intermixture 
of clay, abounding in mineral salts and in organic ingredients, derived 
from the accumulation of decomposed vegetable matter for long ages 
of growth and decay. The sand, of which silica is the base, forms a 
large proportion of this, as of all good soils. It plays an important 
part in the economy of growth, and is an essential constituent in the 
organism of all cereals. About 67 per cent, of the ash of the stems 
of wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats and sugar-cane, is pure silica or flint. 
It is this which gives the glazed coating to the plants, and gives 
strength to the stalk." 

In 1869, the agricultural returns were as follows : 

Acres of improved land, 1,611,594 

Bushels of wheat, 17.271,968 

" oats, 10.762,209 

" Indian com, 4.230.822 

" barley, 1.2o6,686 

buckwheat, 51,684 

" rye, 75.866 

" Irish potatoes, 1,633,483 

" apples, 9,932 

. Tons of hay, (cultivated) . , 73,694 

(wild) .543,758 

Poimds of butter 6,593,528 

" wool, 38-5,766 

Number of horses, . .• 45,780 

" milch cows, 60,740 

" mules and asses, 578 

sheep, 27,890 

swine *. 1-50,880 

cattle 98,479 

Value of domestic animals, $6,642,841 

58 



044 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. 

Manufactures are still in their infancy. In 1870 the State con- 
tained 2270 manufacturing establishments, producing products valued 
at $23,110,700 annually. 

The great export is lumber, which, in 1870, was valued at $4,538,- 
804. St. Paul maintains an active trade along the upper Mississippi. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Early in 1872, there were 1612 miles of completed railroads in Min- 
nesota, constructed at a cost of about $60,000,000. St. Paul, and the 
principal towns in the southeast part of the State, are connected with 
each other, and with Chicago and St. Louis, through Wisconsin and 
Illinois. The Northern Pacific Railroad is being constructed across 
the northern part of the State from Lake Superior westward. 

EDUCATION. 

Minnesota possesses a State university and three normal schools, all 
of which are in flourishing condition. Tiie first is liberally endowed 
by the State. The Governor, in his last annual message, says : 
" Minnesota has a larger number of school-houses than any other 
State of the same population and taxable property. Her total expen- 
ditures for school purposes during the last two years exceeded 
$X, 500,000, and her school-houses have already cost over $100,000." 
The State has a permanent school fund arising from the sales of public 
lands, and amounting to $2,476,222. There are lands enough on 
hand, if judiciously disposed of, to increase this fund to $15,000,000. 
Taxes are levied for the support of the schools. 

The system of education is under the supervision of the Superin- 
tendent of Public Instruction, wh« is elected by the people for two 
years, and reports annually to the Legislature. The first superinten- 
dent was elected in 1867, the duties of the office having been pre- 
viously discharged by the Secretary of Stete. Each county is provided 
with a County Superintendent, but the immediate management of each 
«chool is vested in a Board of Trustees. 

In 1870, the nuntber of school districts was 2626 ; the number of 



MINNESOTA. ,945 

teachers 4111; and the number of pupils 110,590. The whole 
amount expended for school purposes was $857,816. 

In 1870 there were 50 private schools in the State, attended by 
4316 pupils. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Prison is at Stillwater. It is in excellent condition, and 
in November, 1867, contained 45 convicts. A Reform School has 
recently been opened by the State at St. Paul. In 1870, it contained 
82 inmates. The charitable institutions of Minnesota have been but 
recently established, but are prosperous and of a high character. The 
State authorities are determined that they shall be second to none in 
the Union. 

The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Blind, is located at 
Faribault. It is provided with fine buildings, and ample grounds, 
and contains about 87 deaf mutes and blind persons. 

The Hospital for Insane is at St. Peter. Patients are now accom- 
modated in temporary quarters; but handsome and commodious 
buildings are being erected by the State. In 1870, there were 100 
.patients under treatment. 

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS. 

In 1870, there were 1412 libraries in Minnesota, containing 360,- 
810 volumes; and in the same year, there were 6 daily, and 89 other 
newspapers, with an aggregate annual circulation of 9,543,656 copies, 
published in the State. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 582 churches in Minnesota. The value of 
church property was $2,401,750. 

FINANCES. 

The Constitution of Minnesota, limits the loans of the State. At 
the close of 1874, the State debt was about $480,000. The receipts 
of the Treasury for the year 1873 were $1,331,210, and the expen- 
ditures $1,148,059. 

In 1868, there were 15 National banks, with a capital of $1,710,- 
000, doing business in the State. 



946 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The Constitution of this State was adopted in 1856, and grants the 
right to vote at the elections to all male persons over 21 years of age, 
who are of the following classes, viz. : citizens of the United States; 
foreigners wiio have legally declared their intention to become citi- 
zens; civilized persons of mixed white and Indian blood ; and Indians 
not belonging to any tribe, who have been pronounced capable of 
voting by any District Court. The last named class must have 
adopted the language, customs, and, habits of the whites, and must 
have resided in the United States one year, in the State four months, 
and in the district ten days preceding the election. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a 
Legislature, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives, all 
chosen by the people. The Senators, 22 in number, are elected for 
two years, one half annually. The Representatives number 47, and 
are elected annually. The Auditor is chosen for three years, the rest 
of the State officers for two years. The general election is held in 
November, and the Legislature meets annually, on the Tuesday after 
the first Monday in January. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court (elected for seven 
years), District Courts, Courts of Probate, and in Justices of the Peace. 
The Legislature has power to establish from time to time such other 
Courts, inferior to the Supreme Court, as may be found necessary. 
The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and two Associates. 
All judges are elected by the people. 

The seat of Government is established at St. Paul. 

The State is divided into 64 counties. 

HISTORY. 

The State of Minnesota derives its name from an Indian word 
signifying " sky-tinted water." It was first entered by a Frenchman 
named Daniel Greysolou du Luth, in 1678. In 1679 Father Hen- 
nepin, and two others who had formed a part of La Salle's expedi- 
tion, accompanied the Indians to their village, 180 miles above the 
Falls of St. Anthony, to which they gave the name borne by the 
cataract to-day. In 1689 the territory was formally taken possession 
of in the name of the French king by Perrot and his companions. 
They built a fort on the west shore of Lake Pepin, just above its 



MINNESOTA. 947 

entrance. In 1695 a second fort was built by Le Sueur, on an island 
in the Mississippi, just below the mouth of the St. Croix. In 1700 
he built a fort on the Minnesota. The fur traders now came into the 
territory in great numbers, but no })ermanent settlement was made for 
purposes of colonization. In 1763 Captain Jonathan Carver, of Con- 
necticut, visited Minnesota, and published a description of the country. 

In 1800 that part of the present State of Minnesota lying east of 
the Mississippi River was included in the Territory of Indiana. In 
1803 the purchase of Louisiana placed the United States in possession 
of the lands west of the Mississippi. Fort Snelling was erected in 
1819, and garrisoned by the United States. The territory was already 
the seat of an active trade with the Indians, and the Government had 
some trouble in enforcing its regulations among the traders. Minne- 
sota was explored in 1820 by General Lewis Cass, and in 1823 by 
Major Long. A third exploring party was sent out in 1832 under 
Henry R. Schoolcraft, who discovered the source of the Mississippi 
River. Frequent surveys and explorations were made after this, until 
the region became very well known. 

In 1842 the town of St. Paul was founded, and emigrants com- 
menced to settle in the territory. In 1849 the Territory of Minnesota 
was organized by Congress. The population was estimated at 4857 
souls, and one half of the lands included in the new Territory were 
still the property of the Indians. Emigrants came in fast, however, 
and in 1857 the population was ascertained by a census to be 150,037. 
In 1856 Congress authorized the people of the Territory to form a 
State Constitution, which was done, and on the 11th of May, 1858, 
Minnesota was admitted into the 'Union as a sovereign State. 

During the late war, the State contributed a force of 24,263 men 
to the service of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, there is no large city in the State. The most 
important places are, Minneapolis, St. Anthony, Winona, Rochester, 
Austin, Faribault, and Henderson. 

ST. PAUL, 

In Ramsey county, is the capital of the State. It is situated on the 
left bank of the Mississippi River, 2070 miles from its mouth, 9 miles 
by land below the Falls of St. Anthony, and 400 miles northwest of 
Chicago. Latitude 44° 52' 46" N. ; longitude 93° 5' W. 



948 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




ST. PAUL. 



The city is built on a bluff 70 or 80 feet above the level of the river. 
The sides of this bluff have been gradually graded until they now 
form a succession of terraces, upon which the greater part of the 
business portion is located. Considering the difficulties to be over- 
come, the city is regularly laid out, and is well built. Limestone of 
an excellent quality is abundant in the vicinity, and has been largely 
used in building, thus giving to the place an appearance of elegance 
and solidity. The streets are wide, well paved, and shaded with trees. 

The principal buildings are the State House, built of brick, 
143 by 50 feet; the State Arsenal; the New Opera House; and 
the Athenoium. 

The city contains 21 or 22 churches, several public and private 
schools and colleges, 1 or 2 public libraries, and 4 or 5 newspaper 
offices. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water. It is 
governed by a Mayor and Common Council. In 1870 the population 
was 20,031. 

St. Paul is connected with Chicago and Milwaukee by railway, and 
also with Duluth at the head of Lake Superior. 



IOWA. 

Area, 55,045 Square Miles. 

Population in 1S60, '67-1,913 

Population in 1870, . ........ 1,194,020 

The State of Iowa is situated between 40° 30' and 43° 30' N. 
latitude, and between 90° and 97° W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by Minnesota, on the east by Wisconsin and Illinois, from which 
it is separated by the. Mississippi River, on the south by Missouri, and 
on the west by Nebraska and Dakota Territory. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the State is generally a fine rolling prairie. The 
highest land in the State, Table Mound, is not over 500 feet high. In 
the northwest there is a rug-ged region called the "Coteau des Prairies." 

The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the State, and 
receives the waters of the Des Moines (beginning on the south), Skunk, 
Iowa, Wapsipinicon, Makoqueta, and Upper Iowa. Davenport, 
Burlington, and Dubuque are the principal towns on the Mississippi. 
The Des Moines River is the principal stream lying within the State. 
It rises in the extreme southern part of Minnesota, and flows south- 
east across Iowa into the Mississippi, at Keokuk, dividing the State 
almost exactly in half. It is about 450 miles long, and at high water 
is navio-able for lig-ht drauo-ht steamers for 250 miles. It flows 
through an undulating country abounding in rich prairies. The Iowa 
River rises in the northern part of the State, in Hancock county, and 
flows southeast into the Mississippi. It is about 300 miles long, and 
is navigable to Iowa city, 80 miles, at high water. Its principal 
branch is the Red Cedar River, which rises in the southern part of 

949 



950 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Minnesota, and flows southeast into it about 25 or 30 miles from its 
mouth. It is about 300 miles long, and is a fine mill stream. Tlie 
Missou7'i River forms the western boundary from Sioux City to the 
Missouri line, and receives the waters of the Big and Little Sioux and 
several smaller streams. The principal towns on the Missouri are 
Sioux City and Council Bluffs. A number of the tributaries of the 
Missouri rise in the southern counties, and flow southward into the 
State of Missouri. 

Several small lakes lie in the Northern counties, the principal of 
which is Spirit Lake, in Dickinson county. 

MINERALS. 

The coal beds of this State are immense, and are said to underlie 
an area of 20,000 square miles. In some places they are more than 
100 feet thick, and as they lie near the surface can be worked at a 
slight expense. " The lead mines of the northeast, of which Dubuque 
is the centre, are continuous of those in Wisconsin, and are being exten- 
sively and profitably worked. Zinc occurs in the fissures along with 
the lead, and copper is also found in this region and along the Cedar 
River. Iron ore exists in considerable quantities, but is not much 
worked. Many portions of the State are underlaid with limestone, 
and building stone of several varieties exists, the Annamosa quarries, 
of Jones county, ranking among the best in the State. Gypsum also 
appears in limited quantities, and peat abounds in a number of coun- 
ties, one bed in Sac county containing over 300 acres, from 3 to 9 feet 
in thickness." 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is milder than that of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The 
" Hand-Book of Iowa " thus speaks of it : " Our spring usually com- 
mences in March, and by the middle of April the prairies are green, 
with mild, beautiful weather. In May, all the face of nature is covered 
with flowers, and the foliage of the prairies bends before the breeze 
like the waves of an enchanted lake, whilst the whole atmosphere is 
scented with the breath of flowers. At all seasons of the year, a gentle 
breeze is fanning the prairies, and a day is never so sultry but that a 
cooling breath comes to moderate the melting temperature. The 
evening twilights are beautiful, in most seasons of the year, continuing 
nearly two hours after sunset. Ten months in the year our roads are 
hard, smooth and dry. In autumn, the weather, with little exception, 
is usually pleasant and fine until near December. Winter brings us 



IOWA. 951 

very little snow, some years not amounting to more than six or eight 
inches altogether ; the weather through the winter being mostly made 
up of cool, sunshiny days and clear frosty nights. High, dry, salu- 
brious, and rolling, with most excellent water and a bracing atmo- 
sphere, consumption was never known to seize a victim here. On the 
streams the ague and fever sometimes intrudes, with fevers, occasion- 
ally, of other types ; but, as the country becomes settled and culti- 
vated, these disappear and are unknown." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is generally fertile and easily cultivated. In this respect, 
Iowa is one of the most desirable States in the Union. 

"Corn, wheat, oats, and hay, are the great staples of Iowa, being 
grown to a greater or less extent in every county in the State, with 
the addition of rye, barley, buckwheat, tobacco, etc., in limited quan- 
tities. The corn crop of 1866 reached over 52,000,000 of bushels, 
with an acreage of upwards of 1,600,000, the crop being valued at 
about $23,000,000, or an average of between $14 and $15 per acre 
gross. The wheat crop of the same year reached nearly 16,000,000 
bushels upon something less than 1,000,000 acres, the crop being 
estimated at about $22,000,000, or an average of about $22 to the 
acre, gross product. The wheat crop is the principal market product, 
other crops being largely worked up at home and sent abroad in more 
condensed form, as beef, pork, wool, etc."* 

Tiiere are over 9,000,000 acres of improved land in the State. Tlie 
principal returns are as follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 29,000,000 

" Indian corn, ." 70,000,000 

" oats, 21,000,000 

" Irish potatoes, 6,000,000 

" rye, 540,000 

" buckwheat, 160,000 

Tons of hay, 1,800,000 

Pounds of butter, 28,000,000 

Number of horses, 450,000 

" mules and asses, 25,485 

" milch cows, 375,000 

" sheep, 900,000 

" swine, 1,360,000 

" cattle, 625,000 

Value of domestic animals, $83,000,000 

Pounds of wool, 3,000,000 

* Agricultural Report (U. S.) for 1868. 



952 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Iowa has no foreign commerce, but possesses a brisk trade along 
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and with St. Louis and Chicago. 

Manufactures are yet in their infancy. In 1870, the capital invested 
in them amounted to $22,420,183. They yielded an annual product 
of $46,534,322. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 3160 miles of completed railroads in Iowa, 
constructed at a cost of over $60,000,000. The principal towns are 
connected with each other, and with all parts of the Union. The great 
lines connecting with the Pacific railway, terminate at Council Bluffs 
in this State, which lies opposite Omaha, in Nebraska. The con- 
formation of the surface of the State renders the construction of 
railroads cheap and easy. The State is showing an energy in extend- 
ing and perfecting her railroad system which must greatly add to her 
wealth and population. 

EDUCATION. 

The State University, at Iowa City, is a flourishing institution, and 
has an endowment of nearly $200,000. It has a Normal department, 
which has produced many excellent teachers, but efforts are being 
made for the establishment of separate normal schools. Besides this 
University, there are 4 universities, and 7 colleges in the State, all 
doing well. The State has an Agricultural College, which is said to 
be one of the best and most flourishing institutions of its kind in the 
Union. 

The educational system is under the supervision of a State Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction. The counties have each a separate 
Superintendent, and the districts have their own Boards of Directors, 
who have the immediate charge of the schools. The annual expendi- 
tures for the support of the schools now exceeds $3,000,000. There 
is a permanent school fund, and taxes are levied for the benefit of the 
schools. In 1870, there were 7332 public schools in the State, 
attended by 205,923 pupils. 

Besides these there are over fifty seminaries and academies, and a 
number of private schools in the State, from which we have no recent 
returns. 

In 1870, there were 3540 libraries in the State, containing 673,600 
volumes. 



IOWA. 953 

In the same year, there were 233 newspapers and periodicals (22 of 
which were daily) published in the State, their total annual circulation 
was 16,403,380 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The Penitentiary is located at Fort Madison, and in 1867 contained 
160 convicts. The labor of the prisoners is let out to contractors, and 
the institution is almost self-sustaining. The commutation system 
has been successfully introduced, and great care is taken to reform as 
well as punish the inmates. 

The Deaf and Dumb Asylum is at Iowa City, but will soon be 
removed to Council Bluffs, and provided with more extensive facilities. 
In 1867, it contained 75 pupils, about one-fifth of the whole nuuiber 
of deaf mutes in the State. 

The Institution for the Blind is at Yinton, and contains about 50 
pupils. It is free to all blind persons residing in Iowa, and pupils 
are takew from other States at moderate rates. 

The Hospital for Insane, is at Mount Pleasant, and is a flourishing 
institution. Additional accommodations are needed. In 1867, it 
contained 344 inmates. 

The State makes an appropriation for the support of Homes for 
Soldiers* Orphans at Davenport, Cedar Falls, and Glenwood. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 1446 churches in Iowa. The value of church 
property was $5,720,352. 

FINANCES. 

The State debt amounts to a little over $300,000, and was con- 
tracted principally on account of the late war. It is fully secured. 
The appropriations of the State in 1874 amounted to $723,170. 

In 1868 there were 44 National banks, with a capital of $4,057,- 
000, doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male citizen of the United States, who has resided in the 
State six months, and in the county sixty days, except ])ersons in the 
military or naval service of the Union, idiots, insane persons, or 



954 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

convicts, is entitled to vote at the elections. Negroes were admitted 
to the franchise in 1868. 

Tlie Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a 
Legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, 
The State officers are elected for two years, the Senators for four years, 
one half retiring biennially, and the Representatives for two years. 
The sessions of the Legislature are biennial. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Court, 
and such other inferior courts as may 'be established by the Legislature. 
These last consist of 28 Circuit Courts established by the Legislature 
in 1868. The Supreme Court consists of four judges elected by the 
people for six years. The judge having the shortest term to serve is 
the Chief Justice. All judges in this State are elected. 

The seat of Government is established at Des Moines. 

The State is divided into 99 counties. 

HISTORY. 

This State derives its name from the tribe of Iowa Indians who 
inhabited a large portion of it. It was originally a part of Louisiana, 
and was included in the territory purchased from France by the 
United States in 1803. The first white settlement was made by 
Julien Dubuque, an Indian trader, who founded the city which bears 
his name. He married an Indian woman and became a famous chief 
among the savages, and as early as 1800, commenced to work the 
lead mines with the natives. 

In 1830, a severe war broke out between the various Indian tribes. 
The Sacs and Foxes, who inhabited the mining region, were driven 
away by the Sioux. Later in the same year a number of miners 
came out to the lead mines which had been abandoned by the Indians, 
and commenced to Avork them. They were driven away by Captain 
Zachary Taylor, then commanding the United States forces at Prairie 
du Chien, in Wisconsin. He stationed a force of soldiers at Dubuque, 
and held possession of it until 1832, when theBlack Hawk War began. 
After the war was over the miners went back to Dubuque. 

Upon the return of peace, the Sacs and Foxes were compelled to 
code a portion of their lands to the United States, as indemnity for 
the expenses of the war. This tract extended nearly 300 miles north 
of Missouri, and was about 50 miles wide. It is usually known as 
the " Black Hawk Purchase." Other lands were purchased from 



IOWA. 955 

the Indians for $1,000,000, and the present limits of Iowa cleared 
of Indian titles. 

The first white settlement in these purchases was made at Fort 
Madison (in the present county of Lee), late in 1832, and, in 1835, 
the town was regularly laid otf. In 1833, Burlington was founded, 
and Dubuque received a large addition to its population. In 1835, 
a number of Quakers emigrated to the territory, and settled the town 
of Salem. Other settlements sprang up rapidly in various parts of 
the new country, and, in 1836, the population of the District of Iowa 
numbered 10,531 souls. The District of Iowa, which included nearly 
all the settlements west of the Mississippi for about 100 miles north 
of the Des Moines River, was attached to the District of Wisconsin, 
then a part of Michigan Territory, for convenience of government. 

In 1838, the Territory of Iowa was formally organized by Congress, 
and given a separate Government. The population at this time num- 
bered 22,860 souls. A heavy emigration now set in from New Eng- 
land and New York, and from Europe, and, in 1840, Iowa Terri- 
tory contained, according to the Sixth Census of the United States, 
43,114 inhabitants. 

"Such had been the increase of emigration, previous to 1843, that 
the Legislature of Iowa made formal application forauthority to adopt 
a State Constitution. At the following session of Congress, an Act was 
passed to * enable the people of the Iowa Territory to form a State 
Government.' A Convention assembled in September, and on the 
7th of October, 1 844, adopted a Constitution for the proposed ' State of 
Iowa;' it being the fourth State organized within the limits of the 
province of Louisiana. By the year 1844, the population of Iowa had 
increased to 81,921 persons ; yet the people were subjected to disap- 
pointment in the contemplated change of government. The Constitu- 
tion adopted by the Convention evinced the progress of republican 
feeling, and the strong democratic tendency so prominent in all the 
new States. The Constitution for Iowa extended the right of suffrage 
to every free white male citizen of the United States who had resided 
six months in the State, and one month in the county, previous to his 
application for the right of voting. The judiciary were all to be elec- 
ted by the people for a term of four years, and all other officers, both 
civil and military, were to be elected b}' the people at stated periods. 
Chartered monopolies were not tolerated, and no act of incorpora- 
tion was permitted to remain in force more than twenty years, unless 
\t were designed for public improvements or literary purposes; and the 



956 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

personal as well as the real estate of the members of all corporations 
was liable for the debts of the same. The Legislature was prohibited 
from creating any debt in the name of the State exceeding ^100,000, 
unless it were for defence in case of war, invasion, or insurrection ; 
and in such case, the bill creating the debt should, at the same time, 
provide the ways and means for its redemption. Such were some of 
the prominent features of the first Constitution adopted for the State of 
Iowa. Yet the State was not finally organized under this Constitu- 
tion, and the people of Iowa remained under the territorial form of 
government until the close of the year 1846. 

" The Constitution of Iowa having been aj)proved by Congress, an 
Act was passed March 3, 1845, for the admission of the 'State of 
Iowa' into the Federal Union simultaneously with the 'State of 
Florida,' upon the condition that the people of Iowa, at a subsequent 
general election, assent to the restricted limits imposed by Congress, 
in order to conform with the general area of other western States; but 
the people of Iowa refused to ratify the restricted limits prescribed for 
the new State, a majority of nearly 2000 in the popular vote having 
rejected the terms of admission. Hence, Iowa remained under the 
territorial government until the beginning of 1846, when the people, 
through their Legislature, acquiesced in the prescribed limits, and 
Congress authorized the formation of another Constitution, prepara- 
tory to the admission of Iowa into the Union. 

" The people of Iowa, in 1846, assented to the restriction of limits, 
and the formation of a territorial government over the remaining 
waste territory lying north and west of the limits prescribed by Con- 
gress. Petitions, with numerous signatures, demanded the proposed 
restriction by the organization of a separate Territory, to be designated 
and known as the ' Dacotah Territory,' comprising the Indian terri- 
tory beyond the organized settlements of Iowa. Congress accordingly 
authorized a second Convention for the adoption of another State Con- 
stitution, and this Convention assembled in May, 1846, and adopted 
another Constitution, which was submitted to Congress in June fol- 
lowing. In August, 1846, the State of Iowa was formally admitted 
into the Union, and the first State election was, by the proclamation of 
Governor Clarke, to be held on the 26th day of October following. 
In the ensuing December, the first State Legislature met at Iowa 
City." * 

* Monette. 



IOWA. 957 

During the Rebellion Iowa contributed 75,860 men to the military 
service of the United States. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns are, Dubuque, 
Davenport, Burlington, Keokuk, Muscatine, Council Bluffs, Iowa 
City, and Fort Madison. 

DES MOINES, 

In Polk county, is the capital of the State. It is situated at the con- 
fluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, at the head of steam- 
boat navigation on the Des Moines. It is 175 miles west of Daven- 
port, and 140 miles east of Council Bluffs. It lies in the exact 
geographical centre of the State, and in the midst of a smooth val- 
ley, rising on all sides, by successive benches, back to the gently 
sloping hills, which finally attain a height of about 200 feet. The 
scenery in the vicinity is very beautiful. The city is laid off with 
wide streets, and is being well built. The State capitol is at presertt 
a plain structure, situated on a commanding eminence. It is de- 
signed to replace it at an early day by a building worthy of the State. 
The city already contains 11 churches, several flourishing public and 
private schools, and 3 newspaper offices. It is lighted with gas, and 
is governed by a Mayor and Council. It has railway communica- 
tion with the important towns of the State. Steamers ascend the 
Des Moines from the Mississippi to this point. The city contains 
several founderies, and machine shops. The river furnishes abundant 
water-power, and stone coal is found in the vicinity. In 1870, the 
population was 12,035. 

Des Moines was originally the council ground of the Indians. It 
was afterwards the site of Fort Des Moines, selected by the* officers 
of the United States army. It was for a long time known as Fort 
Des Moines. In 1855 the State capital was transferred to this pla6e 
from Iowa City. 

DAVENPORT, 

In Scott county, is the largest and most important city in the State. 
It is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Mississippi at the 
foot of Upper Rapids, 330 miles above St. Louis, 184 miles west- 
by-south of. Chicago, and 175 miles east of Des Moines,. The city 
lies at the base of a bluff, which rises gradually from the river. It 



958 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




DAVENPORT. 



is connected with the town of Rock Island, in Illinois, on the oppo- 
site side of the river, by a handsome bridge. 

The city is regularly laid out, and is well built, brick and stone 
entering largely into the construction of its houses. It contains the 
county buildings, about 13 churches, a high school, and several good 
public and private schools, and 3 newspaper offices. Griswold College, 
a flourishing institution, is located here. The city is lighted with 
gas, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the popu- 
lation was 20,042. Nearly one-half of the inhabitants are Germans. 

There is railway communication with all parts of the country, and 
the city conducts an active trade along the river. Manufactures are 
carried on to a considerable extent. Cotton and woollen cloth, of an 
excellent quality, are made here. Stone coal is found in great quan- 
tities in the neghborhood, and, as a consequence, the mills are worked 
chiefly by steam-power. The rapids of the Mississippi extend for 
about 20 miles above the city, and during the season of low water 
seriously interfere with the navigation of the river. 

Davenport was first settled in 1837, and derjves its name from 
Colonel George Davenport, who was born in England, in 1783. He 
came to America at an early age, entered the United States army, as 
a sergeant, and did good service on the frontier in the war of 1812. 
At the return of peace, he settled on Rock Island, opposite the pre- 



IOWA. 



950 




DTJBTTQTJE. 



sent city of Davenport, from which he carried on a trade in furs Avith 
the Indians. He was killed by a band of robbers, who were engaged 
in plundering his house, on the 4tli of July, 1845. 



DUBUQUE, 

The second city of the State, is situated in the county of the same 
name, on the right bank of the Mississippi, 450 miles above St. 
Louis. 

The city is one of the most beautiful and attractive in the West. 
It is built partly upon a terrace, wliich extends several miles along 
the river, and partly upon a bluff, which rises 200 feet higher. The 
lower part of the city is laid out with great regularity ; but the por- 
tion upon the bluif is made to conform to the irregularities of the 
surface. The city is sni)stantially built, and contains many handsome 
edifices. The principal public buildings are the United States Custom 
House, the City Hall, and the 3Iarket House. Many of the business 
houses are handsomely built, and some of the residences are noted for 
their elegance, while, as a rule, all are neat and tasteful. The scenery 
in the vicinity is very beautiful, the country being occupied with 
highly cultivated farms, orchards and vineyards. 

The city contains about 18 churches, 3 free schools, and several 
private schools, and 5 ncwsjwpers, 3 of which are German. The Du- 
buque Female Cdlege, Ale.van'kr Cb'fc^/c (Presbyterian), and the Epis- 
59 



960 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




BURLINGTON. 



eopal Seminary are flourishing institutions. The city is lighted with 
gas, is supplied with water, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. 
In 1870, the population was 18,434. Many of the inhabitants are 
Germans. Dubuque is engaged in a large river trade, and is the 
shipping point for an extensive grain-growing section. It is con- 
nected with St. Paul and St. Louis by regular lines of packets. It is 
also the great depot for the lead mining region west of the Mississippi. 
Some of the best mines in the State are either within the corporate 
limits, or in the immediate vicinity. The annual shipment of lead 
from Dubuque is in the neighborhood of 10,000,000 pounds. There 
is railway communication with all parts of the Union. 

In 1788, Julien Dubuque, a French trader, built a trading house 
at this place; but his colony was driven away by the Indians. He 
instructed the Indians in the manner of working the lead mines. In 
1833, the actual permanent settlement of the place began, and, in 
1847, it was incorporated as a city. It is one of the most enterprising 
and prosperous towns in the West, and is growing rapidly. 

BURLINGTON, 

In Des Moines county, is the third city of the State. It is situated on 
the right bank of the Mississippi River, 45 miles above Keokuk, 248 
miles above St. Louis, and 210 miles southwest of Chicago. It is 
regularly laid out, and beautifully situated. Part of the city is built 
on the bluffs, which rise, in some places, 200 feet above the river. 



IOWA. 961 

From these heights a magnificent prospect of the broad, clear river, 
and the beautiful country along its shores, is obtained. The city is 
well built, the larger number of the houses being of brick or stone. 
It contains the county buildings, about 13 or 14 churches, several ex- 
cellent schools, public and private, and several newspaper offices. It is 
the seat of the Burlington University, condnoted by the Baptist Church. 
It is also actively engaged in manufactures. It is lighted with gas, 
and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population 
was 14,030. 

There is railway communication with Chicago, and all the important 
points of the State. The river trade is valuable, and is increasing. 
The country, for sixty miles around Burlington, is sometimes called 
" tlie garden of Iowa," and of this fertile region Burlington is the 
principal market. 

Burlington was the home' of the famous Indian chief Black Hawk, 
whose bones lie buried here. 

MISCELLANY. 
FRONTIER JUSTICE. 

In the year 1836, was organized a band of horse-thieves, counterfeiters, and 
highway robbers, having their headquarters near Elk Heart, Michigan, and 
extending their ramifications in all directions from that point many hundred 
miles. The Rock River Valley, .Illinois, and the settled 'portions of what is now 
Iowa, were the chief points of their operations, although the band extended 
through Kentucky, Missouri, and even to the Cherokee Nation. 

Their organization was complete. They had their passwords, and other 
means of recognition. No great master spirit controlled the whole organization, 
as is usually the case in criminal associations of that nature. The leaders M'ere 
those whose education rendered them superior to the instiucts of the half savage 
settlers with whom they were associated. 

Their method of doing business, and escaping detection, was as follows : B.' s 
band, in Iowa, would "spot" certain horses and other "plunder," and arrange 
to make a foray on some particular night. A., in Missouri, having obtained tlie 
knowledge of this, would start his band on a marauding expedition the same 
night. But those who were to do the plundering would make a feint to go north 
or south on a trading expedition, a day or two before the time fixed upon, and, 
returning at night, would be carefully concealed until the proper time, when 
they would sally forth on the expeditioii in earnest. The two bands then meet- 
ing half way, would exchange the stolen property, and returning, dispose of 
the plunder, perhaps to the very persons whom they had robbed a few nights 
before. 

Those of the band who were merely accomplices, were careful to be visiting 
some honest neighbor on the night of the robbery, and tlius avert suspicion from 
themselves. By this means, it will be seen that detection wns almost impossible, 
and suspicion unlikely to rest upon the real perpetrators. 

The then frontier village of Bellevue was a central point on this route, and 



962 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ulso the headquarters of one of the most numerous and powerful of the bands. 
Its leader, William Brown, was a man remarkable in many respects. He came 
to Bellevue in tlie spring of 1836, and soon after brought out his family and 
opened a public house, which was destined to become famous in the village 
history. Brown, physically, was a powerful man, and in education superior to 
those around him. He possessed a pleasant, kindly address, and was scrupulously 
honest in his every day's dealings with his neighbors. It is said that none who 
reposed confidence in him in a business transaction ever regretted it. He was 
ably seconded by his wife, a woman of about 24 years of age, and of more than 
ordinary natural capacity. They had but one child, a little girl of some 4 years 
of age. Ever ready to assist the destitute, the foremost in public improvements, 
this family soon became idolized by the rude population of that early day, so that 
nothing but positive proof finally fastened suspicions of dishonesty upon them. 
Having, by his wiles, seduced a larger part of the j'oung men into his band, and 
being daily reinforced from other quarters. Brown became more bold in his 
operations, then threw off tlie mask, and openly boasted of his power and the 
inability of the authorities to crush him out. It was no idle boast. Fully two- 
thirds of the able bodied men in the settlement were leagued with him. He 
never participated in passing counterfeit money, stealing horses, etc., but simply 
planned. 

Any man who incurred the enmity of the "gang," was very certain to wake 
some morning and find his crops destroyed, his horses stolen, and the marks of 
his cattle having been slaughtered in his own yard ; in all probabilitj'- the hind- 
quarters of his favorite ox would be offered for sale at his own door a few hours 
thereafter. If one of his gang was arrested. Brown stood ready to defend him, 
with an argument not now always attainable by the legal profession — he could, 
at a moment's notice, prove an alibi. Thus matters went on, until it became 
apparent to the honest portion of the community that the crisis had arrived. 

As an instance of the boldness which they evinced, now the band had become 
so powerful, we give an incident of the stealing of a plow from a steamboat. In 
the spring of 1839, a steamboat landed at Bellevue to wood; the boat was crowded 
with passengers, and the hurricane deck covered with plows. It being a pleasant 
day, the citizens, old and young, according to custom, had sallied forth to the 
river-side, as the landing of a steamboat was then by no means a daily occurrence. 
The writer of this, standing near Brown, heard him remark to a man named 
Hapgood, and in the presence of numerous citizens, "that as he (Ilapgood) had 
long wanted to join Brown's party, if he would steal one of those plows, and 
thus prove his qualifications, he should be admitted to full fellowship." Hapgood 
agreed to make the trial, and thereupon, to our surprise, as we had supposed the 
conversation to be merely in jest, he went upon the hurricane deck, and, in the 
presence of the captain, passengers, and citizens on shore, shouldered a plow and 
marched off the boat and up the levee. When on the boat, Hapgood conversed 
with the captain for a few minutes, and the captain pointed out to him which 
plow to take. In a few moments the boat was gone, and Hapgood boasted of the 
theft. It was supposed that lie had bought the plow and paid the captain for it, 
but the next day, when the boat returned, there was great and anxious inquiry, 
by the captain, "for the man that took that plow," but he had disappeared, and 
remained out of sight until the boat was gone. About the same time, another 
bold robbery occurred near Bellevue, the incidents of which so well illustrate the 
character of these ruffians, that we cannot forbear recouniing them. 



IOWA 963 

One Collins, a farmer, living about 8 miles from town, came in one day ana 
sold Brown a yoke of cattle for $80. Being a poor judge of money, and know- 
ing Brown's character well, he refused to take anything in payment but specie. 
On his return home that evening, he placed his money in his chest. About mid- 
night, his house was broken open by two men, upon which he sprang from his 
bed, but was immediately knocked down. His wife, coming to his rescue, was 
also knocked down, and both wer% threatened with instant death if any more 
disturbance was made. The robbers then possessed themselves of Collins' money 
and watch, and departed. In the morning, he made complaint before a justice 
of the peace, accusing two men in the employment of Brown with the crime. 
They were arrested and examined. On ihe trial, Collins and his wife swore 
positively to the men, and also identified a watch found with them as the one 
taken. In their possession was found $80 in gold, the exact amount stolen. A 
farmer living near Collins, testified that about 11 o'clock, on the night of the 
robbery, the accused stopped at liis house and inquired the way to Collins'. Here 
the prosecution closed their evidence, and the defence called three witnesses to 
the stand, among whom was Fox, afterward noted as the murderer of Colonel 
Davenport, all of whom swore positively that, on the night of the robbery, they 
and the accused played cards from dark till daylight, in Brown's liouse, 8 miles 
from the scene of the robbery. In the face of the overwhelming testimony 
adduced by the State, the defendants were discharged. 

Another laughable instance, displaying the shrewdness and villainy of these 
fellows, occurred early in the spring of 1838. Godfrey (one of the robbers of 
Collins) came into town -with a fine span of matched horses, with halter ropes 
around their necks. From the known character of their possessor, the sheriff 
thought best to take the horses into his custody. Brown's gang remonstrated 
against the proceedings, but to no effect. Subsequently a writ of replevin was 
procured, and the horses demanded — the sheriff refused to give them up. A 
general row ensued. The citizens, being the stronger party at that time, 
sustained the sheriff, and he maintained the dignity of his office. Handbills, 
describing the horses accurately, were then sent around the county. A few days 
afterward, a stranger appeared in town, anxiously inquiring for the sheriff, and, 
upon meeting him, he announced his business to be the recovery of a fine span 
of horses, which had been stolen from him a short time before, and then so accu- 
rately described those detained by the sheriff, that the latter informed him tiiat 
he then had them in his stable. Upon examining them, the man was gratified 
to find that they were his ; turning to the crowd, he offered $25 to any one 
"Who would produce Godfrey, remarking, that if he met him, he would wreak 
his vengeance upon him in a summary manner, without the intervention of a 
jury. Godfrey was not, however, to be found, and the Iiorses were delivered to 
the stranger. 

Imagine the consternation of the sheriff, when, two days later, the true owner 
of the horses appeared in search of them. The other was an accomplice of God- 
frey, and they had taken that method of securing their booty. Similar incidents 
could be detailed to fill pages, for they were of continual occurrence. 

On the 20th of March, 1840, the citizens of Bellevue, not implicated in the 
plans of the horse-thieves and counterfeiters, held a meeting to consider the 
wrongs of the community. But one opinion was advanced, that the depredators 
must leave the place, or summsiry vengeance would be inflicted upon them all. 
It was resolved that a warrant should be procured for the arrest of the whole 



964 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

gang, from Justice Watkins — father of our present sheriff- and, upon a certain 
day, the sheriff, accompanied by all the honest citizens as a posse, should proceed 
to serve the same. The warrant was issued upon the affidavit of Anson Harring- 
ton, Esq., one of our most respectable citizens, charging about half the inhabitants 
of the town — Brown's men — with the commissiou of crimes. 

A posse of 80 men was selected by the sheriff from among the best citizens of 
the county, who met in Bellevue on the 1st day of April, 1840, at 10 o'clock, a.m. 
Brown, in the meantime, had got wind of the proceedings, and had rallied a 
party of 23 men,' whose names were on the warrant, and proceeded to I'ortify the 
Bellevue Hotel, and prepare for a vigorous defence. On the sheriff's arriving in 
Bellevue with his party, lie found a red flag streaming from the hotel, and a 
portion of Brown's men marching to and fro in front of their fort, armed with 
rifles, presenting a formidable appearance. 

A meeting of the citizens was then convened to consult upon the best method 
of securing the ends of justice, of which Major Thomas S. Sparks was Chairman. 
It was resolved that the sheriff should go to Brown's fort, with two men, and 
demand their surrender, reading his warrant, and assuring them that they should 
be protected in their persons and property. It was also resolved, if they did not 
surrender, to storm the house, and that Colonel Thomas Cox, then a representa- 
tive in the Iowa Legislature, should assist the sheriff in the command of the party 
selected for this, purpose. 

The sheriff tlien went to the hotel, accompanied by Messrs. Watkins and 
Magoon. When near the house, they were suddenly surrounded by Brown and 
a party of his men, all fully armed. They captured the sheriff, and ordered 
Watkins and Magoon to return and inform the citizens, that at the first attempt 
to storm the house, they would shoot the sheriff. Being conducted into the 
house, the sheriff read his warrant, and informed them of the proceedings of the 
meeting. Just then it was discovered that Colonel Cox, with a party of citizens, 
was rapidly advancing on the hotel. Upon the sheriff's promise to stop them 
and then return, he was released bj'' Brown. He met the party, and, accosting 
Cox, requested him to delay the attack one hour, and if he (the sheriff) did not 
return by tliat time, for them to come on and take the house. 

Cox -was determined the sheriff should not return, saying that he should not 
keep his word with such a band of ruffians. Better counsels, however, prevailed, 
and the sheriff went back. On his return, he found that Brown's men had been 
drinking freely to keep up their courage. After some parleying. Brown deter- 
mined not to surrender, commanding the sheriff to return to his men and tell 
them to come on, and if they succeeded in carrying the hotel, it should only be 
over their dead bodies. 

The sheriff returned and disclosed the result of his interview. Mrs. Brown, in 
the meantime, and a fellow called Buckskin, paraded the streets with a red flag. 
The citizens were then addressed by Cox and Watkins, and it was finally deter- 
mined that a body of 40 men should be selected to make the attack, upon which 
the posse started and charged upon the house at a full run. As our men entered 
the porch, the garrison commenced firing, but we being so near, they generally 
overshot their mark. At the first fire, one of oar best men, Mr. Palmer, was 
killed, and another, Mr. Vaughn, badly wounded. Brown opened the door ami 
put his gun to shoot, when he was immediately shot down by one of our men. 
The battle then became desperate and hand to hand. After considerable hard 
fighting, the "balance" of the gang commenced their retreat through the back 



IOWA. 966 

door of the house. They were siirrounaed and all captured but 3. The result 
of the fight was, on the part of the counterfeiters, the loss of 5 killed and 3 badly 
wounded ; on the part of the citizens, 4 killed and 11 wounded. 

The excitement after the fight was intense. Many of the citizens were in favor 
of putting all tlie prisoners to death. Other counsels, however, prevailed, and a 
citizens' court was organized to try them. 

During the fight. Captain Harris anchored his boat in the middle of the river, 
and remained there until the result was known, when the passengers ascended to 
the upper deck and gave three hearty cheers. Doctors Finley, of Dubuque, and 
Grossman, of Galena, were sent for, and were soon in attendance on the wounded 
of both parties. 

Much joy was manifested by the citizens at the breaking up of one of the most 
desperate gangs of housebreakers, murderers, and counterfeiters that ever infested 
the western country. The next morning a vote of the citizens was taken as to 
the disposal of the prisoners. 

As the District Court was not to meet for three months, and there being no jail 
in the county, and in fact none in the Territory that was safe, and surrounded as 
we were on all sides by ofl'shoots of the same band, who could muster 200 men 
in a day's time to rescue them, it was deemed the merest folly to attempt to detain 
them as prisoners, and it was resolved to execute summary justice upon them. 
The question was then put, whether, to hang or whip them. A cup of red and 
white beans was first passed arOund, to be used as ballots, the red for hanging, 
and the white for whipping. 

A breathless silence was maintained during the vote. In a few moments the 
result was announced. It stood forty-two white and thirty-eight red beans. The 
resolution to whip them was then unanimously adopted. Fox, afterward the 
mm'derer of Davenport, and several others made full confessions of many crimes, 
in which they had been engaged. The whole crowd of prisoners was then taken 
out, and received from 25 to 75 lashes apiece, upon their bare backs, according 
to their deserts. They were then put into boats and set adrift on the river, with- 
out oars, and under the assurance that a return would insure a speedy death. 

Animated by the example of Belle vue, the citizens of Rock River, Illinois, 
Linn, Johnson, and other counties in Iowa, rose en masse, and expelled t!ie 
gangs of robbers from their midst, with much bloodshed. 

Thus ended the struggle for supremacy between vice and virtue in Bellevue, 
which, from this day forth, has been as noted, in the Mississipi Valley, for the 
morality of its citizens, as it was once renderec* infamous by their crimes. 



MISSOURI. 

Area, 65,350 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 1,182,012 

Population in 1870, 1,721,295 

The State of Missouri is situated between 36° 30' and 40° 36' N. 
latitude, and between S9° 10' and 96" W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by Iowa ; on the east by Illinois, Kentucky, and Ten- 
nessee ; on the south by Arkansas ; and on the West by the Indian 
Territory and Kansas. Its extreme length, fvom east to west, is 285 
ntiles, and its extreme breadth, from north to south, is 280 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

North of the Missouri River, the surface of the State is principally 
level. South of that stream it is rolling, and gradually rises into a 
range of bold highlands known as the Ozark Mountains, which extend 
through the centre of the State, from northeast to southwest ; south of 
the Osage River, and pass into northwestern Arkansas. Beyond the 
Osage River, immense prairies stretch away to the setting sun. The 
extreme southeastern part of the State is occupied by a large swamp, 
which extends into Arkansas. The Missusippi Rwer forms the east- 
ern boundary of the State, and receives the waters of the Salt, Mis- 
souri, and Maramec rivers. The principal places on the Mississippi 
are Hannibal, St. Louis, Carondelet, Cape Girardeau, and New 
Madrid. Tlie Ifissouri R'wer forms the western boundary of the 
State to Kansas City. At this point it bends to the east, and flows 
east-southeast across the State into the Mississippi, above St. Louis. 
It receives the waters of the Chariton and Grand rivers, on the north, 
and those of the Osage and Gasconade on the south. The principal 

967 



968 OUR COUNTRY AND TT.S RESOURCES. 




FLOATING ISLAND ON THE MISSOURI RIVER. 



places on the Missouri are El Paso, St. Joseph's, Kansas City, Lex- 
ington, Booneville, Jefferson City, and St. Charles. The Missouri 
in many places is lined with high bluffs, and flows through the State 
for about 340 miles. The Osage River rises in the eastern part of the 
State of Kansas, and fiows east-northeast into the Missouri, about 10 
miles below Jefferson City. It is about 500 miles long, and is navi- 
gable at high water for 200 miles. The St. Francis and White rivers 
drain the southeastern part of the State, and pass into Arkansas. 

MINERALS. 

" Missouri is richly endowed with mineral wealth. The iron region 
around Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob is unsurpassed in the world 
for the abundance and purity of its deposits. On the Maramec River, 
and in some other localities, are found" small quantities of lead. Cop- 
per is found extensively deposited, being most abundant near the La 
Motte mines. It is also found with nickel, manganese, iron, cobalt, 
and lead, in combinations, yielding from 30 to 40 per cent. All 
these metals, except nickel, exist in considerable quantities; also 
silver, in combination with lead ore and tin. Limestone, marble, and 
sther eligible building material are abundant, especially north of the 



MISSOURI. . 969 

Missouri. The geological formations of the State are principally those 
between the upper coal measures and the lower silurian rocks. The 
drift is spread over a large surface; in the north, vast beds of bitumi- 
nous' coal, including cannel coal, exist on both sides of the Missouri 
River. When these mineral resources shall receive their proper 
development, they will immensely enlarge the scope of industrial 
enterprise." 

CLIMATE. 

" The climate is noted for extremes of temperature. In the winter, 
*the rivers are often frozen so as to admit the crossing of heavily-loaded 
vehicles, while in summer it is extremely warm, its enervating effects 
being prevented by a very dry, pure atmosphere, generally favorable 
to health and longevity." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

" The soil of Missouri is remarkable for its variety and excellence. 
The most productive portions are the alluvions of the river-courses, 
which, though often mixed with sand, are rich in the elements of 
fertilization. Even in the mountain regions, there are rich valleys, 
and those tracts reported as inarable are covered with valuable 
growths of white pine. The marshes of the southeast, when properJy 
drained, will constitute the best farming lands of the State. The 
river bottoms are covered with luxuriant growths of oak, elm, ash, 
hickory, cotton wood, linden, and white and black walnut. Thinner 
soils abound in white and pin oak ; and, occasionally, are covered with 
heavy forests of yellow pine, crab-apples, pawpaws, hazel, and wild 
grapes of a spontaneous luxuriance."* 

In 1869, there were about 8,000,000 acres of improved land in the 
State. The other returns for the same year were : 

Bushels of wheat, 7,500,000 

Indian corn, 80,500,000 

" oats, 6,500,000 

Irish potatoes, 2,000,000 

" rye, 325,000 

barley 300,000 

Tons of hay, 750,000 

Pounds of butter, 12,704,837 

Number of horses, 520,640 

" asses and mules, 81,450 

* General Land Office Report. 



970 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

• 

Number of milch cows, 390,120 

" sheep, 1,001,890 

" swine, 2,790,860 

" young cattle, 790,112 

Value of domestic animals, $58,693,673 

Pounds of tobacco (estimated), 20,000,000 

wool " 2,000,000 

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. 

The manufacturing interests of Missouri are growing with remark- 
able rapidity. In 1870 there were 11,781 manufacturing establish- 
ments in the State, employing a capital of $80,257,244, consuming 
raw material to the value of $115,533,269, and turning out an annual 
product of $206,213,429. 

St. Louis, on the Mississippi, is one of the most important com- 
mercial cities in the Union. The State has no foreign commerce, its 
products being shipped from New Orleans and the Atlantic ports, 
from which also its imports are drawn. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1872, there were 2850 miles of completed railroads in Missouri, 
constructed at a cost of about $65,000,000. There is railroad commu- 
nication between St. Louis and the principal towns, and that city is 
connected by the roads of Illinois with all parts of the Union. A main 
line extends from St. Louis, across the State into Kansas. 

EDUCATION. 

There are 11 colleges in Missouri, the principal of which is the 
State University, at Columbia. It is liberally endowed, and will soon 
be enlarged by the addition of an Agricultural Department. It has 
also a Normal Department. There are a separate State Normal 
College, and a private Normal School in successful operation. 

The schools of St. Louis are distinct from those of the State, and 
enjoy a high rank. 

The educational system of the State is under the control of a Super- 
intendent of Public Schools, who is elected by the people for two 
years. The State is divided into as many school districts as it has 
Congressional Districts, each of which is controlled by a Board of Di- 
rectors. Each district is divided into as many sub-districts as neces- 
sity may require, and each sub-district is in charge of a local director. 
These local directors constitute the Board of Directors for the entire 
district. Each couuty is under the supervision of a County Superin- 



MISSOURI. 971- 

tendent, who is elected by the people for two years. The permanent 
school fund amounted, in 1870, to $1,674,986. In the year 1870, 
the State expended $1,074,141 for the support of the public schools. 
In the same year, there were 5996 public schools in the State, 
attended by 320,313 pupils. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Penitentiary is located at Jefferson City, and, in 1870, 
contained 797 convicts. The labor of the prisoners is let out to 
contractors. 

The Missouri Institution for the Edueation of the Blind, at St. Louis, 
was established in 1851. It is supported, in part, by the State, 
private donations doing the rest. In 1868, it contained 70 pupils. 

The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, at Fulton, was closed during 
the war, but was reopened in 1866. 

The Insane Asylum is at Fulton, and is in a flourishing condition. 
In 1867, it contained about 420 patients. 

KELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 2082 churches in Missouri. The value of 
church property was |9, 709, 358. 

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS. 

In 1870, the State contained 5645 libraries, with 1,065,638 volumes. 

In the same year, there were 279 newspapers and periodicals (21 
of which were daily) published in Missouri. Their aggregate annual 
circulation was 47,980,422 copies. 

FINANCES. 

In 1870, the total bonded debt of the State was $17,886,000. The 
receipts of the Treasury for 15 months ending December 31st, 1870, 
were $2,847,035, and the expenditures for the same period $10,- 
037,137. 

In 1868, there were 8 State banks, with a capital of $1,960,300, 
and 18 National banks, with a capital of $7,810,300, doing business 
in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Male citizens of the United States, and male foreigners who have 
lawfully declared their intention to become citizens, not less than 



972 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

one year, nor more than, iive years, before they offer to vote, who 
have resided in the State one year, and in the county 60 days, are 
entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney-General, and a 
Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 34 members) and a House of 
Representatives (of 137 members), all elected by the people. The 
State officers and Representatives are chosen for two years. Senators 
are elected for four years, one-half retiring biennially. The general 
election is held in November, and the Legislature meets biennially, in 
D.'comber. 

The Courts of the State are the Supreme Court (consisting of three 
judges). Circuit Courts, District Courts, and County Courts. AH 
judges are elected by the people. 

The seat of Government is located at Jefferson City. 

The State is divided into 113 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Missouri was originally a French province, and was included in 
the Louisiana purchase of 1803. It was first visited by Marquette 
and Joliet in 1673, during their memorable voyage down the Missis- 
sippi. In 1719, Fort Orleans was built at the mouth of the Osage 
River, not far from the present capital of the State. In 1720, the lead 
mines were first worked by the French. The town of St. Genevieve 
was founded in 1755, and St. Louis in 1764. These were speedily 
followed by other settlements, the whole region forming a part of the 
Province of Louisiana, Avhich, in 1763, was ceded by France to Spain. 
The Spaniards were very liberal and politic in their treatment of this 
part of their new province, and the settlers had no reason to complain 
of the change. 

At the time of the Revolution, the population of St. Louis was 
about 800 souls. In 1780, a force of 1500 British and Indians from, 
the Lakes laid siege to it, and invested it for a week, reducing it to 
great straits, and killing 60 or 70 of the inhabitants. Fortunately, a 
force of Kentuckians, under General Rogers Clarke, came to its relief, 
and drove the enemy away. 

After the peace of 1783, Spain retained possession of Louisiana, and 
the east bank of the Mississippi became the property of the United 
States. Settlers from the United States crossed over repeatedly to the 
Spanish shore, and built their cabins. They were not suffered to re- 



MISSOURI. 973 

main in peace by the autliorities, and this led to a diplomatic corres- 
pondence between Spain and the United States, by which the former 
granted the free navigation of the Mississippi to the Americans. The 
Spanish officials on the river, however, paid no attention to the treaty, 
and there was every prospect of a serious difficulty between, the two 
countries when the cession of Louisiana to France by Spain, and its 
purchase by the United States, removed all danger of hostilities. 

The new territory was at once divided into two Governments, the 
Territory of Orleans, and the District of Louisiana. Soon after this, 
the Territory of Orleans was admitted into the Union as the State of 
Louisiana. The name of the District was at once changed to Mis- 
souri Territory. Emigrants came in rapidly, and, in 1810, the popu- 
lation was 20,845. In 1817, it was 60,000. 

The people of Missouri now applied for admission into the Union as 
a State. Slavery existed in the Territory, and they were anxious to 
retain it in the new State. The Free Soil party of the country op- 
posed its admission as a slave-holding State, and the South and the 
Democratic party sustained the demand of the Missourians. A*se- 
vere political struggle, which has already been described, at once 
began, and continued for two years with such violence that it threat- 
ened to destroy the Union. It was allayed by a compromise offered 
by Henry Clay, that Missouri should be admitted as a slaveholding 
State ; but that slavery should never exist in the territory north of 
o6° 30' N. latitude. A settlement being effected upon this condition, 
Missouri was admitted as a State on the 14th of December, 1821. 

Durinar the excitement in Kansas and Nebraska, the western 
border of Missouri became the scone of almost constant hostilities 
between the Pro-slavery men and Free Settlers of Kansas. 

At the outbreak of the Rebellion, an unsuccessful effort was made . 
to force the State into the Southern Confederacy. It failed through 
the superior vigilance and promptness of the Union men of the State. 
The population was divided between the Union and the Confederacy, 
and thousands of troops entered both armies. The American popula- 
tion was almost a unit in flivorof the South, while the foreigners were 
Union men. Several severe battles were fought in the State, and 
many minor encounters occurred within its limits. The State was 
held by the United States army during the war, and its civil govern- 
ment was almost suspended until after the return of peace. A new 
Constitution was adopted in 1865, and amended by the popular vote 
in 1870. 



D74 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

CITIJ^S AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State axe 
St. Louis, St. Joseph's, Hannibal, Lexington, Carondelet, St. Charles, 
Weston, Booneville, Washington, Brunswick, Columbia, Independ- 
ence, Liberty, Palmyra, and Springfield. 

JEFFERSON CITY, 

In Cole county, is the capital of the State. It is situated on the right 
bank of the Missouri River, 155 miles by water above St. Louis, and 
980 miles from Washington City. Latitude 38° 36' N. ; longitude 
d'2° 8' W. The situation is picturesque, the city being located on a 
commanding bluff, from which an extensive view is obtained. Tlie 
city is tolerably well built, but, apart from being the capital of the 
State, has few attractions. The State House is the principal building. 
It is constructed of stone, and presents a magnificent appearance from 
the river below the town. The city contains the Governor's Mansion, 
the State Penitentiary, several schools, public and private, about 5 
churches, and 2 newspaper offices. Jn 1870 the population was 
4420. 

In 1821, .lefferson City was chosen as the capital of the State, and 
in 1822 the town was laid out. 

ST. LOUIS, 

In the county of the same name, is the metropolis of the State, the 
largest city of the Western States, and the fourth city with regard to 
population in the United States. It is situated on the west bank of 
the Mississippi, 20 miles below the mouth of the Missouri River, 174 
miles above tlie mouth of the Ohio, 774 miles below the Falls of St. 
Anthony, 1194 miles above New Orleans, 856 miles west-by-south of 
Washington, and 128 miles east of Jefferson City. 

" The site rises from the river by two plateaus of limestone forma- 
tion ; the first 20 and the other 60 feet above the floods of the Missis- 
sippi. The ascent to the firet plateau, or bottom as it may be termed, 
is somewhat abrupt ; the second rises more gradually, and spreads out 
into an extensive plain, affording fine views of the city and river. St. 
Louis extends in all nearly 7 miles by the curve of the Mississippi, 
and about 3 miles back ; the thickly settled portion, however, is only 
2 or 2 J miles in length, following the river, and about 1^ miles in 
breadth. The city is well laid out, the streets being for the most part 



MISSOURI. 977 

60 feet wide, and, with few exceptions, intersecting each other at right 
angles. Front street, extending along the levee, is upwards of 100 
feet wide, and built up on the side facing the river, with a range of 
massive stone warehouses, which make an imposing appearance as the 
city is approached by water. Front, Main, and Second streets, parallel 
to each other, and to the river, are the seat of the principal wholesale 
business. The latter is occupied with heavy grocery, iron, receiving, 
and shipping houses. Fourth street, the fashionable i)roraenade, 
contains the finest retail stores. The streets parallel to Front and 
Main streets are designated as Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth street, 
and so on ; and those on the right and left of Market street, extending 
at right angles with the river, are mostly named from various forest 
trees, similar to the streets of Philadelphia. Large expenditures have 
been made from time to time in grading and otherwise improving the 
streets of St. Louis." 

Within the last ten years St. Louis has made a decided improve- 
ment with respect to its buildings, and is now one of the handsomest 
and most substantially constructed cities in the country. The build- 
ings are principally of brick, though marble, iron, and stone structures 
are numerous. Many of the private residences will compare favorably 
with anything in the land. As the wealth of the city has increased,, 
the citizens, with a large public spirit, have spared no expense in their 
efforts to adorn and beautify their noble city. 

The public buildings are among the finest in the Union. The City- 
Hall and Cowt House is a new and splendid structure. It was com- 
pleted in 1860, and cost over $1,000,000. It is a magnificent edifice,, 
constructed of limestone, and occupies the square bounded by Fourth,. 
Fifth, Chestnut, and Market streets. The front is ornamented with 
porticoes, and from the centre of the building rises a fine dome, which^. 
though of smaller proportions, greatly resembles that of the capitol at 
AVashington. The Custom House is a beautiful edifice, built of Mis- 
souri marble. It is also used by the United States Courts, and by the 
City Post Office. It occupies the site of one of the first theatres 
erected in St. Louis, and is built upon piles driven more than 20 feet' 
into the ground. The United States Arsenal, in the southeastern part 
of the city, is a massive structure. The Merchants' Exchange is one 
of the finest buildinsrs in St. Louis. 

Some of the churches are conspicuous among the ornaments of the 
city. There are over 80 church edifices in St. Louis; the most im- 
posing of which are the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Louis; St.. 
60 



078 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




COURT HOUSE, ST. LOUIS. 



George! 8^ Episcopal, and the Church of the Messiah, Unitarian. The 
Cathedral tower contains a fine chime of bells. 

The benevolent and charitable institutions are numerous, and of a 
high character. The most prominent are the City Hospital, Marine 
Hospital (3 miles below the city), the Sisters^ Hospital, the Home for 
the Friendless, the House of Refuge, the Reform School, and 10 Orphan 
Asylums. The institutions controlled by the city are among the best 
in the country, and those dependent on private contributions are in a 
flourishing condition. ' hiu< ,*'<' 

The city of St. Louis lias an excellent system of Public Schools, 
including a Normal School, a High School, 31 District Schools, and 3 
colored schools. The annual expenditure for school purposes is about 
$200,000. The schools are all provided with handsome and comfort- 
able buildings. Besides these, the city contains "a large number of 
private schools of every grade. The institutions of the higher class are 
the St. Louis University, conducted by the Roman Catholics ; the Wof^li- 
ington University ; St. Louis Medical College ; Concordia College, a Ger- 
man institution; Missouri Medical College; and the Polytechnic Lnsfi-^ 
tute ; the latter of which possesses a library of 27,000 volumes. There 
are 5 other public libraries in the city; the best of which is said to be 
;the Mercantile Library, which contains 37,000 volumes. 



MISSOURI. 979 

The newspaper press of St. Louis ranks very high. Some of the 
ablest and most influential journals in the country are published here. 
Being the largest city in the West, the influence of the St. Louis press 
in this section is naturally very great. There are 44 newspapers and 
periodicals published here. Nine of these are daily, 17 weekly, 3 
semi-monthly, 12 monthly, 1 bi-monthly, and 2 quarterly. Each of 
the dailies issues a weekly edition. 

Until within the last few years, St. Louis paid but little attention 
to public parks or squares. Now, however, it is very well provided 
in this respect. Besides 14 small squaires scattered throughout the 
city, and containing an aggregate of 119 acres, it possesses the new 
Tower G^rove Park, 276| acres in extent, and Shaw's Garden, 276 
acres, said to be " the Wonder of the West." The principal burying- 
ground is Bellefontaine Cemetery, about 5 miles from the Court 
House. It is a beautiful enclosure of about 350 acres, and contains 
the graves of many of the old settlers of St.*. Louis. 

The hotels of St. Louis are noted for their excellence. The prin- 
cipal are the Lindell, Southern, Barniim^s, Everett, and the Planter's. 
The Lindell and Southern rank among the finest hotels in the United 
States. They are inferior to none in the country in size, magnificence, 
or the accommodations offered to guests. They are among the prin- 
cipal ornaments of St. Louis. 

The city is supplied with an excellent system of street railways, 
connecting its distant points. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied 
with water from the Mississippi. The water is pumped by steam from 
the river, and forced through a twenty-inch pipe into a large reservoir, 
located about one mile west of the city. The city is also provided with 
an efficient police force, a steam fire department, and a police and fire- 
alarm telegraph. It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, 
the population was 310,864. A very large number of the inhabitants 
are Germans, or of German origin, and German customs prevail here 
to a great degree. 

Eight lines of railway connect St. Louis with all parts of the 
Union. A bridge, recently constructed from the city to the Illinois; 
shore, gives unbroken communication with the eastern side of the 
Mississippi. The city is the principal shipping point for almost 
the entire State of Missouri, and conducts an active trade along 
the Mississippi, the Missoiu'i, the Ohio, and their tributaries. In 
1860, the year before the civil Mar, the arrivals of steamboats at 
this port were 4371, with an aggregate tonnage of 1,120,039. The 



080 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

civil war almost destroyed the river trade, but since the return of peace it 
has rapidly recovered, and lias regained a very large share of its former 
prosperity. In 1870, the arrivals of boats, excluding all of less than 
500 tons, was 2725. The receipts of lumber for the year were 240,- 
700,000 feet ; the receipts of cattle were 201,248 head ; the receipts 
of grain were 23,908,910 bushels; the receipts of flour were 2,922,630 
Imrrels; the receipts of lead were 234,903 pigs; the receipts of iron 
ore were 316,000 tons; and the receipts of coal were 23,931,475 tons. 

The city is largely engaged in manufactures, and contains many of the 
largest and best establishments in the West. Among these are extensive 
iron works, flouring mills (which in 1870 produced 1,351,733 barrels 
of flour), sugar refineries, manufactories of hemp, rope and bagging, and 
tobacco, and oil mills. In 1870 the capital invested in manufactures in 
the city amounted to $41,761,688, the number of hands employed was 
33,551 ; the amount paid as wages was $15,906,131 ; raw material was 
used to the value of $60,541,012 ; and the total value of articles pro- 
duced in these establishments was $131,192,670. The taxable property 
of the city of St. Louis in 1870, amounted to $275,133,331 ; real estate 
$217,355,611, personal property $57,777,720. 

The position of St. Louis of necessity makes her a great city. 
Situated about half way between the Atlantic and the Pacific, and in 
the geographical centre of one of the most fertile and best cultivated agri- 
cultural regions in the world, " almost at the very, focus towards which 
converge the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio, and the Illinois 
rivers," there seems no limit to the wealth and importance, which the 
future holds in store for the great metropolis of the southwest. 
Within a circuit of 90 miles of the city, lie immense deposits of iron, 
lead, and copper ores, and coal equal to the wants of the entire 
Mississippi valley for centuries to come. 

"Among the many sites which the vast domain of uninhabited 
territory in the Mississippi valley presented for founding a city, that 
on which St. Louis now stands was selected by Laclede, February 
15th, 1764, as one possessing peculiar advantages for the fur trade, 
and for defence against the Indians. The confluence of the different 
rivers in- the immediate neighborhood was a desideratum in the 
estimation of the trapper; it has become of vast importance to the 
place in establishing it as a centre for agricultural and manufacturing 
enterprises. The statistics of these early times show that for 15 
successive years, ending in 1804, the average annual value of the furs 
collected at this port amounted to $203,750. The number of deer 



MISSOURI. 981 

skins was 158,000; of beaver, 36,900; of otter, 8000; of bear, 5100; 
and of buffalo, 850. The population at this period was between 
1500 and 2000, one-half of whom were absent a great part of each 
year as trappers and voyageurs. It will readily be perceived that 
the elements which gave the settlement existence were not of a 
character adequate to foster it beyond the limits of a frontier vil^'f-e; 
and accordingly, as late as 1820, we find the accession of population 
had not swelled the original very materially. Up to this date the 
census only shows an advance to 4598. Military expeditions and 
establishments, together with a sparse immigration, confined to those 
peculiar temperaments which delight in the wild and adventurous, 
still kept up a progressive improvement, which centering here for 
personal security as well as for trade, still fixed it as the seat of a 
commercial and manufacturing metropolis, destined in a few years to 
become an object of interest throughout the world. On the 11th 
of August, 1768, a Spanish officer by the name of Rious, with a 
company of Spanish troops, took possession of St. Louis and Upper 
Louisiana, as it was termed, in the name of his Catholic majesty, 
under whose government it remained until its final transfer to the 
United States, March 26, 1804. In 1813, the first brick house was 
erected; in 1817, the first steamboat arrived — both important events, 
but neither of which became frequent until several years after. In 
1822, St. Louis was chartered as a city, under the title given by 
Laclede, in honor of Louis XV. of France. From 1825 to 1830, 
the influx of population from Illinois began to be of importance. 
From this State the commerce of St. Louis received its first great 
impulse, and from this State it still derives a large portion of its 
support. With 1829 the keel-boat entirely disappeared. The 
steamer Yellowstone about this time ascended to the Great Falls, and 
was succeeded by the Assinaboine and others. Dry-goods houses 
were already established, and these sent out retail branches to Spring- 
field, and other places in Illinois. Extensive warehouses began to be 
erected, some of which are still standing, having survived the great 
fire. They rose from their solid limestone foundations, built on a 
scale which shows that the impressions of the present were vividly 
portrayed to the minds of the people of that day."* 

Since 1830 the city has grown with marked rapidity. In that year 
the population was 6694 ; in 1840 it was 16,469 ; in 1850 it was T*^,- 
850; in 1860 it was 160,773, and in 1870, 310,864. 

* Lippincott's Gazetteer. 



982 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

MISCELLANY. 

MISSOURI DURING THE WAR OP 1812-15. 
Colonel John Shaw is the author of the following reminiscences : 
Tlie Upper Mississippi Indians, of all tribes, commenced depredations on the 
(luutiers of Missouri and Illinois in 1811, and early in 1812. Several persons 
were killed in different quarters. About 30 miles above the mouth of Salt River, 
and fully 100 above the mouth of the Missouri, was Gilbert's Lick, on the western 
bank of the Mississippi, a place of noted- resort for animals and cattle to lick the 
brackish water ; and where a man named Samuel Gilbert, from Virgiula, had 
settled two or three years prior to the spring of 1812. In that region, and par- 
ticularly below him, were a number of other settlers. About the latter part of 
ISIay, 1812, a party of from 12 to 18 Upper Mississippi Indians descended the 
river in canoes, and fell upon the scattered cabins of this upper settlement in the 
night, and killed a dozen or more people. 

This massjicre in the Gilbert's Lick settlement caused great consternation 
along the Missouri frontier, and the people, as a matter of precaution, commenced 
fortifying. Some seven or eight forts or stockades were erected, to which a 
portion of the inhabitants resorted, while many others held themselves in 
readiness to flee there for safety, in case it might be thought necessary. I 
remember the names of Stout's Fort, Wood's Fort, a small stockade at what is 
now Clarksville, Fort Howard, and a fort at Howell's settlement — the latter 
nearest to Colonel Daniel Boone ; but the people bordering immediately on the 
Missouri River, being less exposed to danger, did not so early resort to the erec- 
tion of stockades. 

About this time, probably a little after, while I was engaged with 18 or 20 men 
in building a temporary stockade where Clarksville now stands, on the western 
bank of the Mississippi, a party of Indians came and killed the entire family of 
one O'Neil, about 3 miles above Clarksville, while O'Neil himself was employed 
with his neighbors in erecting the stockade. In company with O'Neil and others, 
1 hastened to the scene of murder, and found all killed, scalped, and horribly 
mangled. One of the children, about a year and a half old, was found literally 
baked in a large pot-metal bake-kettle, or Dutch oven, with a cover on ; and as 
there were no marks of the knife or tomahawk on the body, the child must have 
been put in alive to suffer this horrible death ; the oil or fat in the bottom of the 
kettle was nearly two inches deep. 

I went to St. Louis, in company with Ira Cottle, to see Governor Clark, and 
ascertain whether war had been actually declared. This must have been some- 
time in June, but the news of the declaration of war against Great Britain had 
not yet reached there. On our return, I was strongly urged by the people to act 
;is a spy or scout on the frontier, as I was possessed of great bodily activity, and 
it was well known that I had seen much woods experience. I consented to act 
in this capacity on the frontiers of St. Charles county, never thinking or 
troubling myself about any pecuniary recompense, and was only anxious to 
render the distressed people a useful service. I immediately entered alone upon 
this duty, sometimes mounted, and sometimes on foot, and carefully watching 
thp river above the settlements, to discover whether any Indians had landed, 
aixd sometimes to follow their trails, learn their destination, and report to the 
settlements. 



MlSSOUllI. %3 

Upon my advice, several of the weaker stockades were abandoned, for 20 or 
30 miles around, and concentrated at a place near the mouth of Cuivre or Copper 
River, at or near the present village of Monroe ; and there a large number of us, 
perhaps some 60 or 70 persons, were some two or three weeks emploj^ed in the 
erection of a fort. We named it in honor of the patriotic Governor, Benjamin 
Howard, and between 20 and 30 families were soon safely lodged in Fort Howard. 
The fort was an oblong square, north and south, and embraced about half an 
acre, with block houses at all the corners except the southeast one. 

As the war had now fairly commenced, an Act of Congress authorized the 
raising of six companies of Rangers; three to be raised on the Missouri side of the 
Mississippi, and the 'other three on the Illinois side. The Missouri companies 
were commanded by Daniel M. Boone, Nathan Boone, and David Musick. The 
commission of Nathan Boone was dated in June, 1812, to serve a year, as were 
doubtless the others. 

The Indians, supplied by their British employers with new rifles, seemed bent 
on exterminating the Americans — always, however, excepting the French and 
Spaniards, who, from their Indian intermarriages, were regarded as friends and 
connections. Their constant attacks and murders led to offensive measures. 

Of the famous Sink Hole battle, fought on the 24tli of May, 1814, near Fort 
Howard, I shall be able to give a full account, as I was present and participated 
in it. Captain Peter Craig commanded at Fort Howard ; he resided with his 
father-in-law, Andrew Ramsey, at Cape Girardeau, and did not exceed 30 years 
of age. Drakeford Gray was 1st Lieutenant. Wilson Able, the 2d, and Edward 
Spears, 3d Lieutenant. 

About noon, 5 of the men went out of the fort to Byrne's deserted house, on 
the bluff", about a quarter of a mile below the fort, to bring in a grindstone. In 
consequence of back water from the Mississippi, they went in a canoe ; and on 
their return were fired on by a party supposed to be 50 Indians, who were under 
shelter of some brush that grew along at the foot of the bluff", near Byrne's 
house, and about 15 rods distant from the canoe at the time. Three of the 
whites were killed, and one mortally wounded ; and as the back water, where 
the canoe was, was only about knee deep, the Indians ran out and tomahawked 
their victims. 

The people in the fort ran out as quick as possible, and fired across the back 
water at the Indians, but as they were nearly a quarter of a mile off", it was of 
course without eff'ect. Captain Craig, with a party of some 25 men, hastened in 
pursuit of the Indians, and ran across a point of the back water, a few inches 
deep ; while another party, of whom I was one, of about 25, ran to the right of 
the water, with a view of intercepting the Indians, who seemed to be making 
toward the bluff", or high plain, west and northwest of the fort. The party with 
which I had started and Captain Craig's soon united. 

Immediately on the bluff" w-as the cultivated field and deserted residence of 
Benjamin Allen, the field about 40 rods across, beyond which was pretty thick 
timber. Here the Indians made a stand, and here the fight commenced. Both 
parties treed, and as the firing waxed warm, the Indians slowly retired as the 
whites advanced. After this fighting had been going on perhaps some 10 
minutes, the whites were reinforced by Captain David Musick, of Cape au Gris, 
with about 20 men. Captain Musick had been on a scout toward the head of 
Cuivre River, and had returned, though unknown at Fort Howard, to the cross- 
ing of Cuivre River, about a mile from the fort, and about a mile and a half from 



984 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the scene of conflict ; and had stopped with his men to graze their horses, when, 
hearing the firing, they instantly remounted and dashed toward the place ot 
battle, and dismounting in the edge of the timber on the bluff, and hitcliing their 
•horses, they rushed through a part of the Indian line, and shortly after the enemy 
fled, a part bearing to the right of the Sink Hole toward Bob's Creek, but the 
most of them taking refuge in the Sink Hole, which was close by where the 
main fighting had taken place. About the time the Indians were retreating. 
Captain Craig exposed himself about 4 feet beyond his tree, and was shot 
through the body, and fell dead ; James Putney was killed before Captain Craig, 
and perhaps one or two others. Before the Indians retired to the Sink Hole, 
the fighting had become animated ; the loading was done quick, and shots rapidly 
exchanged, and when one of our party was killed or wounded, it was announced 
aloud. 

This Sink Hole was about 60 feet in length, and about 12 to 15 feet wide, and 
10 or 12 feet deep. Near the bottom, on the southeast side, was a shelving 
rock, under which perhaps some 50 or 60 persons might have sheltered them- 
selves. At the northeast end of the Sink Hole, the descent was quite gradual, 
the other end much more abrupt, and the southeast side was nearly perpendicular, 
and the other side about like the steep roof of a liouse. On the southeast side, 
the Indians, as a further protection in case the whites should rush up, dug 
under the shelving rock with their knives. On the sides and in the bottom of 
the Sink Hole were some bushes, which also served as something of a screen for 
the Indians. 

Captain Musick and his men took post on the northeast side of the Sink Hole, 
and the others occupied other positions surrounding the enemy. As the trees 
approached close to the Sink Hole, these served in part to protect our party. 
Finding we could not get a good opportunity to dislodge the enemy, as they were 
best protected, those of our men who had families at the fort gradually went 
there, not knowing but a large body of Indians might seize the favorable 
occasion to attack the fort while the men were mostly away, engaged in the 
exciting contest. 

The Indians in the Sink Hole had a drum, made of a skin stretched over a 
section of hollow tree, on which they beat quite constantly; and some Indian 
would shake a rattle, called she-shu-gui, probably a dried bladder with pebbles 
within ; and even, for a moment, would venture to thrust his head in view, with 
his hand elevated, shaking his rattle, and calling out peash! peash/ which was 
understood to be a sort of defiance, or, as Black Hawk, who was one of tiie 
party, says, in his account of that affair, a kind of bravado to come and fight 
them in the Sink Hole. When the Indians would creep up and shoot over the 
rim of the Sink Hole, they would instantly disappear, and while they sometimes 
fired effectual shots, they in turn became occasionally the victims of our rifles. 
From about 1 to 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the firing was inconstant, onr men 
generally reserving their fire till an Indian would show his head, and all of us 
were studying how he could more effectual!}'' attack and dislodge the enemy. 

At length Lieutenant Spears suggested that a pair of cart wheels, axle and 
tongue, which were seen at Allen's place, near at hand, be obtained, and a 
moving battery constructed. This idea was entertained favorably, and an hour 
or more consumed in its construction. Some oak floor puncheons, from 7 to 8 
feet in length, were made fast to the axle in an upright position, and port-holes 
made through them. Finallyj the battery was ready for trial, and was sufficiently 



MISSOURI. . 985 

large to piotect some half a dozen or more men. It was moved forward slowfy 
and seemed to attract the particular attention of the Indians, who had evidently 
heard the knocking and pounding connected with its manufacture, and who now 
frequently popped up their heads to make momentary discoveries ; and it was at 
length moved up to within iess than 10 paces of the brink of the Sink Hole, on 
the southeast side. The upright plank did not reach the ground within some 18 
inches, our men calculating to shoot beneath the lower end of the plank at the 
Indians ; but the latter, from their position, had the decided advantage of this 
neglected aperture ; for the Indians, shooting beneath the battery at an upward 
angle, would get shots at the whites before the latter could see them. The 
Indians also watched the port-holes, and directed some of their shots to them. 
Lieutenant Spears was shot dead, through the forehead, and his death was much 
lamented, as he had proved himself the most active and intrepid officer engaged. 
John Patterson was wounded in the thigh, and some others wounded behind the 
battery. Having failed in the object for which it was designed, the battery was 
abandoned after sundown. 

Our hope all along had been, that the Indians would emerge from their covert, 
and attempt to retreat to where we supposed their canoes were left, some 3 or 4 
miles distant, in which case we were firmly determined to rush upon them, and 
endeavor to cut them totally off. The men generally evinced the greatest 
bravery during the whole engagement. Night now coming on, we heard the 
reports of half a dozen or so of guns in the direction of the fort, by a few Indians 
who rushed out from the woods skirting Hob's Creek, not more than 40 rods 
from the north end of the fort. This movement on the part of the few Indians 
who had escaped when the others took refuge in the Sink Hole, was evidently 
designed to divert the attention of the whites, and alarm them for the safety of 
the fort, and thus effectually relieve the Indians in the Sink Hole. This was the 
result, for Captain Musick and men retired to the fort, carrying the dead and 
wounded, and made every preparation to repel a night attack. As the Mississippi 
was quite high, with much back water over the low grounds, the approach of the 
enemy was thus facilitated, and it was feared a large Indian force was at hand. 
The people were always more apprehensive of danger at a time when the river 
was swollen, than when at its ordinary stage. 

The men in the fort were mostly up all night, ready for resistance, if necessary. 
There was no physician at the fort, and much effort was made to set some broken 
bones. There was a well in the fort, and provisions and ammunition sufficient 
to sustain a pretty formidable attack. The women were greatly alarmed, press- 
ing their infants to their bosoms, fearing they might not be permitted to behold 
another morning's light ; but the night passed away without seeing or liearing an 
Indian. The next morning a party went to the Sink Hole, and found the Indians 
gone, who had carried off all their dead and wounded, except 5 dead bodies left 
on the northwest bank of the Sink Hole ; and by the signs of blood within the 
Sink Hole, it was judged that well nigh 30 of the enemy must have been killed 
and wounded. Lieutenant Drakeford Gray's report of the affair, made 8 of our 
party killed, one missing, and 5 wounded — making a total of 14 ; I had thought 
the number was nearer 20. Our dead were buried near the fort, when Captain 
Musick and his men went over to Cape au Oris, where they belonged, and of 
which garrison Captain Musick had the command. We that day sent out scouts, 
while I proceeded to St. Charles to procure medical and surgical assistance, and 
sent forward Drs. Hubbard and Wilson. 



, f J I iJc-^Wi . ' 



ARKANSAS. 

Area, 52,198 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 435,450 

(Whites, 324,191 ; iN^egroes, 111,259) 

Population in 1870, 484,471 

The State of Arkansas is situated between 33° and 36° 30' N. 
latitude; and between 89° 45' and 94° 40' W. longitude. It is 
bounded on the north by Missouri, on the east by Mississippi and 
Tennessee, on the south by Louisiana and Texas, and on the west by 
Texas and the Indian Territory. Its extreme length, from north to 
south, is 240 miles, and its greatest width, from east to west, about 
225 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern part of the State, for 100 miles back from the Missis- 
sippi, is flat and swampy. The north-western part is occupied by the 
Ozark Mountains, a low range extending into the State from Missouri, 
and never rising above a height of 2000 feet. The Black Hills lie 
in the north, and the Washita Hills in the west are the remaining 
elevations. The greater part of the State is rolling. 

The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary, and receives the 
waters of the Arkansas and St. Francis rivers. The principal towns 
on its banks are Oceola, Mound City, Helena, and Napoleon. The 
Arkansas River enters the State at Foi-t Smith on the western boundary, 
and flows southwest across it into the Mississippi at Napoleon. It 
divides the State into two unequal parts, and receives the waters of 
the White River on the north, and some small streams from both 
sides. The principal towns on its banks are Van Bureu, Little Rock, 
and Napoleon. 
986 



ARKANSAS. 987 

The Red River flows through tlie southwest part of the State, and the 
AVasliita (already described), with its branches, the Saline and Boeuf, 
drain the south central counties. The White River is the principal 
branch of the Arkansas, and empties into it a few miles above the 
junction of the latter stream with the Mississippi. It rises in a number 
of branches in Southern Missouri, and flows soutii through the eastern 
part of Arkansas. It now flows into the Mississippi by a new channel 
near the mouth of the Arkansas, being in reality a tributary of both 
streams. Its entire length is about 800 miles, for 500 of which it is 
navigable for steamers. The St. Iraneis River rises in Southeast 
Missouri, and flows into the Mississippi just above Helena. It is 400 
miles long, and is navigable for 200 miles, beyond the limits of Ar- 
kansas. The Red River is navigable throughout its course in this 
State. The Washita is navigable to Camden, and its tributaries, the 
Saline and Boeuf, are each navigable for a considerable distance. 

MINERALS. 

The principal minerals of Arkansas are coal, iron, lead, zinc, mmi- 
ganese, gypsum, marble, and salt. The coal fields are very extensive, 
and extend along both sides of the Arkansas, from about 40 miles 
above Little Rock to beyond Fort Smith. The deposits of manganese 
are enormous, and it contains, according to Professor De Bow, more 
zinc than any other State except New Jersey. The lead ore is very 
rich in silver, and gold has been discovered in White county. There 
is a large quarry of oil stone near the Hot Springs, which surpasses 
any similar formation in the world, and is inexhaustible. In Pike 
county, on the Little Missouri River, there is a mountain of pure 
white alabaster. The Hot Springs, about 60 miles southwest of Little 
Rock, are famous for their medicinal qualities. They are especially 
beneficial in rheumatic and syphilitic cases. They are about 100 in 
number, and have an average temperature of about 145 degrees. 

CLIMATE. 

In the northern and western parts of the State the climate is severe, 
resemblino- that of Iowa and Wisconsin. The southern and eastern 

to , , • • 

sections have a climate like Louisiana and Mississippi. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

As a general rule the soil is good. The best lands are in the eastern 
part of the State, and need a better system of drainage. 



988 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1869, there were over 2,000,000 acres of improved land in the 
State. In the same year the principal returns were : 

Bushels of wheat, 1,170,000 

" Indian corn, 25,750,000 

" potatoes, 346,000 

" oats, 600,000 

" peas and beans, 21,489 

Tons of hay, • 10,000 

•Number of horses, 199,600 

" mules and asses, 79,800 

" milch cows, 190,500 

" sheep, 450,030 

" swine, 1,500,630 

" young cattle, 450,005 

Value of domestic animals, $20,096,977 

In 1870, the cotton crop amounted to 375,000 bales. 

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Arkansas has no foreign commerce, but possesses a profitable river 
trade with Memphis and New Orleans. 

It has no manufactures of importance, and will, probably, never 
attain the position of a manufacturing State. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

As late as 1868, the State was very backward in internal improve- 
ments. In that year it contained but 191 miles of completed rail- 
roads. The cost of construction was f 4,400,000. The great abund- 
ance of water transportation in the State enables it to dispense with 
railroads to a very great degree. In 1872, there were 258 miles of 
railway in the State. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, there were in Arkansas, 3 colleges, with 335 students'; 
234 academies and private schools," with about 9000 pupils, and 1744 
public schools, with 72,045 pupils. The war completely convulsed 
the State, and closed all the schools. By the return of peace a large 
number of the school-houses had been destroyed, or rendered unfit for 
occupancy, and the educational funds had been scattered. A more 
melancholy condition of affairs cannot be imagined. 

The new Constitution makes provision for a system of Public Edu- 



ARKANSAS. 989 

cation, which is placed under the supervision of a Superintendent 
of Public Schools. Free schools are to be established and maintained 
by the State, and a permanent school fund set apart. Attendance at 
school is made compulsory upon all children between the ages of five 
and eighteen years. Measures are being taken for the establishment 
of a State University, with a Department of Agriculture. 

In 1870, there were 1181 libraries in the State, containing 135,564 
volumes. In the same year, 56 weekly newspapers, with an aggregate 
annual circulation of 1,824,860 copies, were published in the State. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The public institutions of Arkansas were greatly injured by the war. 

!Pie Penitentiary, at Little Rock, was used as a military prison until 
the readmission of the State into the Union, and was very greatly in- 
jured. In 1870, 346 prisoners were confined here. 

The Institution for the Blind was established in 1859. It maintained 
a feeble existence, owing to the want of funds, until 1863, when it was 
closed, and the property sold. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 1141 churches in Arkansas. The value of 
church property was $854,975. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874, the debt of the State amounted to $9,561,000. We have 
no accurate returns from the State Treasury. 

In 1868, there were 2 National banks, with a capital of $200,000, 
doing business in the State. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The present Constitution of Arkansas was adopted in 1868. By 
'its terms, every male citizen of the United States, and every male 
foreigner who har^ lawfully declared his intention to become a citizen, 
who is 21 years old and has resided in the State one year, and in the 
county six months, is entitled to vote at the elections. Persons in the 
military and naval service of the United States, convicts, idiots, 
lunatics, and persons who participated in the rebellion, are excluded 

from the ballot. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 



^90 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a 
Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 24 members), and a House of 
Representatives (of 82 members), all elected by the people. The 
State officers and Senators are chosen for four years, and the Repre- 
sentatives for two years. The Legislature meets biennially in January. 

The courts of the State are the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and 
County Courts. The judges in this State are appointed by the Gov- 
ernor and confirmed by the Senate. The Supreme Court is composed 
of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, appointed for eight 
years. 

The seat of Government is established at Little Rqck, 

The State is divided into 55 counties. 

HISTORY. 

Arkansas was first discovered by De Soto, in 1541. He reached 
the eastern bank of the Mississippi nearly opposite the present town 
of Helena, and after halting there 20 days to i)uild boats, crossed tlio 
river, and marched 200 miles west of the Mississippi. He sought gold, 
but failed to find it, and wandering soutii to the Washita, descended 
it in 1542 to its mouth, and passed down the Red River to the Mis- 
sissippi, where he sickened and died, and was buried by his followers 
in the great river he had discovered. 

Arkansas was next visited by Father Marquette, during his voyage 
down the Mississippi, in 1673. In the next century, trading-posts 
were erected in the lower part of the present State. 

Arkansas was included in the purchase of 1803, and after the admis- 
sion of Louisiana into the Union formed a part of Missouri Territory. 
In 1819, it was erected into a separate Territory, with its present 
name, and in 1820, the first Legislature met at Arkansas Post. In 
the same year the seat of Government was removed to Little Rock. 
The population increased rapidly, and in 1830 numbered 30,388 
souls. On the 15th of June, 1836, Arkansas was admitted into the 
Union as a State. In 1840, four years later, the population was 
97,574, of which 19,935 were slaves. 

At the commencement of the civil war, a State Convention was held 
at Little Rock. This body, on the 4th of March, 1861, adopted an 
ordinance of secession, and the State soon after became a member of 
the Southern Confederacy. It was occupied by both armies during 
almost the entire period of the war. Several severe battles were fought 
on its soil, and the State was literally torn to pieces. 



ARKANSAS. 



991 





LITTLE EOCK. 



In 1864, an attempt was made by the Union men of Arkansas to 
reorganize the State Government, bnt Congress refused to recognize 
it as a legitimate government, and organized the State as the Fourth 
Military District, In 1868, a new Constitution was adopted, and on 
the 22d of June, of that year, Arkansas was readmitted into the 
Union. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal places in the State are, Helena, 
Napoleon, and Camden. 

LITTLE ROCK, 

In Pulaski county, is the capital of the State. It is situated on the 
right or southern bank of the Arkansas River, about 300 miles from 
its mouth, 155 miles west-by-south of Memphis, 905 miles by water 
from New Orleans, and 1086 miles west of Washington City. Lati- 
tude 34° 40' N.; longitude 83° 10' W. 

The city is built on a rocky bluff, about 50 feet high. This is the 
first bluff that occurs in ascending tiie river, and commands a fine 
view of the stream and the surrounding country. Little Hock is built 
principally of wood, and is in some respects a handsome city. The 
principal buildings are the State House, a handsome rough-cast brick 
edifice ; the State Penitentiary, which has been several times burned 
down by the convicts ; and the United States Arsenal. Some of the 



992 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES 



HELENA. 

residences are elegant, and have handsome grounds. The city con- 
tains 6 churches, several good schools and seminaries, and 2 news- 
paper offices. It is lighted with gas, and is governed by a Mayor and 
Council. In 1870, the population was 12,380. 

Little Rock lies in close proximity to a fertile cotton region. It is 
connected with Memphis, Tennessee, by railway, and large quantities 
of cotton are sent overland to that market. Being the principal 
town on the Arkansas River, it possesses a considerable river trade, 
and is connected by steamers with Memphis, New Orleans, and the 
important towns on the Mississippi. Slate of a fine quality, good 
clay, and granite, which resembles the Quincy granite in appearance, 
but is not so hard, are found in the vicinity. 

The city was founded in 1820, and owes its name to the rock on 
which it is built. It was seized by the State troops at the outset of 
the civil war, but was captured by the United States forces in 1862. 

HELENA, 
The second city of the State, is situated in Phillips county, on the 
right bank of the Mississippi River, 80 miles below Memphis. It 
is a well-built town, and contains the county buildings, several 
churches and schools, and a newspaper office. It is the most import- 
ant commercial town in the State. It is connected with Memphis 
and Little Rock by regular lines of steamers, and conducts an import- 
ant trade along the St. Francis, White, and Arkansas rivers. In the 
rear of Helena is an extensive and fertile cotton country, and large 
quantities of this staple are sent here for shipment to Memphis and 
New Orleans. Helena was almost entirely destroyed by fire in the 
summer of 1852. In 1862, it was captured by the United States 
forces, and held by them until the close of the war. In 1870, the 
population was 2249. 



KANSAS. 

Area, 81,318 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 107,206 

Population in 1870, 364,377 

The State of Kansas is situated between 37° and 42° N. latitude, 
and between about 94° and 102° W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by Nebraska, on the east by Missouri, on the south by the 
Indian Territory, and on the west by Colorado. It is about 400 
miles long, from east to west, and 200 miles wide, from north to south. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

" The general surface of Kansas is a gently undulating prairie, hav- 
ing no marked features like those of other prairie States, except, per- 
haps, the diversity presented by a more rolling surface. The division 
of land is of two classes. First to mention is the timber and rich 
alluvial bottom lands, bordering rivers and creeks, the estimated area 
of which is ten million acres, being fully five times the amount of all 
improved lands in the State at the present time. To the second belongs 
the upland or rolling prairie, the soil of which averages from 2 to 3 
feet in depth, with a subsoil of fertilizing qualities which will, by 
careful cultivation, prove inexhaustible. This class of land is con- 
sidered, by far, preferable for the raising of grains and fruits, while 
the bottom land is selected for corn, hemp, vegetables, and grasses. 
But such is the uniform character of the general surface of Kansas, 
that nearly every quarter section within its limits is capable of culti- 
vation. Timber is confined mainly to the borders of rivers and creeks, 
and is not superabundant ; yet its scarcity is compensated for in a great 
61 993 



994 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

measure by the very general distribution of rock throughout the State, 
which is easy of access, and furnislies the best of building and fencing 
material. 

" No mountain ranges, swamps, sloughs, or lakes exist in the State, 
except in some instances where rivers have changed their beds, leaving 
small lakes. Water-courses are well distributed over the State. Their 
usual course is south of east. Among the most important streams 
may be mentioned the Arkansas and Neosho on the south, the Kansas 
River and its tributaries in the northern part, and the Missouri River 
forming the eastern boundary. The descent of the Kansas River may 
be regarded as showing the rapidity of the water-courses of the State. 
From its mouth, west 100 miles, the fall is a little over 2 feet to tiie 
mile; for the second and third hundred miles, about 6 feet to the 
mile ; and for the last one hundred miles, about 7 feet to the mile ; 
making a total fall of over 2000 feet in 400 miles. Water-powers 
are not abundant, but several are being improved on the Neosho and 
other smaller streams." * 

A paper, recently published under the authority of the State, thus 
describes the rivers of Kansas : 

"I^Ae Kansas River is the largest in the State, and one of the most 
beautiful streams of water in the West. It is formed by the junction 
of the Republican and Smoky Hill, near Junction City, in the central 
part^of the State, and flows in an easterly direction for a distance of 
150 miles, through a rich fertile valley, from 3 to 7 miles in width, 
and empties into the Missouri River at Wyandotte City, the eastern 
terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. The Rejiuhlican River comes 
down from Colorado, through the northwestern portion of the State, 
coursing in a southeasterly direction through a rich, wild region of 
country, for a distance of over 300 miles. The Smoky Hill derives 
its source from the confluence of several smaller streams in the eastern 
part of Colorado, and flows to the east through the central part of the 
State, to its junction with the Republican. Along the rich valley of 
this river, a daily line of stage-coaches pass from the Avestern terminus 
of the Union Pacific Railroad to Denver City. The Neosho River rises 
near the centre of the State, and flows to the southeast through a rich 
agricultural and stock-growing country, emptying into Grand River, 
near the southeast corner of Kansas. The Neosho Valley is from 3 
to 7 miles in width, and contains some of the most beautiful, rich, and 

* Report of the Surveyor-General of Kansas. 



KANSAS. 995 

desirable lands in the State. The Arkansas River, collecting the 
snows of the Rocky Mountains, flows in an easterly direction througli 
the southwestern part of the State, for a distance of 300 miles. The 
Great Nemaha rises in the nortii-central part of the State, and flows 
east, emptying into the Missouri River at the northeast corner of tlie 
State. There is a sufficiency of timber on its banks for all practical 
purposes in the country through which it passes. The Osage courses 
through a fine region of country in southern Kansas, about midway 
between the valleys of the Kansas and Neosho. The Potawatomie 
and other smaller streams flow into the Osage. The valleys of these 
rivers contain some of the most valuable farms in the State. The Big 
Blue, from Nebraska Territory, flows to the south, through the north- 
central part of the State, emptying into the Kansas River at the city 
of Manhattan. The Solomon rises in the northwestern part of the 
State, flows in a southeasterly direction, and empties into the Smoky 
Hill, about 30 miles west from Junction City. The source and 
general direction of the Verdigris, Cottonwood, Grasshopper, Grand, 
Saline, and all other Kansas rivers, may be seen by referring to 
Ream's Map of Kansas. In addition to the above is the Missouri 
River, which washes the eastern shore of the State for a distance of 
over 100 miles. This river, navigable at all times, is a source of 
great value to the State, and especially to Leavenworth, Atchison, 
Wyandotte, White Cloud, Doniphan, and other cities that stand upon 
ity banks. It is impossible to draw a line of distinction between dif- 
ferent localities, the whole State being supplied with an abundance of 
pure, clear cold water. Besides the clear running streams and cool, 
refreshing springs in the different localities, the best quality of water is 
also obtained by digging wells on the high prairies — ranging from 10 
to 30 feet in depth." 

MINERALS. 

White and blue limestone are found in large quantities. Coal 
abounds, and is of an excellent quality. Sandstone, suitable for build- 
ing, is quarried to a considerable extent, and marble, capable of receiv- 
ing a fine polish, is found. Salt springs are numerous. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild. The winters are short, and but little snow 
falls. The spring sets in about the first of March, and soon after 
the prairies begin to glitter with a profusion of beautiful wild flowers- 



996 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The heat of the summer is tempered by a cool and refreshing breeze 
which sweeps over the State. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil is deep, rich, and fertile. In the valleys it is often four or 
five feet deep, and rests upon a subsoil of clay. On the prairies it is 
about 3 feet deep, and rests upon a subsoil composed of clay and sanrl. 

In 1870, there were about 1,000,000 acres of improved land in 
Kansas. In the same year the returns were as follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 2,800,000 

" Indian corn, 24,500,000 

" oats, 1,500,000 

" Irish potatoes, 1,500,000 

" rye, 20,000 

barley, 25,000 

Number of horses, 35,301 

" asses and mules, 1,990 

" milch cows, 41,310 

" sheep, 31,820 

" swine, 161,310 

" young cattle, 71,863 

Value of domestic animals, . $6,631,450 

Tons of hay, 250,000 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

Kansas is advancing rapidlv in the work of internal improvements. 
At the close of the year 1872, there were 1760 miles of completed 
railroads within the State. The eastern division of the Union Pacific 
Railroad has been completed from Wyandotte and Leavenworth, on 
the Missouri River, to Sheridan, near the border of Colorado, a 
distance of 405 miles, and has been extended to Denver City, 
Colorado. The central branch of the same road extends from 
Atchison, on the Missouri, to Waterville, in Marshall county, a 
distaiice of 100 miles. A road unites Wyandotte and Leavenworth, 
(25 miles apart) extending along the bank of the Missouri. Roads 
are in progress in other parts of the State, and are being pushed for- 
ward with energy and rapidity. 

EDUCATION. 
Although so young a State, Kansas, in proportion to her population 
and means, is not far behind her older sisters in her system of public 
education. 



KANSAS. 997 

A State University is iu operation at Lawrence, and is gradually 
becoming- an excellent institution. It is endowed with a fund of 
$10,000, and 46,080 acres of land, besides the grounds occupied by it. 

Tiie State also possesses and Agricultural College, to which a 
military department has been added, and a flourishing normal school, 
at the town of Emporia. 

The educational system is under the control of a Superintendent 
of Public Schools, the counties have each a separate Superintendent, 
and the school dictricts are each in charge of a Board of Trustees. 

There is a permanent school fund, which is to be increased by sales 
of public lands, and taxes are levied for the support of the schools. 

In 1870, there were 2068 school districts in the State. The 
number of pupils was 63,218, and the average daily attendance, 
39,401. 

A number of fine private schools are in operation in Kansas, but 
we have no returns from them. 

There are about 97 newspapers and magazines published in the State. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The Penitentiary is located near Leavenworth, and when completed 
will be one of the finest institutions of its kind in the West. In 
November, 1870, it contained 209 convicts. 

The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is at Olathe. It is in a 
flourishing condition, and contains about 41 pupils. 

The Insane Asyluyn is at Ossawatomie. It is not provided with 
sufficient accommodations, but is conducted upon an excellent and 
successful plan. In 1870, the number of inmates was 41. 

The Institution for the Blind, at Wyandotte, contained 23 pupils in 
1868, the year of its opening. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 301 churches in Kansas. The value of church 
property was about ^1,722,700. 

FINANCES. 

In 1874, the total State debt was $1,341,775. The receipts of the 
Treasury, for the fiscal year ending November 30th, 1874, were 
$995,102, and the expenditures $976,805. 

In the same year there were 5 National banks, with a capital of 
6400,000, doing business in the State. 



998 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES 

GOVERNMENT. ' 

Every male citizen of the United States, and every foreigner who 
has lawfully declared his intention to become a citizen, who is 21 
years old, and has resided in the State six months, and in the town- 
ship thirty days, is entitled to vote at the elections. Idiots, insane 
persons, convicts, persons in the military or naval service of the 
Union, and participants in the Rebellion, are excluded from the 
ballot. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney-General, and a 
Legislature consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives, all 
chosen by the people. The State officers and Senators are elected for 
two years, and the Representatives for one year. The general election 
is held in November, and the I^egislature meets annually in January. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, 
and County Courts. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice 
and two Associate Justices. All judges are elected by the people, those 
of the Supreme Court for six years, and those of the District Courts 
for four years. 

The seat of Government is established at Topeka. 

The State is divided into 75 organized counties. More will be 
added when the western part is laid off. 

HISTORY. 

Kansas originally formed a part of the Louisiana purchase. It was 
first visited by M. Dutisne, a French officer, in 1719. In 1804, Lewis 
and Clark passed up the Missouri River on their exploring expedition, 
and, in 1827, Fort Leavenworth, on the Missouri River, was built 
by the United States. Kansas was occupied mostly by Indians as 
late as 1854. By the terms of the Missouri Compromise, slavery 
was forever excluded from this region, as it lay north of 36° 30' N. 
latitude. 

Until the year 1850, the vast region lying between the western and 
northwestern borders of Missouri and the Rocky Mountains, was 
called by the general and somewhat indefinite name of "the Platte 
Country ; " the name being derived from the Platte River. It was 
known to be a region of great fertility. Across it swept the grand 
trails of the overland route to the Pacific and to Utah. The people 
of the New England States were particularly anxious that the Indian 




Q 



KANSAS. 1001 

reservations which covered the eastern part should be bought up by 
the Government, and the country tiirown open to emigration. Petitions 
to this effect were presented to the Thirty-Second Congress, but no 
action was taken upon them until December, 1852, when Mr. Hall 
of Missouri, introduced a bill into the House to organize the " Terri- 
tory of Platte." It was referred to the Territorial Committee, which, 
in February, 1853, reported a bill organizing the "Territory of 
Nebraska." The southern delegates at once endeavored to open the 
proposed Territory to slavery, notwithstanding the fact that that insti- 
tution was forbidden by the Missouri Compromise. The free States 
opposed this effort, and nothing definite was accomplished until 
January, 1854, when Senator Douglas, of Illinois, introduced a bill 
dividing the district into two Territories, to be called Kansas and 
Nebraska. He also proposed in this bill to repeal the Missouri Com- 
promise restriction, and leave the question of slavery or free labor to 
be decided by the people of the Territories themselves. This fatal 
measure divided the people of the States into two parties. Those in 
favor of slavery supported the bill, but the friends of free labor 
opposed it. 

The bill was passed by Congress, and approved by the President, 
in 1854. The Indian reservations were bought up, and the Territories 
thrown open to emigration. 

Kansas being a more fertile Territory than Nebraska, naturally 
attracted the greater number of settlers. The South made no attempt 
to settle it, but the New England States sent out emigrants in great 
numbers. The people living on the border of Missouri had long since 
resolved that Kansas should be a slave-holding State, and now set to 
work to prevent free soil settlers from entering it. Nevertheless, 
the Free State men persevered, and in a few months after the Terri- 
tory was organized the town of Lawrence was founded by 100 
families from New England. Other settlements were established 
soon after, and the population increased very fast. 

A. H. Reeder was appointed Governor by President Pierce. He 
endeavored to execute the laws faithfully, but was no match for the 
determined and fierce pro-slavery leaders. He ordered art election 
for members of a Territorial Legislature to be held on the 30th of 
March, 1855, but on that day Kansas was invaded by large numbers 
of Missourians, who succeeded in electing a pro-slavery Legislature. 

Six districts at once forwarded to the Governor protests against 
the elections, showing beyond all reasonable doubt that they had 



1002 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

been controlled by citizens of Missouri. The Governor, who was 
anxious to do justice to all parties, ordered a new election in these 
districts, each of which, with the exception of Leavenworth, returned 
a Free Soil delegate. The new delegates, however, were refused their 
seats upon the assembling of the Legislature, and the successful candi- 
dates at the original election admitted. A number of outrag-es were 
about the same time perpetrated by the Missouriaus upon members 
of the Free Soil Party. 

The Governor had summoned the Legislature to meet at Pawnee 
City, on the Kansas River, a town nearly 100 miles from the border, 
and supposed to be far enough away to be free from the intimidation 
practised by the Missourians ; but as soon as the Legislature assem- 
bled it changed the place of meeting to Shawnee Mission, on the Mis- 
souri border. The resolution was vetoed by the Governor, passed 
over his veto, and at once carried into eifect. Upon reassembling at 
Shawnee Mission, the Legislature proceeded to adopt the laws of 
Missouri as the laws of Kansas, and to frame a series of statutes de- 
signedly cruel and oppressive. These acts were vetoed by the Gov- 
ernor, who was removed by the President, and Wilson Shannon, of 
Ohio, appointed in his place. 

Meanwhile, the New England and other Free Soil men had come 
into the Territory quietly and rapidly, until at length they outnum- 
bered the pro-slavery settlers. They now felt themselves strong 
enough to resist the outrages of the Missourians, and, accordingly, on 
the 5th of September, 1855, held a Convention, in which they dis- 
tinctly repudiated the Government that had been forced upon them 
by men who were not residents of the Territory. They announced 
their intention to take no part in the election of a delegate to Con- 
gress, which had been ordered by the Territorial authorities for the 1st 
of October, and summoned the actual residents to send delegates to a 
Convention to meet at Topeka on the 1 9th of September. This Conven- 
tion organized an Executive Committee for the Territory, and ordered 
an election to be held for the purpose of choosing a delegate to Con- 
gress. Governor Reeder was nominated and elected to Congress. On 
the 23d of October, the Convention adopted a free State Constitution, 
and forwarded it to Congress, with a petition for the admission of 
Kansas into the Union. 

A long and bloody struggle now began between the Free Soil and 
Pro-Slavery men in the Territory, during which the latter were reen- 
forced by great numbers of young men from the Southern States, who 



KANSAS. 1003 

came into Kansas for the avowed purpose of compelling the people to 
submit to slavery. Numerous conflicts occurred between them, and 
both sides were guilty of many unjustifiable acts. The odium, how- 
ever, properly belongs to the Pro-Slavery men, as they were the 
aggressors. They captured and sacked the town of Lawrence, burned 
several houses, and inflicted upon it damage to the extent of $150,000. 
The Federal Government usually lent its aid to the Pro-Slavery party, 
and did what it could to fasten slavery upon the Territory. 

In 1857, the Pro-Slavery party held a Convention at Lecompton, 
and adopted a Constitution known as the " Lecompton Constitution." 
The administration of Mr. Buchanan exerted all its power and influ- 
ence to secure the admission of Kansas under this instrument, not- 
withstanding the plain fact that a majority of the people of Kansas 
were opposed to it. It was finally submitted to the people, and re- 
jected by a vote of 11,300 against it, to 1788 votes in its favor. 

In January, 1859, the civil strife having subsided in the Territory, 
and the Free Soil men having a majority in the Legislature, a Con- 
vention was summoned at Wyandotte. It met in July, and adopted 
the Wyandotte Constitution, which was ratified by the people by a 
large majority. This Constitution was then submitted to Congress, 
and a bill admitting the State of Kansas was passed by the Ijower 
House early in 1860. The Senate, however, failed to act on the bill. 
At the next session, the measure was revived, and on the 30th of 
January, 1861, Kansas was admitted into the Union as a free State. 
The bitterness of the struggle had passed from the Territory to the 
country at large, and it now culminated in the great civil war, which 
for four years desolated the land. 

Durino; the late war the State furnished 19,584 men to the service 
of the Union. It was several times invaded by raiding parties from 
the Confederate army, west of the Mississippi, one of which sacked 
and burned the city of Lawrence. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal places of Kansas are, Leaven- 
worth City, Wyandotte, Atchison, and Lawrence. 

TOPEKA, 

In Shawnee county, is the capital of the State. It is situated on the 
south side of the Kansas River, 25 miles west of Lawrence, and 55 
miles, in an air line, southwest of Leavenworth. Latitude 39° 5' N., 



1004 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

longitude 95° 40' W. The city is located on high ground, which 
rises gradually from the river. It is regularly laid out with wide 
streets, and is well built. It is growing rapidly, and promises to be 
one of the most important places in the State. The principal building 
is the new State Capitol, now nearly completed. The entire plan is 
formed with a view to the future wants of the State, and will be 
carried into execution as the needs of the Government demand. The 
whole structure, which is to be built of magnesian limestone, will be 
one of the finest of the kind in the country. The eastern wing alone 
will cost the State $450,000. The city contains about 5 or 6 churches, 
several excellent schools, and 2 newspaper offices. It is governed by 
a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 5790. 

The city derives its name from " Topeka," an Indian word, signi- 
fying " wild potatoe," large quantities of which grow along tiie river. 
The first settlement was made in December, 1854, by a company of 
emigrants from Lawrence. The place played a prominent part in the 
"Border war," which preceded the admission of the State into the 
Union, and was for a time the free State capital of Kansas. 

LEAVENWORTH, 

The principal city of the State, is beautifully situated in the county 
of the same name, on the west bank of the Missouri River, 45 miles 
east-northeast of Topeka, 70 miles south of St. Joseph, Mo., and 495 
miles above St. Louis. The city is laid out in rectangular blocks, 
with broad streets, which are well graded and macadamized. At the 
river's edge is a natural levee of rock extending along the entire front 
of the city. The city is well built, and is rapidly improving. It 
contains about 18 churches, several excellent public schools, a medical 
college, about 6 private schools, including a commercial college and 
female seminary, a theatre, a mercantile library, and 3 daily and 
several weekly newspaper offices. It is lighted with gas, and is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 
17,849. 

Leavenworth was laid out in 1854, and has grown with astonishing 
rapidity. It now conducts an important trade along the Mississippi 
River, and is connected by railway with all parts of the country. 
In 1864, just ten years after its settlement, the value of taxable real 
and personal estate in Leavenworth was $4,103,562. The total busi- 
ness of the city for the same year amounted to $18,000,000. 



NEBRASKA. 

Area, 75,995 Square MUes 

Population in 1860, 28,842 

Population in 1870, 122,993 

The State of Nebraska is situated between 40° and 43° N. latitude, 
and between 96° and 104° W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by Dakota Territory, on the east by Iowa, on the south by 
Kansas and Colorado Territory, and on the west by Colorado and 
Wyoming Territories. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

"Nebraska extends from the Missouri westward to the Rocky 
Mountains, with an extreme length of 412 miles, decreasing to 310 
miles on the southern border, its extreme width being 206 miles, 
diminishing to 138 miles on the west. Its area is 75,995 square 
miles, or 48,636,800 acres. The country through its entire length 
dips toward the Missouri River, being upon the western slope of the 
great central basin of the North American continent. The larger por- 
tion is elevated and undulating prairie; there are no mountains or 
high hills ; the bottom lands of the river valleys are generally level. 
Above these, from 40 to 100 feet, are second bottoms or table lands, 
sloping backward to the bluffs, which range with the general level of 
the country. These bluffs sometimes rise hundreds of feet above the 
river level ; back of these is the undulating prairie, well watered with 
springs and running streams, being covered with excellent grasses. 
This prairie resembles the waves of the ocean suddenly arrested in 
their swell and changed into soil and rock. In remarkable contrast 
with the general appearance of the State is the tract known as Mau- 

1005 



1006 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




CROSSING THE PLAINS. 

vaises Terres, in the western part of tlie State, 90 miles long and 30 
wide, produced by some powerful agencies of" denudation and degrada- 
tion of the land. Viewed from a distance, it seems like some deserted 
abode of civilization ; the prismatic and columnar masses appear as 
residences of modern architecture or public buildings, with towers, 
columns, and walls. A near approach dispels the illusion, the im- 
posing forms of architectural beauty resolve themselves into masses 
of rocks with labyrinthine defiles. These first appearances, however, 
are not correct exponents of geological character, as they are found 
upon examination to contain some excellent lands." * 

The 3Iissouri River forms the eastern boundary and a part of the 
northern. It receives the waters of the principal streams of the State. 
The Republican Fork of the Kansas drains the southern counties, and 
the Niobrara forms a part of the northern boundary, and flows into 
the Missouri. The Platte or Nebraska River is the principal stream 
in the State. It is formed by the union of its North and South forks, 
in the centre of the State — the former rising in Wyoming, and the 
latter in Colorado. The general course of the main stream and its 
forks is eastward to the Missouri, into which it empties below Omaha 



* Keport of the General Land-Office. 



NEBRASKA. 1007 

City. Including the North Fork (which is 800 miles long), the Platte 
is 1200 miles long. As its name signifies, it is a shallow river. In 
the summer, it is but a succession of shallow pools; but during the 
spring freshets, steamers can navigate it for a considerable distance. 
The Elkhorn River drains the northeast part of the State, and flows 
into the Platte near its mouth. 

MINERALS. 

Thin beds of coal exist in several parts of the State. Limestone 
and sandstone abound, and salt springs are frequent, and yield an 
excellent quality of salt. 

CLIMATE, SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

"The climate is milder than the Eastern States within the same 
parallels of latitude; the summer is of high temperature, but the 
sultriness is alleviated by cool, refreshing winds blowing over the 
prairies. The quantity of rain is less than falls on the Atlantic side. 
This dryness does not become appreciable east of the 98th meridian. 
West of that meridian the soil, so far as known, is arid and not so well 
suited to agriculture; that part of the State to the eastward, however, 
is not deficient in moisture. The peculiar character of soil and cli- 
mate indicates that stock-raising will become a very important and 
remunerative branch of its agricultural enterprise. The dryness of 
the climate and the copious vegetation, especially of nutritious grasses, 
will attract capital, with a view to the establishment of wool-raising 
interests. The soil of the eastern portion is exceedingly fertile; the 
prairies are covered with a heavy sod, the matted growth of ages of 
vegetation, several teams of oxen being required to break it ; the sub- 
sequent tillage is comparatively easy, the ground being rendered light 
and mellow. Along the rivers are groves of oak, walnut, cottonwood, 
hickory, and willow ; very dense forests of cottonwood grow along 
the Missouri River above the mouth of the Platte." * 

There are about 1,000,000 acres of improved land in the State. 
The principal agricultural returns are as follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 2,125,000 , 

" Indian corn 5,000,000 

u rye 14,000 



* General Land-Office Report. 



1008 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Bushels of oats, 1,600,000 

" barley, 220,000 

" potatoes, 800,000 

Tons of hay, ; 170,000 

Number of horses, 32,000 

" asses and mules, 3,000 

" milch cows, 35,000 

" sheep, 30,000 

" swine, 6.5,009 

Value of domestic animals, , $8,000,000 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The great Pacific Railway extends entirely across this State, along 
the north bank of the Platte River, from Omaha into Wyoniino- Ter- 
ritory. There are. 2143 miles of railway within the State. 

EDUCATION. 

There is a Normal School at Peru, which has been liberally endowed 
by the State. It was opened in October, 1867, and is succeeding 
admirably. 

A Superintendent of Public Instruction has the control of the 
schools, subject to the supervision of a State Board of Education, 
which consists of himself, th^ Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, 
and five other persons appointed by the Governor. 

One-sixteenth of all the Government lands in the State, amounting 
to 2,643,080 acres, is set apart for the creation of a public school fund, 
Avhile 46,080 acres have been given for the endowment of a State 
University, and 90,000 acres for the State Agricultural College. The 
fund arising from these lands cannot be expended. Only the interest 
can be used. The minimum price at which they can be sold is $5 per 
acre, so that the fund to be derived from this source cannot be less 
than over $13,000,000. The whole amount derived from the school 
fund in 1869-70 was $77,999. The whole number of children in 
attendance upon the public schools in the same year was 32,619. 

FINANCES. 

The State has no public debt. Its Constitution prohibits it from 
incurring a debt in excess of $50,000 in amount. In 1870, the total 
assessed value of property in Nebraska was $53,000,000. 



NEBRASKA. 1009 

GOVERNMENT. 

The Constitution of this State was adopted in 1866. By its terms, 
every male citizen of the United States, and every foreigner who has 
legally declared his intention to become a citizen, who is 21 years old, 
and has resided in the State one year, and the required time in the 
county, is entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Secretary of State, Trea- 
surer, Auditor, and Attorney-General, and a Legislature, consisting 
of a Senate (of 13 members) and a House of Representatives (of 39 
members), all chosen by the people. The State officers are elected for 
four years, and members of the Legislature for two years. 

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, 
Probate Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. All judges are elected 
by the people. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and 
two Associates, chosen for six years. 

The seat of Government is located at Lincoln. 

The State is divided into 51 organized counties. 

HISTORY. 

Nebraska Avas originally a part of the Louisiana purchase. It was 
organized as a Territory in 1854. Kansas attracted the greater part 
of the emigrants, and so occupied the attention of the pro-slavery 
party that Nebraska escaped the struggle by which her neighbor was 
torn. Emigration was very rapid until the financial panic of 1857 
checked it. The Territory was some time in recovering from the 
effects of this crisis, which has been succeeded by a slower but more 
substantial growth in prosperity. In 1860, its population was 28,842. 
The Pacific Railroad begins at Omaha, the principal city of the State, 
and will undoubtedly do much to build up and populate the young 
commonwealth. 

On the 21st of March, 1864, Congress passed an Act enabling the 
people to organize a State Government. A Constitution \vas ratified 
by the people on the 8th of June, 1866, and on the 9th of February, 
1867, Nebraska was admitted into the Union as a State. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

LINCOLN, 
The capital of the State, is situated in Lancaster county, 80 miles south- 
west of Omaha, and 50 miles west of Nebraska City, with which it is 



1010 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS R*ESOURCES. 

connected by railway. The town sprang up suddenly in the summer 
of 1867, and grew with remarkable rapidity. Before eighteen months 
had elapsed, it had grown to such an extent in buildings and residents 
that on this account, as well as the prospective benefits resulting from 
its local position to the whole community, the people by a majority of 
votes selected it as the capital of Nebraska. Towards the close of the 
year 1868, the seat of Government was removed from Omaha, and 
permanently located at Lincoln. A suitable building having been 
prepared for that purpose, the Legislature met here in January, 1 869. 
Considerable progress has been made in establishing public buildings 
and institutions here. The main portion of the capitol has been built 
of handsome white limestone, and the foundations of a State Univer- 
sity and an Insane Asylum are laid. A Penitentiary and an Agri- 
cultural College are to be erected here, having been authorized by the 
Legislature at its last session. The town is built on the open prairie 
in the midst of a delightfully healthy, beautiful and fertile country. 
The population is about 2000, and is increasing rapidly. Three news- 
papers are published here. 

OMAHA, 

Sometimes called Omaha City, the largest and most important city of 
the State, is situated in Douglas county, on the west bank of the Mis- 
souri River, opposite the city of Council Bluffs, in Iowa. It is 18 
miles above the mouth of the Platte River, 80 miles northeast of Lin- 
coln, and 250 miles by river above St. Josej)h, Missouri. The city 
lies on a plateau between the river and the bluffs. From the summits 
of the bluffs a magnificent view of the wide and undulating prairie is 
obtained. The city is regularly laid out. The streets are wide, cross 
each other at right-angles, and are paved with stone, with side- walks 
of brick. The principal public buildings are the old State House, and 
the Court House. The former is of brick, and occupies a commanding 
site. The city contains about 11 or 12 churches, several good public 
and private schools, and 5 newspaper offices. It is lighted with gas, 
and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population 
was 16,083. 

The Missouri is navigable for large steamers for some distance above 
Omaha, and the city carries on a considerable river trade. Omaha is 
connected with all parts of the country by railway, being connected 
with Council Bluffs by a steam ferry. It is the eastern terminus of 
the Pacific Railway, and is, consequently, a place of considerable im- 



NEBRASKA. 



i013 




OMAHA. 



portance. It is largely engaged in the sale and transportation of 
goods to the mines, plains, and frontier forts. Many of the emigrants 
going westward obtain their outfits here. Omaha was founded in 1854. 
In 1860, it contained but 1883 inhabitants. It derives its name from 
a tribe of Indians. 

NEBRASKA CITY, 

The second city of the State, is situated in Otoe county, on the right 
or western bank of the Missouri River, 28 miles below the mouth of 
the Platte Hiver, 50 miles east of Lincoln, and 96 miles, by water, 
south of Omaha. It is built on ground which rises as it recedes from 
the river. The buildings are mostly of wood, but the town has a 
bright and pleasing appearance. It contains the county buildings, 7 
or 8 churches, 2 public halls, 4 public schools, and 3 newspaper offices. 
It is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population 
was 6050. 

The city conducts a large river trade, and is actively engaged in 
fitting out emigrants for the plains and in sending supplies to the fron- 
tier towns. The Pacific Railway has ta,ken away a great share of 
this business. There are valuable salt springs in the western part of 
the county. 
62 



NE V AD A. 

Area, 112,090 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 6,857 

Population in 1870, 42,491 

The State of Nevada is situated between 37° and 42° N. latitude, 
and between 115° and 120° W. longitude. It is bounded on the north 
'by Oregon and Idaho Territory, on the east by Utah and Arizona Terri- 
tories, and on the soutli and west by California. Its extreme length, 
from north to south, is about 348 miles, and its extreme width, from 
east to west, about 265 miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the State is generally mountainous, and much of it is 
a barren desert. The Sierra Nevada range forms the western bound- 
ary, and the Humboldt Mountains occupy the centre. The East 
Humboldt Mountains extend north and south through the upper 
eastern part of the State. A large part of Fremont's Basin lies in 
Nevada, at an elevation of 4000 feet above the sea. Two-thirds 
of the State is a bleak desert, which can neither be inhabited nor 
cultivated. 

There are no large rivers in Nevada, and the soil is only supplied 
with the necessary amount of water by artificial means. The Hum- 
boldt River rises in the northeast of the State, and flowing westward, 
empties into Humboldt Lake. A small stream, called Walker River, 
flows through the southwest and empties into Walker Lake. Carson 
River rises in the southwest and flows east into Carson Lake. 

"The only lakes of any considerable size in the State are those 
formed by the Humboldt, Walker, Carson, and Truckee rivers, and 
1014 



NEVADA. 



1015 




PALISADES —IIUMBOLBT EIVER : SCEXE ON THE CENTRAL rAClFIO 

EAILROAD. 

bearing the names of those streams respectively, together with Pyra- 
mid Lake, the largest of the group, formed by the waters of the 
Truckee River. Lake Tahoe, with one-third of its area only within 
the borders of Nevada, is a beautiful sheet of water, 21 miles long and 
10 wide, and though elevated more than 6000 feet above the level of 
the sea it never freezes over, nor does the temperature of its waters 
vary much from 57 degrees in summer or winter, owing jirobably 
to its being fed by springs. This lake, like Lake Pyramid, abounds 
in trout of large size and fine flavor, and is surrounded on every side 
by lofty mountains, which, rising abruptly from its shores, are covered 
for nearly two-thirds of the year with snow, and are heavily timbered 
with forests of pine, spruce, and fir. Pyramid Lake, which has a 
depth of 1500 feet, is 12 miles wide by 30 in length, and is situated 
in the western part of the State ; its scenery is extremely grand, being 
walled about with mountains 2000 to 3000 feet high. Mono Lake is 
about 14 miles long- and 9 wide; it is so acid and nauseating as to 
render it not only unfit for drinking, but also for l)athing. Leather 
immersed in it is soon destroyed, and no animal, not even a fish or 
frog, can for more than a short time exist in it. The only thing able 
to live in or upon tiie waters of this lake is a species of fly which, 



1U16 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

/tpringing from a larva bred in its bosom, shortly dies, and, collecting 
on the surface, drifts in great quantities to the shore, to be gathered 
and eaten by the Indians. None but the strongest winds can ripple 
the surface of this desolate lake; it may aptly be called a Dead Sea, its 
hitter and fatal waters rendering it literally such, while all its sur- 
roundings, wild, gl«)OiMy, and foreboding, are highly suggestive of 
sterility and death. There are many warm and cold springs in the 
State, some of which are much resorted to for the curative qualities of 
their waters." * 

MINERALS. 

Nevada is especially rich in minerals. Gold, silver, quicksilver, 
copper, lead, and iron are found in great abundance. The silver 
mines of this State, however, are the principal source of her wealth. 
They yield immense sums annually. The Comstock lode produces 
about $16,500,000 worth of silver every year. It furnishes the prin- 
cipal portion of the metal produced in the State, and is thus described 
by Ross Browne : 

" The Comstock lode runs along the eastern slope of the Washoe 
Mountains, at the foot of Mount Davidson, its loftiest summit. Its out- 
crop is not by any means continuous, consisting of parallel belts of quartz, 
extending from east to west, in some places nearly 1000 feet, which 
show themselves chiefly on the tops of the spurs, running down from 
the main ridge. The western of these quartz seams, being of a hard 
crystalline texture, form the most prominent outcrops, but experience 
has shown them to be of less value than the eastern bodies, which, 
from their different composition, have been more easily disentegrated, 
and are often covered up by the debris from the higher and steeper 
portions of the mountain. The vein has been more or less thoroughly 
explored, and its continuity established by underground workings for 
a length of about 3J miles, though the productive portion forms but a 
small proportion of the whole, as barren spots of great extent intervene 
between the bonanzas or ore bodies. Its 'strike' or course, as shown 
by the exposure of the west wall, in numerous places, is nearly mag- 
netic north and south (north 16 degrees east by true meridian). But 
little doubt now exists that the Comstock is a true fissure vein, with 
a width of from 20 feet upward. The total product of the Comstock 
lode, for the year ending December 31st, 1867, is estimated by the 
most reliable authorities at $17,500,000. It is estimated that other 

* Ross Browne's Eepoi't. 



NEVADA. 



1017 




^ILVEa MINING. 



districts in Nevada have yicKicd ♦liirln;; l!ic same j>fiIo;l $2,500,000, 
making the total pnxluct of Xevada for tlie calendar year, 1867, 
$20,000,000. The average percentage of gold and silver is about 66 
per cent, silver, and 34 per cent. gold. In the outside districts the 
proportion of gold is considerably less. Thcanioiiiit <»f ore niised from 
the mines on th^ Comstock lode may be put down at the [)resent time 
at about 1500 tons daily, and the total amount raised since the com- 
mencement of operations at about 2,000,000 tons. From information 
furnished by the superintendents of the following mines, the yield per 
ton appears to be: Savage Mine — 30,250 tons produced in the last six 
months of 1866, yielded an average of $12.93 per ton. Hale and 
Noreross Mine — 16,836 tons produced in the same time, yielded an 
average of $50.33 per ton. Gould and Curry Mine — 62,425 tons pro- 
<luced in 1866, yielded an average of $28.64 per ton. The total yield 
of precious metals from the ' C<tmstock ' lode in 5 yeans, or from 1862 
to 1866, inclusive, was $63,000,000." 



1018 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUECES. 

Coal is found in small quantities, and there are large deposits of 
salt and alkalies. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate, though severe, is not unpleasant, and is exceedingly 
healthful. The year is divided into the wet and the dry season, as 
in Cal lib)' ilia. 

Agriculture is neglected for the mines, but where the soil can be 
supplied with water by irrigation, it yields fair crops. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The Central Pacific Railway of California passes across the northern 
j)art of Nevada, from the western boundary into Utah Territory. 
There are 59^i miles of railway within the State. 

EDUCATION. 

In 1870, there were 38 public schools in the State, attended by 
1856 pupils; and 15 private schools, attended by 417 pupils. 

Tiie chief control of the scshools is vested in a Board of Education, 
consisting of the Governor, Surveyor-General, and Superintendent of 
Public Instruction. The last official is the executive officer of the 
Board, and has the direct supervision of the schools. Each county 
elects a Superintendent, who directs its educational interests, and 
reports to the State Superintendent. The counties are divided into 
districts, each of which is under the immediate control of a Board of 
Trustees, chosen by the people. Where the voters fail to elect the 
Trustees, they are appointed by the County Superintendent. The 
State Superintendent appoints a Board of Examiners, consisting of 
three competent persons, for each county. These Boards are charged 
with the duty of examining teachers and granting cerfificates. 

There is a permanent school fund, and measures are on foot for the 
establishment of schools of a hiji-her trrade. 



FINANCES. 

The State debt in 1874 was about $733,528, and is payable in coin. 
During the year 1874, tiie receipts of the Treasury amounted to 
i^570,277, and the expenditures to $641,856. 



NEVADA. 1019 

GOVERNMENT. 

The Constitution of Nevada was adopted in 1864. By its terms, 
every male citizen of the United States, who has resided in the State 
six months, and in the county thirty days, is entitled to vote at the 
elections. Convicts, idiots, and insane persons are excluded from the 
ballot. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Attorney-General, and 
a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 19 members), and an Assem- 
bly (of 38 members), all chosen by the people. The Governor and 
other State officers are elected for four years. 

The judicial power is invested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, 
Probate Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. All judges are elected 
by the people. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice, and 
two Associate Justices, chosen for four years. 

The seat of Government is established at Carson City. 

The State is divided into 17 organized counties. 

HISTORY. 

Nevada was originally a part of Utah Territory, and constituted 
the western part of it. In 1861, it was erected into a Territory, and 
was admitted into the Union as a State on the 31st of October, 1864. 

Previous to the discovery of silver, it was almost entirely neglected 
by emigrants. In the summer of 1859, silver was found in the 
Washoe district, and as if by magic settlers began to pour in. 
Virginia City sprang up in a marvellously short time, and in 1864 
was the second city on the Pacific coast. 

• The circumstances attending the discovery of silver, were as 
follows : 

" The Washoe silver mines were first discovered by Mr. Patrick 
McLaughlin, an ' honest miner,' who was working for gold in a gulch 
or ravine, and where he was making $100 a day to the hand. As he 
and his companions followed up the gulch, it paid even better, until, 
on arriving at a certain point, it gave out altogether, and they struck 
a vein of pure sulphuret of silver, which they at first supposed to be 
coal, but observing that it was very heavy, they concluded it must be 
valuable, and sent one of their number to San Francisco with some 
of the black ore to ascertain its value. It was given to a Mr. 



1020 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Killaley, an old Mexican miner, to assay. Killaley took the ore 
lioine and assayed it. The result was so astounding that the old man 
got terribly excited. The next morning })Oor Killaley Avas found 
dead in his bed. He had long been in bad health, and the excite- 
ment killed him. Immediate search was made for the original 
deposit, which resulted in the since famous Comstock lode. AVhere 
first found, this lode has no outcropping or other indication to denote 
its presence. The first assay of the rock taken from the lode when 
first struck gave a return of $266 of gold and silver per ton, there being 
a larger proportion of gold than silver. Subsequent assays of ore 
taken from the vein, as it was sunk upon, showed a rapid increase in 
richness, until the enormous return was made of $7000 to the ton — 
$4000 in gold and $3000 in silver. Still later assays of choice pieces 
of ore have given a return of $15,000 to the ton. In this case these 
ounce assays did not mislead, but a va.st difference is to be observed 
between rich ore and a rich mine. A poor mine often yields specimens 
of rich ore, which through the ounce assay, serves but to delude. 
The true test of the value of a silver mine is the quantity of the ore, 
and the average yield of the ore in bulk after the establishment of 
reduction works." 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, Virginia City, and Austin, are the principal 
towns. 

CARSON CITY, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Ormsby* county, at the eastern 
base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 4 miles west of Carson 
River, 250 miles (by railway) east of San Francisco, and 15 miles 
south-by-west of Virginia City. It was founded in 1858, and lies in 
a fertile plain in the midst of some of the grandest scenery on the 
Continent. The State buildings, the Court House, State Prison, and 
United States Mint, are the principal edifices. In 1870, the popula- 
tion was 3042. 

YIRGINIA CITY, 

The largest and most important city in the State, is situated in Storey 
county, among rocky ledges and ravines, on the eastern slope of 
Mount Davidson, 15 miles north-northeast of Carson City. The 
principal streets are level, having been in many places graded through 
the haruJ rock. In the business sections are manv solid blocks of 



NEVADA. 1021 

stone, five stories high, and the suburbs contain many beautiful and 
costly private residences. It contains 4 churches and schools, and 
several newspaper offices. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied with 
pure spring water, which is distributed through iron pipes. In 1870, 
the population was 7008. 

The city owes its prosperity and growth to the silver mines with 
which it is surrounded. The famous Comstock lode was discovered 
here in June, 1859. The mines are the richest in the State, and are 
said to have yielded in 1864, |10,425,350 worth of silver. Diu-ing 
the great excitement which followed the discovery of silver, Virginia 
•City was the headquarters of all the adventurers who flocked to the 
mines. At one time the population was from 15,000 to 20,000. 
Since then it has settled down to a better and more prosperous life. 



CALIFORNIA. 

Area, 188,981 Square Miles. 

Population in 1860, 397,994 

Population in 1870, 560,223 

The State of California is situated between 32° 32' and 42° N. 
latitude, and between 114° 20' and 124° 22' W. longitude. It is 
about 700 miles long, and has an average width of 180 miles. It is 
bounded on the north by Oregon, on the east by Nevada and Arizona, 
on the south by Old California (which is a part of the Republic of 
Mexico), and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

"California is an extremely rugged country, a large portion of its 

surface being covered with mountains The Sierra Nevada, or 

Snowy Mountains, which bound the Sacramento Valley on the east, 
include a series of ranges which, collectively, are 70 miles wide. The 
general name for the group is derived from the snow, which is rarely 
absent from the higher peaks in the range. The Coast Range, which 
bounds it on the west, also consists of a series of chains, aggregating 
40 niile.s in width, bordering the State from its northern to its southern 
boundary. There is a most remarkable difference in the structure and 
conformation of the two series. The Sierra Nevada ranges may be 
traced in consecutive order for an immense distance, while in the Coast 

Range all is in confusion and disorder Those portions of this 

range which skirt the coast in Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino coun- 
ties, between latitude 38° and 40°, are tolerably well timbered ; but 
south of Bodega Bay and north of Mendocino county, except about 
Monterev Bay and Santa Cruz, the coast line presents a bleak and 
1022 



CALIFORNIA. 1023 

sterile appearance. All the valleys in the range which are open to 
the coast are narrow, and trend nearly east and west. The Salinas, 
the most extensive of these coast valleys, is nearly 90 miles in length, 
by 8 to 14 miles in width, a large portion of which is adapted to ao-ri- 
cultural purposes — being exceedingly fertile, producing abundance of 
wild oats and clover, where not under cultivation. The Russian River 
valley, which also opens to the sea, is also very fertile. Further inland, 
sheltered from the cool sea breezes by the outer range of mountains, 
are many tolerably broad and very beautiful valleys, which produce 
the finest grain, fruit and vegetables raised in this part of the coast. . . . 
The outer coast valleys are generally separated by steep, barren ridges, 
while those inland, are divided by gently sloping hills, somewhat 
similar to the rolling prairie lands of Illinois, and are susceptible of 
cultivation over their entire surface. All the coast valleys are tolerably 

well watered To the peculiarly isolated position of Monte 

Diablo — standing aloof as it does, from the throng of peaks that rise 
from the Coast Range, like a patrician separated from plebeians, the 
beauty of its outline commanding the attention of the traveller by land 
or sea — makes it a landmark not possible to mistake, and causes its 
summit to be a centre from whence may be viewed a wider range of 
country than can be seen from almost any other point in the State. 
0x1 the north, east, and southeast, may be seen a large portion of the 
great valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, with many thriving 
towns and villages, environed with gardens and farms, while sweeps 
aiid slopes of verdure mark the distant plains with hues inimitable 
by art. In the extreme distance, as a border to this grand panorama, 
rising range upon range, is seen the Sierra Nevada mountains, stretch- 
ing along the horizon upward of 300 miles. In an opposite direction 
the beautiful valleys of the Coast Range come into view, with all the 
charming features of prosperous and skilled rural industry, and the 
broad bay of San Francisco, where are riding at anchor a fleet of ships, 
from the masts of which the ensigns of nearly all nations may be seen 
fluttering ; while beyond, extending from the water-line to the very 
summit of the highest hills, is San Francisco City, the home of nearly 
one-fourth the population of the State. To the right is seen the forts 
and earthworks that guard the Golden Gate, while beyond, as far as 
the eye can reach, is the Pacific Ocean, bearing on its bosom number- 
less vessels, passing to and fro on the peaceful mission of commerce."* 

* " The Natural Wealth of California." By T. F. Cronise. 



1024 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




ORIGIXAL I3TG TREE (30 feet in diameter) 



The higliest peaks of the Coast llange are Mt. San Bernardino, 
8500 feet high, Mt. San Gorgonio, 7000 feet, Mt. Hamilton, 4433 
feet, Mt. Diablo, 3876 feet, Mt. Ripley, 7500 feet, and Mt. St. Johh, 
and Mt. Linn. The height of the last two has not yet been accurately 
determined. The principal peaks of the Sierra Nevada are Mt. Whit- 
ney, 15,000 feet, Mt. Cawiah, 14,000 feet, Mt. Silliraan, 11,800 feet, 
Mt. Tyndall, 14,200 feet, Table Mountain, 13,000 feet, Mt. Brewer, 
13,700 feet, Mt. Goddard, 13,000 feet, Mt. Lyell, 13,500, Mt. Dana, 
13,500, and Castle Peak, 13,000. In the northern part of the State, 
the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range unite. The principal peaks of 
this region are Mt. Shasta, 14,440 feet, Mt. Lassen, Downieville 
Buttes, 8840 feet, and Pilot Peak, 7300 feet. 

The most important valleys along the coast are the Santa Clara, 
San Gabriel, Los Angeles, Salinas, Pajaro, Amador, San Ramon, 
Suisim, Napa, Sonoma, Petaluma, Russian River, and Humboldt Bay. 

In the southeastern part of the State is a sterile region 140 miles 
long and 70 miles wide, known as the Colorado Desert. When the 
Colorado River overflows its banks the centre of this tract, which Is 
70 feet below the level of the sea, is converted into a lake. At other 
times, it is an arid, dreary waste. North of this desert is a tract called 



CALIFORNIA. 1025 

the Mohave JBcusin. It is watered by a few streams, all of which 
empty into small salt lakes, which dry up in the summer. The waters 
of these lakes are strongly impregnated with alkaline salts. No fish 
can live in them, and the wat(>r of some of them scalds the skin of a 
human being, and produces painful sores. 

The coast is indented with several fine bays. Beginning on the 
north, the most important are Trinidad, Humboldt, Bodega, Tomales, 
Sir Francis Di-ake, San Francisco, Monterey, El.stero, San Luis, San 
Pedro, and San Diego Bays. All these, except the Bay of San Fran- 
cisco, open directly upon the ocean. San Francisco J5o3/ is the best 
harbor on the Pacific Ocean, as well as the largest. It extends inland 
for about 60 miles, north and south, and is 14 miles wide at its broadest 
part. About 30 miles from its northern extremity it communicates 
with the Pacific through a strait two miles long, and about six miles 
wide, which breaks through the range of highlands which lines the 
coast at this point. This entrance is very picturesque, and is known 
as the Golden Gate. The northern j)art of the bay is called San Pablo 
Bay, and communicates through the Straits of Carquinez, with Suisin 
Bay, 16 miles long and 5 miles wide, which is formed by the united 
waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The city of San 
Francisco is situated on the west shore of the southern part of San 
Francisco Bay, just within the Golden Gate. Several towns lie along 
the shore, and four or five small islands lie in the bay. 

The principal rivers of the State are the Sacramento and the San 
Joaquin. The Sacramento River rises in the northern part of the 
State, near the foot of Mt. Shasta, and flows in a generally southern 
direction into Suisin Bay, through which it communicates with the 
Bay of San Francisco. It is the most important river in the State, is 
400 miles long, and is navigable for steamers for 300 miles. It flows 
through a valley about 50 miles wide, which is almost a perfect level, 
and is remarkably open. Its principal tributaries (commencing on 
the north) are the Pitt, Feather, Yuba, and American rivers, which 
rise along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Sacramento City 
is the principal place on the main river. The San Joaquin River rises 
in the Sierra Nevada, near the centre of the State. It flows south for 
a short distance, and then, meeting the outlet of Tulare Lake, changes 
its course, and flows north-northwest into Suisin Bay, at the mouth 
of the Sacramento. It is about 350 miles long, and is navigable for 
about 200 or 250 miles. Its chief tributaries rise in the Sierra Nevada. 
They are the Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. 



1026 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The Moquelumne joins the Sacramento and San Joaquin at their junc- 
tion. It rises in the Sierra Nevada, almost due east from its mouth. 
The streams which flow into the Pacific (beginning on the north) are 
the Eel and Russian rivers, above San Francisco Bay, and the Salinas, 
Guiainas, Santa Inez, Santa Clara, Santa Anna, San Luis, San Diego, 
and Tia Juana rivers — all small streams. The Colorado forms the 
southeast boundary of the State, and the Klamath River, of Oregon, 
flows through the northwest. Several lakes lie in the State. The 
principal are Tulare, Clear, Owen Mountain, and Mono Lakes. Tulare 
Lake is 35 miles long, and empties its waters into the San Joaquin 
River. The rest are small lakes. 

MINERALS. 

" The great and distinguishing feature of California is, however, its 
unexampled mineral wealth. The first discoveries of gold were made 
in 1848, when $10,000,000 were taken from the mines, increasing to 
$40,000,000 in 1849, and upwards of $65,000,000 in 1853. No re- 
turns are made of the quantity taken from the mines, and the mint 
records are the only official data existing upon the product for any 
portion of the Pacific coast. Various estimates have been made by 
riiining engineers, bankers, and other intelligent and practical business 
men in San Francisco, and elsewhere in California, as to the total 
product of that State since 1848. These estimates vary from eight 
handred millions to one billion. From the commencement of 1849 to 
the close of 1866, upward of seven hundred and eighty-five millions 
have been manifested at San Francisco for exportation, all of which, 
with the exception of sixty-five millions, appears to have been the 
product of California. How large a portion of gold found its way out 
of the State without being manifested for exportation, is, of course, a 
niiatter of conjecture, different autliorities estimating it from one hun- 
dred to three hundred millions. But either estimate is sufficient to 
furnish an idea of the immensity of the mineral wealth of the State. 
Silver mines in the State are comparatively inconsiderable, yet quan- 
tities of that metal are annually obtained by separating it from gold, 
with which it is, in small portions, generally united when taken from 
the mines. The quicksilver mines of California are among the most 
valuable, and have, since their discovery, materially contributed to 
the prosperity of the mining interests, not only of California and the 
adjoining States, but also of Mexico and South America. All the 
useful metals, such as iron, lead, copper, tin, and zinc, exist in this 



CALIFORNIA. t027 

region. Coal has been discovered in diiJerent localities, and marble, 
gypsum, and valuable building stone, are abundant. Some of the 
rarer and more valuable minerals, as the agate, topaz, cornelian, 
amethyst, and, in some instances, the diamond, have been found."* 

It is stated that between the years 1849 and 1864, the total amount 
of treasure exported from California through the Custom House, was 
valued at $695,684,879, and thht the amount taken from the State, 
without being manifested at the Custom House, was about |150,000,- 
000, making the total yield of the State during that period nearly 
$850,000,000. 

CLIMATE. 

" The climate of California is too much varied to be considered us 
a whole. It might be regarded almost as a heterogeneous mixture of 
the tropical and the arctic. From the capital city (Sacramento), under 
the noonday sun of the summer solstice, with a temperature of from 
90° to 100°, exceeding the extreme summer heat of the Atlantic 
States, you will see the snows glistening on the Sierras at no great 
distance. And by taking the cars on the trans-continental railroad, a 
few hours travel will transport you to an arctic landscape. On the 
other hand, embarking on the steamer for San Francisco, at two 
o'clock in the afternoon, and travelling in the opposite direction, before 
night you are shivering in the cold sea-breeze which sweeps up the 
bay. It is not necessary to journey so far in order to experience the 
same transition. You have only to cross any of the mountain walls 
which separate the ocean and bay from the interior, and which dam 
out the cold ocean atmosphere. There are essentially two climates in 
California, the land climate and the sea climate. The latter derives 
its low temperature from the ocean, the water of which, along the 
coast, stands at from 52° to 54° all the year round. The evenness of 
the ocean temperature is owing to a steady current from the north, 
which is accompanied also by winds in the same direction during the 
entire summer season, or rather from April to October, inclusive. 
Almost daily, during this period, a deluge of cold, damp air, of the 
same temperature as the ocean over which it has passed, is poured 
upon the land. It is mostly laden with mist, in dense clouds, which 
it deposits at the foot-hills, and on the slopes of the highlands, or car- 
ries a short distance into the interior, wherever there is a break in the 



* Eeport of the General Land-Office. 



1028 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RE80UPCES. 

laud wall. The land climate is as nearly as possible the opposite in 
every respect. In snnimer and autumn it is hot and dry. It under- 
iroes various modifications from the confio^uration of the surface of the 
earth. Even the mountains, which retain the snow to a late period, 
present a high temperature in the middle of the day ; and the presence 
of snow on their summits, in June, is owing to the great mass which 
has accumulated on them, rather tha'n to cold weather. A large dis- 
trict of territory lies between the jurisdiction of the two climates, and 
subject to their joint influence. It is composed chiefly of valleys sur- 
rounding the bay of San Francisco, and penetrating into the interior 
in every direction. There is no climate in the world more delightful 
than these valleys enjoy, and no territory more productive. Whilst 
the ocean prevents the contiguous land from being scorched in summer, 
it also prevents it from being frozen in winter. Hence, ice and snow 
are not common in the ocean climate. The difference in temperature 

is comparatively slight between summer and winter 

The absence of warm weather in the summer months is characteristic 
of the coast climate, and strikes a stranger forcibly. The most ordi- 
nary programme of this climate for the year is as follows, beginning 
with the rainy season : The first decided rains are in November or 
December, when the country, after having been parched with drought, 
puts on the garb of spring. In January, the rains abate and vege- 
tation advances slowly, with occasional slight frosts. February is 
spring-like, with but little rain. March and April are pleasant and 
showery, with an occasional hot day. In May the sea-breeze begins, 
but does not give much annoyance. In June, just as warm weather 
is about to set in, the sea-breeze comes daily, and keeps down the 
temperature. It continues through July and August, occasionally 
holding up for a day or two, and permitting the sun to heat the air to 
the sweating point. In September, the sea-wind moderates, and there 
is a slight taste of summer, which is prolonged into the next month. 
The pleasant weather often lingers in the lap of winter, and is inte'*- 
rupted only by the rains of November or December." * 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of the valleys is fertile, and produces liberal cro])s. In 
the districts where water is scarce it does not yield so well. The 
mountain lands are generally poor and unfit for cultivation. 

* The Xatnral Wealtli of California. By T. F. Cronise. 



CALIFORNIA. 1029 

" The soil and climate of California, are eminently adapted to the 
growth of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, hops, tobacco, hay, and sor- 
ghum ; in certain localities, to corn, cotton, the southern sugar-cane, 
to almost every variety of garden vegetables cultivated east of the 
Rocky Mountains ; to the apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot, necta- 
rine, quince, fig, and grape ; and along the southern coast, to the 
orange, lemon, citron, olive, pomegranate, aloe, filbert, walnut, hard 
and soft-shell almond, currants, prunes, pine-apples, and the plantain, 
banana, cocoa-nut, and indigo. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, 
gooseberries, figs, grapes, and the hardier fruits, as the apple, peach, 
and pear, succeed M'ell in every portion of the State. There are very 
few parts of the world where fruit-trees grow so rapidly, bear so early, 
so regularly, so abundantly, and produce fruit of such size, and where 
so great a variety can be produced, and of such superior quality, as on 
the southern coast of California. /The pear is more especially the fruit- 
tree of California. It thrives in all parts of the State; neither tree 
nor fruit is subject to any form of disease, the fruit being everywhere 
of delicious flavor and large size. Some trees produce annually 40 
bushels of pears. The varied climate on the Pacific, its freedom from 
frosts, severe cold, and furious storms, give it special advantages as a 
fruit-growing region ; and although the trees grow more rapidly and 
bear much earlier than on the Atlantic, they are not subject to early 
decay. The fruit-trees of the missions, many of them 30 and 40 years 
old, are still in excellent condition, and full bearing, not having 
failed at any season during the past 20 years to produce good crops. 
Experience has established the fact, that the climate and soil of Cali- 
fornia are equal to any in the world in their adaptation to grape cul- 
ture and the manufacture of wine. The yield of the grape has 
been larger, its freedom from disease greater, than in the most cele- 
brated European vineyards. Three hundred varieties have been 
already successfully cultivated, including the choice foreign wine-pro- 
ducing grapes ; and so diversified are the soil and climate that all 
wines can be produced here, and even superior in quality to the im- 
ported. The vine in California is not subject to the oidium or grape 
disease, frequently so destructive in other countries, nor is it liable 
to mildew. The vineyards of the State seldom, or never, yield 
less than 1000 pounds of grapes per acre, and even 20,000 pounds 
have been produced. The crops are regular every year, and as there 
are neither severe frosts, nor hail, rain, nor thunder-storms, from the 
budding of the vines until the grape is gathered, they are not liable to 
63 



1030 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 





nYDiiAT:r>i(; mixing. 



the accidents and drawbacks attending tliem in other places. In 
Europe, tlie vine is trained with a stock four feet high, and support-ad 
by a pole put up every year to which the vine is fastened. In Cali- 
fornia it stands alone, the labor thus far being nothing compared with 
that bestowed upon the best European vineyards. The number of 
vines already set, all of which will be in full bearing in three years, is 
estimated at nearly thirty millions. In 1863, the total number 
planted in vineyards, in the State, was nearly three and a half millions, 
showing an increase of 25,000,000 in four years. Hock, champagne, 
port and claret, constitute the varieties of wine already exported. No 
doubt is entertained that when the California wine-makers have had 
the necessary experience, and their wines have attained sufficient age, 
they will take rank with the very best, and that its manufacture on 
the Pacific coast is destined to become of vast importance, while series 
of vineyards, stretching from San Diego to Mount Shasta, will within 
another quarter of a century add not only beauty, but substantial 
wealth to the State. Among the fruits cultivated on the southern 
coast during the present year, have been the orange, lemon, fig, lime, 
the English walnut, almond, olive, apricot, and nectarine, numbering 



CALIFORNIA. 1031 

in the aggregate between 400,000 and 500,000 trees, in a greater or 
less state of maturity. The cultivation of these and other fruits is 
rapidly extending in California with marked success." * 

In 1870, there were about 2,500,000 acres of improved or culti- 
vated land in the State. In the same year, the returns were as 
follows : 

Bushels of wheat, 21,500,000 

barley, • . 8,000,'ooO 

" oats, 1,200,000 

rye, 16,000 

" Indian corn, 1,000,000 

" buckwheat, 10,000 

" peas and beans, 214,000 

" peanuts, 78^000 

" Irish potatoes, 1,400,000 

Tons of hay, 350,000 

Pounds of hops, 570,000 

butter, 5,000,000 

" cheese, 3,000,000 

Gallons of wine, 4,000,000 

" brandy, 300,000 

Value of agricultural products, $89,000,000 

Number of liorses, 209,000 

" asses and mules, 24,000 

" cattle, 500,000 

" sheep, 2,200,000 

" swine, • . 412,000 

Pounds of wool (estimated), 5,000,000 

Stock-raising forms an important part of the industry of California, 
the climate being exceedingly favorable to it. Large numbers of 
horses, mules, oxen, beef-cattle, cows and sheep, are raised in the 
interior. 

COMMERCE. 

The City of San Francisco is the only port of any consequence in 
the State, but its situation is such as to render it one of the most im- 
portant places in the world. It is the great centre of the growing 
commerce of the Pacific Ocean, and occupies the same commercial 
position on the western coast of the Republic that New York does on 
the Eastern. The following statement will show the proportions 
which its commerce has assumed : 

"Trade and Commerce op San Francisco, for the first six 

* The Natural Wealth of California. By T. F. Cronise. 



1032 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

months of 1868 : — Imports from foreign countries, $8,000,000 gold ; 
from the Atlantic States, $22,457,000, currency; an increase of 
$8,000,000 over the same period last year. The exports were — mer- 
chandise, $11,000,000; coin, $20,000,000; total, §31,000,000 gold. 
The duties on imports amounted to $4,028,522, and the receipts of 
internal revenue, $3,000,000. During these six months, 1550 vessels 
arrived, bringing 500,000 tons of freight. The arrivals of passengers 
by sea were 32,186 ; departures, 11,367; net gain, 20,819. Of the 
$5,448,000 of merchandise shipped the first quarter of 1868, $4,316,- 
000 was fur some 50 articles of California produce, the principal items 
of which were as follows: wheat, $2,452,000; flour, $836,000; 
barley, $37,000 ; beans, $13,000; potatoes, $9000; borax, $10,000 ; 
quicksilver, $387,000; ores, $78,000; hides and skins, $116,000; 
Avool, $186,000; leather, $41,000; wine, $42,000; brandy, $9000 ; 
and bread, $12,000. The gold deposits at the San Francisco Branch 
Mint during the first three months of 1868, amounted to 60,000 
ounces, and the coinage to $1,312,000. The total exports of treasure 
for the first quarter of the past three years have been as follows : 
1866, $9,532,544; 1867, $9,825,304; 1868, $10,540,415. The ex- 
ports of merchandise for 1867 were $22,465,903 ; and of treasure, 
$41,676,722.16. About $6,000,000 was shipped east by the United 
States sub-treasurer, making the total, $47,676,292, and the aggregate 
of treasure and merchandise, $70,142,195. The total amount of 
treasure exported from 1849 to 1868, was $826,873,738.11." * 

In 1869, £he imports of the State were valued at $51,604,000, 
$36,104,000 being from the Atlantic ports of the Union, and $15,- 
500,000 from foreign countries. The exports for the same period, 
exclusive of treasure, were upwards of $23,000,000. The arrivals 
of vessels at San Francisco dui'ing 1869 were as follows: From 
Atlantic ports of the United States, 146 ; from foreign ports, 3524 ; 
from Pacific ports of the United States, 2904. 

MANUFACTURES. 

California is making rapid progress in manufactures. In 1870 
there were 3984 establishments in the State, employing a capital of 
$39,728,202, and producing goods to the amount of $66,594,556 
annually. The principal products were valued as follows 

* American Year Book, vol. i. p. 293. 



CALIFORNIA. 1033 

I'^K^l^er, $6,279,914 

^^our, 9,036,386 

Boots and shoes, 2 214 807 

Machinery, '..... 3!814,'817 

Liquors, 3,332,934 

Woollen goods, 1,102,754 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

In 1868, there were 321 miles of completed railroads in tiie State 
constructed at a cost of $24,200,000. The Pacific Railway, now in 
operation, extends from Sacramento City eastward into Nevada, with 
connecting lines from Sacramento to San Francisco and other points. 
The railroad interest of the State is rapidly advancing, and will soon 
be equal to its necessities. In 1872, there were 1013 miles of com- 
pleted railroads in the State. 

In 1865, there were in California 491 miles of turnpike, 62 toll 
bridges, and 78 ferries. The principal rivers are navigated by 
steamers, and stage routes extend through the most important parts 
of the State, not otherwise connected. 

EDUCATION. 

California has been very energetic in the cause of education. The 
school system of the State is under the supervision of a Superintendent 
of Public Instruction, who is elected by the people for four years. He 
is the executive officer of the State Board of Educatioi), which con- 
sists of the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the 
principal of the State Normal School, the Superintendents of schools 
in San Francisco, and in Sacramento, Santa Clara, and San Joaquin 
counties, and two professional teachers holding State diplomas. The 
counties are under the supervision of County Superintendents, elected 
for two years. Each school district is managed by a Board of Di- 
rectors, elected by the people. Certificates of competency for terms 
varying from the lifetime of the holder to one year, are granted by the 
State, City, and County Boards of Examiners. 

There is a State Normal School in successful operation. There are 
six colleges in California. The State University is located at Oak- 
land. It was established in 1855, and is liberally endowed. 

The permanent school fund amounts to about $800,000, and yields 
an income of over $50,000 per annum. In 1867, the total amount 
expended by the State for educational purposes was $1,168,583. 

In 1870, there were 1342 public schools in the State, conducted by 
1883 teachers, and attended by 75,527 pupils. 



1034 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The public schools of San Francisco are distinct from those of the 
State, but are included in the above statement. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The State Prison is located at San Quentin. It is well conducted, 
but is in need of enlarged accommodations. In 1867, there were 692 
convicts confined here. 

The Insane Asylum of California is at Stockton. It was opened in 
1851. In October, 1867, it contained 769 patients. 

The California Institution for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind is at San 
Francisco. It was opened in 1866, and in October, 1867, contained 
48 pupils. 

The State Reform School is at Marysville, and is in successful ope- 
ration, 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 532 churches in California. The value of 
church property was $7,404,235. The State contains large numbers 
of Chinese settlers, who are Pagans. 

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS. 

The libraries of California (other than private collections) contain 
about 200,000 volumes, more or less. 

In 1870, ti^ere were published in the State, 197 newspapers, and 
4 magazines, with an aggregate annual circulation of 47,472,756 
copies. Of tiiese, 141 were political (28 being dailies), 14 religious, 
18 literary and miscellaneous. 

FINANCES. 

In November, 1870, the public debt of the State was about $7,- 
000,000. The receij)ts of the Treasury for the fiscal year ending 
June 30th, 1870, were $3,508,164, and the expenditures for the same 
period, $3,814,037. 

All financial transactions in this State are in coin, or its equivalent. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male citizen of the United States, and every white male 
citizen of Mexico, who has become a citizen of the United States 
according to the terms of the treaty of Queretaro (May 20th, 1848), 



CALIFORNIA. 103o 

who is 21 years old, and has resided in the State six months and in 
the county thirty days, is entitled to vote at the elections. 

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Attorney-General, and a Legis- 
lature consisting of a Senate (of 40 members), and a House of Repre- 
sentatives (of 80 members), all chosen by the people. The State offi- 
cers and Senators are elected for four years, and Representatives for 
two years. One-half of the Senators retire biennially. Tiie general 
election is held in September, aud the Legislature meets biennially 
in December. 

The judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court, Dis- 
trict Courts, County Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. All judges 
are elected by the people. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief 
Justice aud four Associate Justices, elected for 10 years. Judges of 
the District Courts serve 6 years, and those of the County Courts 
4 years. 

The seat of Government is established at Sacramento. 

The State is divided into 50 counties. 

HISTORY. 

The term California is said by some writers to be derived from 
two Spanish words, Caliente fornalla, or homo, and to mean simply 
" a hot furnace." Other writers question this derivation. The 
Spaniards divided the country into two portions — Old California, 
which was then, as now, merely the Peninsula; and LTpper, or New 
California, which included the present States of California and Nevada, 
and the greater part of New Mexico. 

"California was discovered in 1548, by Cabrillo, a Spanish navi- 
gator. In 1758, Sir Francis Drake visited its northern coast, and 
named the country New Albion. The original settlements in Cali- 
fornia were mission establishments, founded by Catholic priests for 
the conversion of the natives. In 1769, the mission of San Diego 
was founded by Padre Junipero Serra. 

''.The mission establishments were made of adobe, or sun-burnt 
bricks, and contained commodious habitations for the priests, store- 
houses, offices, mechanic shops, granaries, horse and eattle pens, and 
apartments for the instruction of Indian youth. Around and attached 
to each, were, varying in diffiirent missions, from a few hundred to 
several thousand Indians, who generally resided in corucal-shaped 
huts in the vicinity, their place of dwelling being generally called the 



1036 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

rancheria. Attached to each mission were a few soldiers, for protect 
tion against hostilities from the Indians. 

" The missions extended their possessions from one extreme of the 
territory to that of the other, and bounded the limits of one mission 
by that of the next, and so on. Though they did not require so much 
land for agriculture, and the maintenance of their stock, they appro- 
priated the whole; always strongly opposing any individual who 
might wish to settle on any land between them. All the missions 
were under the charge of the priests of the order of San Francisco. 
Each mission was under one of the fathers, who had despotic authority. 
The general products of the missions were large cattle, sheep, horses, 
Indian corn, beans and peas. Those in the southern part of California, 
produced also the grape and olive in abundance. The most lucrative 
product was the large cattle, their hides and tallow affording an active 
commerce with foreign vessels, and being, indeed, the main support 
of the inhabitants of the territory. From 1800 to 1830 the missions 
were in the height of their prosperity. Then, each mission was a 
little principality, with its hundred thousand acres and its twenty 
thousand head of cattle. All the Indian population, except the 
'Gentiles' of the mountains, were the subjects of the padres, cultivat- 
ing for them their broad lands, and reverencing them with devout 
faith. The wealth and power in possession of the missions, excited 
the jealousy of the Mexican authorities. In 1833, the Government 
commenced a series of decrees, which eventually ruined them. In 
1845, the obliteration of the missions was completed by their sale at 
auction, and otherwise. 

'^ Aside from the missions, in California, the inhabitants were nearly 
all gathered in the presidios, or forts, and in the villages, called 'Los 
PueblosJ The presidios, or fortresses, were occupied by a few troops 
under the command of a military prefect or governor. The Padre 
President, or Bishop, was the supreme civil, military and religious 
ruler of the province. There were four presidios in Calafornia, each 
of which had under its protection several missions. They were respec- 
tively, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco. 
Within four or five leagues of the presidios, were certain farms, called 
ranchios, which were assigned for the use of the garrisons, and as de- 
positories of the cattle and grain M-hich Avere furnished as taxes from 
the missions. Los Pueblos, or towns, grew up near the missions. 
Their first inhabitants consisted of retired soldiers and attaches of the 
army, many of whom married Indian women. Of the villages of this 



CALIFORNIA. 1037 

description, there were but three, viz : Los Angelos, San Jos6, and 
Braneiforte. In later times, the American emigrants established one 
on the Bay of San Francisco, called Yerba Buena, i. e., good herb 
which became the nucleus of the flourishing city of San Francisco, 
Another was established by Captain Sutter, on the Sacramento, called 
New Helvetia. The larger pueblos were under the government of 
an alcalde, or judge, in connection with other municipal officers. 

"The policy of the Catholic priests, who held absolute sway in 
California until 1833, was to discourage emigration. Hence, up to 
about the year 1840, the villages named comprised all in California, 
independent of those at the missions ; and at that time, the free whites 
and half-breed inhabitants in California numbered less than 6000 
souls. The emigration from the United States first commenced in 1838 ; 
this had so increased from year to year, that, in 1846, Colonel Fre- 
mont had but little difficulty in calling to his aid some five hundred 
fighting men. Some few resided in the towns, but a majority were 
upon the Sacramento, where they had immense droves of cattle and 
horses, and fine farms, in the working of which they were aided by 
the Indians. They were eminently an enterprising and courageous 
body of people, as none other at that time would brave the perils of 
an overland journey across the mountains. In the ensuing hostilities 
they rendered important services. At that period, the trade carried on 
at the diffiirent towns was quite extensive, and all kinds of dry goods, 
groceries and hardware, owing to the heavy duties, ranged about 500 
per cent, above the prices in the United States. Mechanics and ordinary 
hands received from two to five dollars per day. The commerce was 
quite extensive, 15 or 20 vessels not unfrcquently being seen in the 
various ports at the same time. Most of the merchant vessels were 
from the United States, which arrived in the spring, and engaged in 
the coasting trade until about the beginning of winter, when they de- 
parted with cargoes of hides, tallow, or furs, which had been collected 
during the previous year. Whale ships also touched at the port for 
supplies and to trade, aqd vessels from various parts of Europe, the 
Sandwich Islands, the Russian settlements, and China." 

The Mexican revolution of 1822 overthrew the Spanish power in 
California, and made it a province of Mexico. The Government of 
that country directed its efforts to the task of secularizing the province, 
and finally stripped the fathers of their possessions and power. Severe 
measures were also practised towards the laity, and several effiarts were 
made by the Californians to throw off the Mexican yoke, and establish 



1038 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

their independence. They were finally quieted, and emigrants begaa 
to come out to the territory in great numbers. During the years 
1843, 1844, 1845, and 1846, the emigration was especially large, a 
very great proportion of the new settlers coming from the United 
States. 

Early in 1846, a quarrel broke out between the authorities and the 
American settlers. The Mexican commander undertook to expel the 
American settlers, who at once flew to arms, under the lead of Colonel 
John C. Fremont. By a series of bold and rapid movements the 
Americans made themselves masters of* the greater part of the country, 
and .proclaimed their independence of Mexico. At this juncture an 
American squadron, under Commodore Stockton, arrived on the coast 
with news of the declaration of war between the United States and 
Mexico. Several conflicts now occurred between the Americans and 
the Mexicans, the result being generally in favor of the former, and 
at the close of the war the greater part of the territory was lield by 
the United States. By the terms of the treaty of peace, Mexico ceded 
the territory of California to the United States for the sum of $15,- 
000,000. The white population was now about 15,000. 

In February, 1848, gold was discovered on the farm of Colonel 
Sutter, in Coloma county, and it was soon found that the precious 
metal was widely distributed all over the State. An enormous emi- 
gration at once set in from all parts of North and South America, 
from Europe, and from China. In about a year, the population of 
the territory was nearly a quarter of a million. A more reckless, 
daring, dangerous body of men never collected in any part of the 
world. An organized government became a necessity. 

General Riley, the military governor of the territory, summoned a 
convention to meet at Monterey, on the 1st of September, 1849. This 
convention adopted a Constitution, which was ratified by the j)opular 
vote, and on the 9th of September, 1850, Califoi'nia was admitted 
into the Union as a sovereign State. 

The first years of the new State were marked by excessive violence 
and disorder. The principal classes of the iniiabitants were the miners 
and gamblers. Crime of all kinds increased with frightful rapidity. 
In San Francisco especially, neither life nor property was safe. The 
authorities were either in league with the criminals, or incompetent 
to the task of putting a stop to the outrages from which the commun- 
ity suffered ; and in 1855 the citizens took the law into their own 
hands, organized a " vigilance committee," and by a rigorous admiuis- 



CALIFORNIA. 1039 

tration of justice brought the city to a condition of peace and order 
Since then it has never flagged in its career of prosperity. 

The growth of the State has been unprecedentedly rapid, and is now 
not far behind the most prosperous Atlantic communities. The 
Pacific Railroad is doing much to build it up, and by brino-ino- it 
nearer, in point of time, to the East, will enable it to acquire with 
still greater facility those refining and ennobling elements of civiliza- 
tion, without which its material prosperity would be comparatively 
worthless. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the most important places in the State are, San 
Francisco, San Josd, Marysvillc, Stockton, Nevada, Grass Valley, 
Petaluma, Yreka, Placerville, and Oakland. 

SACRAMENTO, 

The capital and second city of the State, is situated in the county of 
the same name, on the left bank of the Sacramento River, a short 
distance below the mouth of the American River, 75 miles in an air 
line northeast of San Francisco, and 120 miles by the river from that 
city. Latitude 38° 34' N., longitude 121° 26' W. The city lies in 
a level plain, and is regularly laid out. It has been raised ten feet 
above its original level, in order to protect it against the floods of the 
Wo rivers, and for its further security an artificial wall has been built 
around the American River, 4 feet above high water in the Sacramento ; 
the work cost $250,000. Sacramento has sufi^ered severely from 
freshets, the most disastrous being that of 1861-62, in which large 
amounts of property were destroyed. 

The street next to the river is called Front Street, the next Second 
Street, and so on ; the streets crossing these at right angles are named 
from the letters of the Al])habet. The numbered streets run north 
and south. The city is about 3 miles in length, and is divided into 
four wards. The principal business houses lie within the portion 
bounded by Fifth, Sixth, H, and L streets. In the business portion, 
the houses are built principally of brick. The dwellings are mostly 
of wood, and many are provided with handsome grounds. 

The principal building is the new Capitol, which promises to be 
when completed the most magnificent edifice in the West, and one 
of the finest in the Union. The Court House, now used as a State 
House, is a handsome building. Tlie State Agricultural Pavilion, 



1040 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

erected by the citizens of Sacramento for the annual fairs of the State 
Agricultural Society, is one of the finest buildings in California. 

The benevolent and charitable institutions embrace several noble 
societies for doing good. Among these are the County Hospital, and 
the Howard Society. 

The schools of the city are excellent. There are about 11 public 
schools, and about 8 or 10 private schools, including the Sacramento 
College and 3 Female Seminaries. There are 3 public libraries in the 
city, containing nearly 40,000 volumes. The State Library contains 
over 20,000 volumes. Three daily newspapers are published here. 
The city contains 12 or 13 churches, and is lighted with gas, and is 
governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870, the population was 
16,283. 

Sacramento is the largest inland city of California, and is admirably 
situated for trade. It can be reached by steamers and sailing vessels 
throughout the entire year. The Sacramento and its tributary the 
Feather River are navigable for small steamers above the city for a 
considerable distance. Sacramento, in consequence of its position, has 
become the point of supply for the great mining region of the State. It 
is connected with San Francisco by railway, and is the western terminus 
of the Central Pacific Railway, the eastern terminus of that road 
being near Salt Lake City, in Utah Territory. Railways to several 
parts of the State are under construction. 

Sacramento was founded in the Spring of 1849, the central part of 
the town being one mile below Sutter's Fort. It was originally called 
Nueva Helvetia. 

SAN FRANCISCO, 

The metropolis of the State, is situated on the west shore of the bay 
of the same name, in the county of San Francisco, 75 miles in an air 
line southwest of Sacramento, and 2500 miles in an air line from 
Richmond, Va., which is in about the same latitude. Latitude 37° 
47' 35" N., longitude 122° 26' 15" W. 

The city is located in a plain which slopes gently towards the bay, 
and is bounded by a number of hills at the back. The soil is sandy, 
and to the north are numerous sand-hills. The city is regularly laid 
off, the streets crossing each other at right angles. Montgomery 
street is the leading thoroughfare, and presents a handsome and 
attractive spectacle. California street is devoted to banking, broker- 
age, and insurance offices. On Stockton and Dupont streets, in the 



CALIFORNIA. 1043 

southern part of the city, are to be found many handsome residences. 
The first buildings of San Francisco were entirely of wood, but 
since the destructive fires that have several times laid the greater 
part of the city in ashes, brick and iron have been extensively used, 
and the more thickly settled portions are now substantially built. 
Many of the business houses are splendid fire proof structures. The 
city was originally built around a semi-circular bay, its limits, Clark's 
Point, on the north, and Rincon Point, on the south, being but a 
mile apart. This portion is now built up with heavy business houses, 
and the shore is lined with wharves supported upon piles driven into 
the river. Market street, a broad avenue, running southwest from 
the bay, divides the old and new portions of the city. San Fi-ancisco, 
like all the Pacific cities, presents an appearance of incompleteness, 
though it is rapidly improving in this respect, and is already begin- 
ning to wear a metropolitan air. Mr. Samuel Bowles, thus writes 
of the city of to-day : 

" This is a very ridiculous and repulsive town, in some aspects, and 
a very fascinating and commendable one, in others, -both materially 
and morally, physically and sesthetically. Its youth is its apology in 
one regard, its wonder and its merit on the other. The location must 
have been chosen for its water, and not its land privileges. It is set 
upon the inside of a range of the purest sand-hills, six or seven miles 
wide, blown up from the ocean, and still blowing up, between it and 
the bay. The main business streets are in the hollows, or on the flat 
land, made by pulling down the sand from the hills. But go out of 
these in any direction, and you are confronted by steep hills. Some 
of these are cut through, or being cut through ; others are scaled, to 
make room for the spread of the town. The happy thought of winding 
the streets about their sides, which would have made a very picturesque 
and certainly get-around-able town, came too late. If but the early 
San Franciscans had thought of Boston, and followed the cow-paths, 
what a unique, nice town they would have made of this ! Only I 
fear there never was even an astray cow on these virgin sand-hills, as 
innocent of verdure as a babe of sorrow or vice. The modern American 
straight line style was the order, no matter what was in front ; and 
the result is that going about San Francisco is all collar and breeching 
work for man and beast. The consequence is, also, there are only two 
or three streets that you can think of driving out of town on. The 
only way to get up and down the others with a horse, is to go zig-zag 
from one side to the other. Some of the principal residence streets 



1044 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

are after this fashion, however ; I found our friend, Rev, Horatu) 
Stebbins, of the Unitarian Church, here, holding on by main strength 
to a side hill that runs up at an angle of something like thirty de- 
grees. And so they run up and down, and the city is straggling 
loosely over these hills for several tniles in all directions. Some of 
the highest of the knobs are being cut down, and this leaves the early 
houses, — that is, those built four or five years ago, — away up one 
hundred feet or more in the air, and reached by long flights of steep 
steps. 

" Wherever the hill-sides and tops are fastened Avith houses or 
pavements, or twice daily seduced witli water, there the foundations 
are measurably secure, and the deed of the purchaser means some- 
thing ; but all elsewhere, all the open lots and unpaved paths are still 
undergoing the changing and creative process. The daily winds 
swoop up the soil in one place, and deposit it in another in great 
masses, like drifts of snow. You will often find a suburban street 
blocked up with fresh sand ; and the owner of vacant lots needs cer- 
tainly to pay them daily visits in order to swear to title ; and the 
chance is anyway that, between one noon and another, he and his 
neighbor will have changed properties to an indefinite depth. Inci- 
dental to all this, of course, are clouds of sand and dust through all 
the residence and open parts of the city, making large market for soap 
and clothes-brushes, and putting neat housekeepers quite in despair 
for their furniture. Naturally enough, there is a looseness on the 
subject of cleanliness that would shock your old-fashioned New 
England housewives. 

** But then, as compensation, the winds give health, — keeping the 
town fresh and clean ; and the hills oifer wide visions of bay and 
river, and islands and sister hills, — away out and on with varying life 
of shipping, and manufactures, and agriculture; and, hanging over all, 
a sky of azure with broad horizons. Ocean ward is Lone Mountain 
Cemetery, covering one of the hills with its scrawny, low-running, 
live oak shrub tree, and its white monuments, conspicuous among 
which are the erections to those martyrs to both western and eastern 
civilization and progress, — Broderick, the mechanic and senator, James 
King of William, the editor, and Baker, the soldier. Here is the old 
mission quarter, there the soldiers' camp, yonder, by the water, the 
bristling fort, again the conspicuous and generous Orphan Asylum, 
monument of the tenderness and devotion of the women of the city, 
and to the left of that still, the two Jewish Cemeteries, each with its 



CALIFORNIA. IO45 

appropriate and tasteful burial chapel. No other American city 
holds in its very centre such sweeping views of itself and its neighbor- 
hood. 

" Then the little yards around the dwellings of the prosperous, even 
of those of moderate means, are made rich with all the verdure of a 
green-house, with only the cost of daily watering. The most delicate 
of evergreens ; roses of every grade and hue ; fuchsias vigorous and 
high as lilac bushes; nasturtiums sweeping over fences and up house 
walls; flowering vines of delicate quality, unknown in the East; 
geraniums and salvias, pansies and daisies, and all the kindred summer 
flowers of New York and New England, grow and blossom under 
these skies, throughout the whole year, — the same in December and 
January as in June and August, — with a richness and a profusion that 
are rarely attained by any out-door culture in the East. The public 
aqueducts furnish water, though at considerable expense, and pipes 
convey and spread it in fine spray all over yard and garden. The 
result is, every man's door-yard in the city is like an eastern conser- 
vatory ; and little humble cottages smile out of this city of sand- 
hills and dust, as green and as yellow, and as red and as purple, as 
gayest of garden can make them. There is no aristocracy of flowers 
here ; they greet you everywhere in greatest profusion, and are 
tender solace to home-sick heart, and cheap and sweet tonic to weary 
brain. 

" Kindred contrasts force themselves upon the observant stranger, 
in the business and social life of the town. Some of the finest quali- 
ties are mingled with others that are both shabby and 'shoddy.' 
There is sharp, full development of all material powers and excellen- 
cies ; wealth of practical quality and force ; a recklessness and rioting 
with the elements of prosperity ; much dash, a certain chivalric honor 
combined with carelessness of word, of integrity, of consequence ; a 
sort of gambling, speculating, horse-jockeying morality, — born of the 
uncertainties of mining, its sudden heights, its equally surprising 
depths, and the eager haste to be rich, — that all require something of 
a re-casting of relationships, new standards, certainly new charities, in 
order to get the unaccustomed mind into a state of candor and justice. 
People who know they are smart in the East, and come out here 
thinking to find it easy wool-gathering, are generally apt to go home 
shorn. Wall street can teach Montgomery street nothing in the way 
of 'bulling' and 'bearing,' and the 'corners' made here require both 
quick and long breath to turn without faltering. 



1046 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

" Men of mediocre quality are no better off here than in older cities 
and States. Ten or fifteen years of stern chase after fortune, among 
the mines and mountains, and against the new nature of this original 
country, has developed men here with a tougher and more various 
experience in all the temporalities of life, and a wider resource for 
fighting all sorts of ' tigers,' than you can easily find among the 
present generation in the Eastern States. Nearly all the men of 
means here to-day have held long and various struggle with fortune, 
failing once, twice or thrice, and making wide wreck, but buckling on 
the armor again and again, and trying the contest over and over. So 
it is throughout the State and the coast; I have hardly met an old 
emigrant of '49 and '50, who has not told me of vicissitudes of fortune, 
of personal trials, and hard work for bread and life, that, half-dreamed 
of before coming here, he would never have dared to encounter, and 
which no experience of persons in like position in life in the East can 
parallel. 

''In consequence partly of all this training, and partly of the great 
interests and the wide regions to be dealt with, the men I find at the 
head of the great enterprises of this coast have great business ])ower, — 
a wide practical reach, a boldness, a sagacity, a vim, that I do not 
believe can be matched anywhere in the world. London and New York 
and Boston can furnish men of more philosophies and theories, — men 
who have studied business as a science as well as practised it as a 
trade, — but here are the men of acuter intuitions, and more daring 
natures ; who cannot tell you why they do so and so, but who will do 
it with a force that commands success. Such men have built up and 
direct the California Steam Navigation Company, that is to the waters 
of this State what the Oregon Company is to those of that, commanding 
the entire navigation, and furnishing most unexceptionable facilities 
for trade and travel ; the California and Pioneer Stage Companies, 
that equally command the stage travel of the coast ; the woollen mills 
of this city ; the Wells & Fargo Express Company ; the great maciiine 
shops of Pacific street; the Pacific Mail Steamship Company; and the 
great private banking houses, of which there are many and most 
prosperous. Much British capital is invested in banking here ; not 
only in original houses, but through branches of leading bankers in 
London, India, and British Columbia. But chief of the banks is the 
Bank of California, with two millions of capital, divided into only 
forty shares of fifty thousand dollars each, and owned by fewer than 
that number of persons, who represent a total property of thirteen 



CALIFORNIA. 1047 

millions (gold). This institution does about half the banking of the 
city, and its average cash movement every steamer day, in shipments 
of bullion and drafts, is five millions of dollars. It keeps the best 
commercial and financial writer of the coast in its employ, has agents 
in all the centres of productive wealth in the Pacific States, invest*, 
directly or indirectly, in most of the leading enterprises of the State, 
has an eye out for the politics and religion of the country, and, to a 
very considerable extent, 'runs' California every way." 

The principal buildings are the City Hall, fronting upon the Plaza 
or Portsmouth square ; the United States Custom House, in which is 
located the Post Office ; the United States Marine Hospital ; the United 
States District Court Building ; the United States Mint ; the Mercantile 
Library Building; the Masoiiic and Odd Fellows' Halls. Some of these 
are elegant structures, and would do credit to any eastern city. 

There are upwards of 50 church edifices in San Francisco. Some 
of these are very handsome, and are among the principal ornaments, 
of the city. 

There are 3 High Schools, 8 Grammar Schools, and 24 Primary 
Schools in San Francisco. The amount expended annually by the 
city for the free education of children averages about $210,000. Some 
of the School buildings are among the finest in the country. The 
city also contains about 75 excellent and flourishing private schools. 
There are also several public libraries in the city ; 46 newspapers 
and periodicals are published here : 9 are daily ; 26 weekly ; 3 tri- 
weekly; 2 semi- weekly; 7 monthly; and 2 semi-monthly. These 
include journals published in the French, Spanish, Italian and Ger- 
man languages. 

The benevolent and charitable institutions are numerous, liberally 
supported, and well conducted. They embrace the United States Marine 
Hospital, the State Institution for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind, the Cit'i/ 
and County Hospital, several Orphan Asylums, and several societies 
for the relief of suffering and distress. 

The principal cemeteries are Calvary and Lone Mountain Cemetery. 
The latter is very beautiful. The Cemetery of the Old Mission, a 
few miles from the city, is interesting, as is also the Mission itself It 
was built in 1776, and is constructed of adobe in the old Spanish style. 

The hotels of San Francisco are excellent, and two of these, the 
Lick House and Occidental Hotel, are among the finest and best man- 
aged houses in the Union. The principal houses are the Grand Lick, 
Occidental, Buss, Cosmopolitan, and Continentcd. 
64 



1048 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The places of amusement are numerous. There are 3 first-class 
theatres. 

The distant points of the city are connected by a street railway. 
The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with pure water from 
Mountain Lake, which lies about 3^- miles west of the corporate limits. 
It possesses an efficient police force, and a reliable and well managed 
fire department, consisting of hand and steam engines. It is governed 
by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 149,482, 
making it the tenth city of the Republic. 

San Francisco contains a large population of Chinese. These num- 
ber at present about 15,000, and inhabit a distinct quarter — the dirtiest 
and most disorderly — of the city. They are principally men, but few 
women of their own race being among them. A recent writer thus 
'sketches tiie " Chinese Quarter:" 

" We could hardly realize that we were still in the United States, 
the whole surroundings were so unfamiliar. Chests of tea covered 
with hieroglyphics, piles of curious shaped and colored garments, 
formed a fitting background for the noiseless movements of the at- 
tendants as they went about their work. The atmosphere was heavy 
with opium smoke, rising in curling clouds from the tiny pipes held 
by two impassive figures seated on either side of the little table, which 
held the inevitable lamp and the tiny transparent cups to be found in 
every Chinese domicile. Mr. Choy Chew, himself, a courteous, agree- 
able gentleman, seemed a vision, the creature of Dreamland, as he sat 
perched upon a high stool opposite our party. His smooth face, 
shaven head and pigtail, the dark blue color and curious fashioning 
of his broad cloth ' blouse,' and, above all, his restless, gleaming black 
eyes, were in marked contrast to the familiar appearance of the gen- 
tlemen of our ptu-ty, with their bearded faces, closely cut hair, and 
American style of dress. 

"It was hard to shake off the feeling that this was but a vision of 
Shadow-land. We looked out of the windows, but gained no help 
there, for the street was full of quickly moving figures, clad in the 
same odd attire, with their boat-shaped shoes, walking noiselessly up 
and down, intent on their own affairs 

" At a few words — all tang and chang and yang, except those that 
were ski and chi — an oldish Chinaman handed to us, on a tea-box lid, 
some curious, dried, brown objects, not unlike black walnuts in appear- 
ance. Following Mr. Choy Chew's example, and crushing them between 
our fingers, there developed an inner kernel, resembling a dried prune 



CALIFORNIA. 1049 

in looks and taste. These we were informed were a species of 
Chinese fruit. Our host then MTote for us, on Chinese paper, his 
name and address in English and Chinese, using a camel's-hair brush 
and India ink, and writing (or painting would be a more applicable 
term) with as great rapidity as though the best Gillott pen and writing 
fluid were his implements. 

" The evening previous to this visit, while prowling around Sacra- 
mento street, and watching the curious Celestials in their every-day 
life, our attention was attracted by a singular arrangement on a door- 
step, and we stopped for a nearer view. Nine tiny lights were 

arranged after this fashion 

• • • 

• • • • • • 

upon the two ends and in the middle of the door-stone. While pon- 
dering and commenting, the door suddenly opened, disclosing a China- 
man with a bowl containing ashes and fire in one hand, in the other a 
huge wisp of burning scented paper. This he waved over the tiny 
lights, performed some rapid hocus pocus, bumped his head on the door- 
sill, and vanished, the door closing with the same quiet celerity which 
marked its opening. The lights burned brighter, and save for that 
no token remained of this performance. We looked at each other 
more bewildered than before, and took up our line of progress in a 
dazed manner, mentally querying whether we had not been uncon- 
sciously dropped into some strange land, and not quite recovering our 
equanimity until some distance lay between us and the scene which 
so puzzled us. 

" With this occurrence vividly before us, we queried of Mr, Choy 
Chew as to what it might mean. He told us that their people wor- 
ship the moon; that once a year, when the moon is 'at its bigness 
and roundest,' they ' make holiday ;' and that evening had been the 
fulness of the harvest moon ; so their people had celebrated it, and 
the performance we had witnessed was a burning of incense in honor 
of pale Cynthia. We then inquired if strangers would be allowed to 
visit the Chinese tem])les, and were told they had no temples in 
America, but only miserable little 'joss-houses,' where we would find 
not much to interest. If, however, we would take the trouble to go, 
there was one up a court, just above Stockton street. And so we made 
our adieux, exchanging shakes of the hand with one after another 
who came forward smiling effusively, and departed to find the 'joss- 
house.' On the way we meet How Yang, an acquaintance made the 
day before, and under his guidance we proceeded to the court, into a 



1050 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

little house, up stairs to a back-room, entering through a small ante- 
room ; and here we found ' Joss.' So far as we could learn, ' Joss ' is 
a corruption of the Spanish ' Dios,' and stands as a generic term for 
gods. The worship we saw, and that which is generally performed, 
seems to be of an appeasing nature. The evil spirits are those who 
are worshipped — those who will do harm if not conciliated by offerings 
and incense-burnings and genuflections. The room was a small one : 
an oldish and exceedingly dirty ' Chinee' (California vernacular) was 
clearing up generally, making the toilet of the exceedingly ugly and 
saturnine-looking idolship that sat in the centre of a long, low table 
covered with cloths stiff with quaint embroideries. A large china 
bowl, very similar to a mammoth punch bowl, was filled with ashes, 
in which were 'joss-sticks' burning slowly, and filling the air with 
their heavy, incense-like perfume. Round the room, in every possible 
place, hung strips of paper, of that red color so well known to us all 
on the outside of packs of fire-crackers, and covered with apparently 
identical characters. These are the jora^/ers, w^ritten out and pinned 
up in quantities. In one corner stood an uncouth representation of a 
tiger, the jaws widely distended and stuffed full of comestibles; rats 
and raw meat seeming to hold the chief place. This is to provide 
against probable hunger on the part of Mr. Tiger, and possible de- 
vouring of humanity. But for the all-pervading perfumed smoke 
from the burning 'joss-sticks,' the air of the room would have been un- 
bearable. Outside the door, in the little ante-room, was another bowl, 
also stuck full of burning sticks. 

" We were told that at certain seasons this room is filled to over- 
flowing with the articles of food brought and offered to their idols. 

" All the intelligent Chinamen we met deprecated our intention of 
going to see the 'joss-house,' saying it was not worth while; that they 
had no place of worship in this country; that what were here were 
only temporary substitutes. The men do not seem reverent. How 
Yang, we noticed, looked round the place with even more carelessness 
than we did, and seemed to feel utterly indifferent, and certainly was 
or pretended to be entirely ignorant as to the name and title of the 
presiding deity, and could not or would not answer any of our numer- 
ous questions. 

" We have since seen it stated that the women among the Chinese, 
as in most communities, are the devout worshippers ; and we have 
also heard that they are impelled to extra exertion in the matter by 
the fond belief that in the future condition the most relicrious will be 



CALIFORNIA. 1051 

elevated from feminine inferiority to masculine superiority — a belief, 
which, as the Chinese have very little respect for women, and treat 
them with neglect and contumely, gives great comfort — a comfort that 
possibly some of our strong-minded sisters might like to share, foi-, 
doubtless, it would afford huge satisfaction to those who struggle and 
strive after unattainable masculine prerogatives here to know that in 
a future state these will all be theirs of right and title. 

" We inquired closely of various residents of San Francisco who 
employ ' Chinee ' servants as to their qualifications and the satisfac- 
tion they give. In all cases the answers were favorable. They are 
docile, quick, honest, and reliable. O Biddy-ridden housekeepers! 
can it be that a day of deliverance is dawning? Did ever Norah or 
Biddy prove at once quick to learn and docile, honest and thoroughly 
reliable? Chinamen, however, are not remarkably cfe^w^i/, though 
they can be made so, but of themselves do not care for cleanliness. 
Neither godliness nor its next virtue has had any power over them. A 
friend told us that for delicious cooking she would put a Chinese cook 
foremost. One peculiarity is, that owing to the national low estimate 
of women, it promotes comfort to have many of the necessary orders 
promulgated directly from the gentleman of the household. A rather 
amusing incident came to our notice, illustrative of the difference it 
makes how one looks at a thing. One lady remarked, in a most em- 
phatic way, that one thing she would not permit, and that was to 
allow her Chinese cook to wear his queue down his back while about 
her premises. She had, after much difficidty, succeeded in obliging 
'John' to keep his queue bound around his head, and was triumph- 
ant. Another lady, apropos to the same subject, remarked that there 
was one thing persons employing Chinese servants ought to be most 
particular about : that it was a sign of intense disrespect and contempt 
when a Chinaman wore his pig-tail wrapped round his head, andnever 
should this be allowed by a mistress! 'Where ignorance is bliss,' 
probably applied in the first case; but the lady's self-gratulation on 
her success was extremely comical to us when we had the ' cue ' to the 
arrangement of the queue. 

"In laundry- work these people excel; we watched them quite fre- 
quently, and saw that in this worrisome portion of domestic labor 
they were most competent. They do most of the washing and iron- 
ing for Sun Francisco — do them cheaply (according to California 
rates) and well. To be sure their mode of sprinkling is unique, and 
not quite pleasant to think about, but it is thoroughly successful as U 



1052 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

results. We stopped one morning at Ho Sun's establishment. With 
the uniform good humor that greeted all our pryings, the busy ironerg 
looked up, nodded, and smiled, 'How do?' 'Walk in,' and went on 
assiduously with the piece in hand, evidently appreciating that wc 
were ' lookers on in Vienna.' A large bowl of water stood beside the 
iron; the ironer stooped his face down into it, taking up a mouthful 
of water, and by the action of the tongue against the teeth, ejected it in 
a fine spray like mist equally over the article to be sprinkled. Two 
mouthfuis thoroughly and uniformly dampened the piece, and then 
he commenced to iron. 

"On Sundays this portion of the city is alive; the barber shops 
are crowded with customers waiting their turn to be freely shaven, 
and to have their queues rebraided. The gambling houses, whose 
name is legion, overflow, the dreary squeak of the so-called music 
resounds on every side. In many shops and workrooms labor is 
going on ; shoe-making, cigar-rolling, and similar avocations are 
being pursued." 

San Francisco being the principal city on the Pacific coast is one 
of the most important commercial centres on the coast. It is con- 
nected with Omaha, Nebraska, by the Pacific Railway, and by 
railway with the most important cities of the State. Lines of 
steamers ply between the city and the towns on the bay, and along 
the navigable rivers emptying into the bay. It has steamship com- 
munication with the principal ports oij the Pacific coast, with New- 
York, via Panama, and with Japan and China. It is the centre of a 
large and growing commerce with all parts of the world. The 
statistics for the first six months of the year 1868, and for 1869, 
having been already presented in the section relating to the commerce 
of California, may be passed by here. In the same place the reader 
will find the returns of the shipment of treasure from this place. 

San Francisco was first settled in 1776, by the Spaniards, who built 
a mission and established a Presidio here. The place was called 
" Yerba Buena," or "good herb," from a plant of supposed medicinal 
virtue, which grew in great quantities in the neighboriiood. In 1839, 
it was laid out as a town. In 1845, it contained 150 inhabitants. 
The attention of American settlers was drawn to it about this time, 
and by 1847, the population had increased to 500. The result of the 
war between the United States and Mexico made California an 
American Territory, and it was about this time that the town changed 
its name to San Francisco. In December, 1847, gold was discovered 



CALIFORNIA. 



1053 




CAPE houn. 



in California. The news was scattered over the civilized world the 
next spring, and emigrants began to pour in from every country. 
By the middle of 1849, the town contained a population of 5000, 
the larger portion being mere adventurers, who were of no permanent 
advantage to the place. In 1850, the city of San Francisco was 
incorporated. It has grown rapidly, and having passed successfully 
through the stormy days of its pioneer history, is now in the enjoy- 
ment of a solid prosperity which promises to make it one of the 
greatest cities of the world. 

SAN JOSE, 
In Santa Clara county, is the third city of the State. It lies in the 
lovely valley of Santa Clara, on the right bank of the Guadaloupe 
River, about 8 miles above the head of San Francisco Bay, and about 
50 miles south-southeast of San Francisco, It is the most beautiful 
place on the Pacific coast, and lies in the "garden district" of the 
State, and is the centre of a large trade. It is laid off regularly, and 
is well built. It contains some fine public buildings, and a number 
of elegant private residences. The climate is one of almost perpetual 
spring, and the valley is noted for its great beauty. 

The city contains a handsome new Court House, the largest and 



1054 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

finest in the State, 7 churches, 3 newspaper offices, several public and 
private schools, including the female College of Notre Dame, and a 
good hotel. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water by 
means of artesian wells. It is governed by a Mayor and Council, 
and in 1870, contained a population of 9089. The port of San Jose 
is at Alviso, on the bay, 7 miles distant. 

San Jose was founded in the early part of the present century. 
It was incorporated as a city in 1850, and was at one time the capital 
of California. 

MISCELLANIES. 

SAN FRANCISCO IN 1848-9. 

In the early spring of this year (1848), occasional intelligence had been 
received of the finding of gold in large quantities among the foot hills of the 
Sierra Nevada. Small parcels of the precious metal had also been forwarded to 
San Francisco, while visitors from the mines, and some actual diggers arrived, 
to tell the wonders of the region and the golden gains of those engaged in explor- 
ing and working it. In consequence of such representations, the inhabitants 
began gradually, in bands and singly, to desert their previous occupations, and 
betake themselves to the American River and other auriferous parts of the great 
Sacramento Valley. Labor, from the deficiency of hands, rose rapidly in value, 
and soon all business and work, except the most urgent, was forced to be stopped. 
Seamen deserted from their ships in the bay, and soldiers from the barracks. 
Over all the country the excitement was the same. Neither threats, punishment, 
nor money could keep men to their most solemn engagements. Gold was the 
irresistible magnet that drew human souls to the place where it lay, rudely 
snapping asunder the feebler ties of affection and duty. Avarice and the over- 
weening desire to be suddenly rich, from whence sprang the hope and moral 
certainty of being so, grew into a disease, and the infection spread on all sides, 
and led to a general migration of every class of the community to the golden 
quarters. The daily laborer, who had worked for the good and at the command 
of another, for one or two dollars a day, could not be restrained from flying to 
the happy spot where he could earn six or ten times the amount, and might 
possibly gain a hundred or even a thousand times the sum in one lucky day's 
chance. Then the life, at worst, promised to be one of continual adventure and 
excitement, and the miner was his own master. While this'was the case with 
the common laborer, his employer, wanting his services, suddenly found his 
occupation at an end ; Avhile shopkeepers and the like, dependent on both, dis- 
covered themselves in the same predicament The glowing tales of the successful 
miners all the while reached their ears, and threw tlieir own steady and large 
gains comparatively in the shade. They therefore could do no better, in a 
pecuniary sense even, for themselves, than to hasten after their old servants, and 
share in their new labor and its extraordinary gains, or pack up their former 
business stock, and, travelling with it to the mines, open their new shops, and 
stores, and stalls, and dispose of their old articles to the fortunate diggers, at a 
rise of 500 or 1000 per cent. 



CALIFORNIA. 1055 

In the month of May, it was computed that at least 150 people had left San 
Francisco, and every day since was adding to their number. Some were occa- 
sionally returning from the auriferous quarter ; but they had little time to stop 
and expatiate upon what tliey had seen. They had hastily come back, as they 
had hastily gone away at first, leaving their household and business to waste 
and ruin, now to fasten more properly their houses, and remove goods, family 
and all, at once to the gold region. Their hurried movements, more even than 
ihe words they uttered, excited the curiosity and then the eager desire of others 
to accompany them. And so it was. Day after day the bay was covered with 
launches, filled with the inhabitants and their goods, hastening up the Sacramento. 
This state of matters soon came to a head ; and master and man alike hurried to 
the placeres^ leaving San Francisco, like a place where the plague reigns, forsaken 
by its old inhabitants, a melancholy sohtude. 

On the 29th of May, the Californian published a fly-sheet, apologizing for the 
future non-issue of the paper, until better days came, when they might expect to 
retain their servants for some amount of remuneration, which at present was 
impossible, as all, from the "subs" to the "devil," had indignantly rejected 
every offer, and gone off to the diggings. "The whole country," said the last 
editorial of the paper, "from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and from the sea 
shore to the base of the Sierra Nevada, resounds with the sordid cry of gold! 
GOLD ! ! GOLD ! ! ! — while the field is left half planted, the house half built, and 
everything neglected but the manufacture of shovels and pick-axes, and the means 
of transportation to the spot where one man obtained $128 worth of the real 
stuff in one day's washing, and the average for all concerned is Ucenty dollars 
per diem.'''' 

Within the first eight weeks after the "diggings" had been fairly known, 
$250,000 had reached San Francisco in gold dust, and within the next eight 
weeks .$600,000 more. These sums were all to purchase, at any price, additional 
supplies for the mines. Coin grew scarce, and all that was in the country was 
insufficient to satisfy the increased wants of commerce in one town alone. Gold 
dust, therefore, soon became a circulating medium, and after some little demur 
at first, was readily received by all classes at $16 an ounce. The authorities, 
however, would only accept it in payment of duties at $10 per ounce, with the 
privilege of redemption, by payment of coin, within a limited time. 

When subsequently immigrants began to arrive in numerous bands, any 
amount of labor could be obtained, provided always a most unusually high price 
was paid for it. Returned diggers, and those who cautiously had never went to 
the mines, were then also glad enough to work for rates varying from $12 to $30 
a day; at which terms capitalists were somewhat afraid to commence any heavy 
undertaking. The hesitation was only for an instant. Soon all the labor that 
could possibly be procured was in ample request at whatever rates were 
demanded. The population of a great State was suddenly flocking in upon 
them, and no preparations had hitherto been made for its reception. Building 
lots had to be surveyed, and streets graded and planked— hills levelled— hollows, 
lagoons, and the bay itself piled, capped, filled up and planked— lumber, bricks, 
and all other building materials provided, at most extraordinarily high prices- 
houses built, finished, and furnished— great warehouses and stores erected— 
wharves run far out into the sea— numberless tons of goods removed from ship- 
board, and delivered and shipped anew everywhere— and ten thousand other 
thin'^s had all to be done without a moment's unnecessary delay. Long before 



1056 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

these things were completed, the sand-hills and barren ground around the town 
were overspread with a multitude of canvas, blanket, and bough-covered tents — 
the bay was alive with shipping and small craft, carrying passengers and goods 
backward and forward — tlie unplanked, ungraded, unformed streets (at one time 
moving heaps of dry sand and dust ; at another, miry abysses, whose treacherous 
depths sucked in horse and dray, and occasionally man himself) were crowded 
with human beings from every corner of the universe and of every tongue — all 
excited and busy, plotting, speaking, working, buying and selling town lots, and 
beach and water lots, shiploads of every kind of assorted merchandise, the ships 
themselves, if they could — though tliat was not often — gold dust in hundred 
weights, ranches square leagues in extent, with their thousands of cattle — allot- 
ments in hundreds of contemplated towns, already prettily designed and laid out — 
on paper — and, in short, speculating and gambling in every branch of modern 
commerce, and in many strange things peculiar to the time and place. And 
everybody made money, and was suddenly growing rich. 

The loud voices of the eager seller and as eager buyer — the laugh of reckless 
joy — the bold accents of successful speculation — the stir and hum of active, hur- 
ried labor, as man and brute, horse and bullock, and their guides, struggled and 
managed through heaps of loose rubbish, over hills of sand, and among deceiving 
deep mud pools and swamps, filled the amazed newly arrived immigrant with an 
almost appalling sense of the exuberant life, energy, and enterprise of the place. 
He breathed quick and faintly — his limbs grew weak as water — and liis heart 
sunk within him as he thought of the dreadful conflict, when he approached and 
mingled among that confused and terrible business battle. 

Gambling saloons, glittering like fairy palaces, like them suddenly sprang into 
existence, studding nearly all sides of the plaza, and every street in its neighbor- 
hood. As if intoxicating drinks from the well plenished and splendid bar they 
each contained were insufficient to gild the scene, music added its loudest, if not 
its sweetest, charms ; and all was mad, feverish mirth, where fortunes were lost 
and won, upon the green cloth, in the twinkling of an eye. All classes gambled 
in those days, from the starchiest white neck-clothed professor to tlie veriest 
black rascal that earned a dollar for blacking massa's boots. Nobody had leisure 
to think, even for a moment, of his occupation, and how it was viewed in 
Christian lands. The heated brain was never allowed to get cool while a bit of 
coin or dust was left. These saloons, therefore, were crowded, night and day, 
by impatient revellers who never could satiate themselves with excitement, nor 
get rid too soon of their golden heaps. 

THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. 

By the beginning of 1851, San Francisco had become crowded with adven- 
turers of all sorts and from every land. Many were professional criminals, and 
as the law failed to protect the respectable settlers against their outrages, the 
citizens were compelled, for their owji preservation, to take the nratter into their 
own hands. 

Around Clark's Point and vicinity, in San Francisco, was the rendezvous of 
these villains. " Low drinking and dancing houses, lodging and gambling houses 
of the same mean class, the constant scenes of lewdness, drunkenness, and strife, 
abounded in the quarter mentioned. The daily and nightly occupants of these 
vile abodes had every one, more or less, been addicted to crime ; and many of 



CALIFORNIA. 1057 

them were at all times ready, for the most trifling consideration, to kill a man or 
fire a town. During the early hours of night, when the Alsatia was in revel, it 
was dangerous in the highest degree for a single person to venture within its 
bounds. Even the police hardly dared to enter there ; and if they attempted to 
apprehend some known individuals, it was always in a numerous, strougly-armed 
company. Seldom, however, were arrests made. The lawless inhabitants of 
the place united to save their luckless brothers, and generally managed to drive 
the assailants away. When the different fires took place in San Francisco, bands 
of plunderers issued from this great haunt of dissipation, to help themselves to 
whatever money or valuables lay in their way, or which they could possibly 
secure. With these they retreated to their dens, and defied detection or appre- 
hension. Fire, however, was only one means of attaining their ends. The most 
daring burglaries were committed, and houses and persons rifled of their 
valuables. Where resistance was made, the bowie-knife or the revolver settled 
matters, and left the robber unmolested. Midnight assaults, ending in murder, 
were common. And not only were these deeds perpetrated under the shade of 
night ; but even in daylight, in the highways and byways of the country, in the 
streets of the town, in crowded bars, gambling saloons and lodging houses, 
crimes of an equally glaring character were of constant occurrence. People at 
that period generally carried during all hours, and wherever tiiey happened to 
be, loaded firearms about their persons ; but these Aveapons availed nothino- 
against the sudden stroke of the 'slung-shot,' the plunge and rip of the knile, or 
the secret aiming of the pistol. No decent man was in safety to walk the streets 
after dark ; while at all hours, both of night and day, his property was jeopardized 
by incendiarism and burglary. 

"All this while, tiie law, whose supposed 'majesty' is so awful in other 
countries, was here only a matter for ridicule. The police were few in number, 
and poorly as. well as irregularly paid. Some of them were in league with the 
criminals tiiemselves, and assisted these at all times to elude justice. Subsequent 
confessions of criminals, on the eve of execution, implicated a considerable num- 
ber of people in various high and low departments of the executive. Bail was 
readily accepted in the most serious cases, where the security tendered was 
absolutely w^ortiiless ; and where, whenever necessary, both principal and 
cautioner quietly disappeared. The prisons likewise were small and insecure ; 
and thougii filled to overflowing, could no longer contain the crowds of appre- 
hended offenders. When these were ultimately brought to trial, seldom could a 
conviction be obtained. From technical errors on the part of the prosecutors, 
laws ill understood and worse applied, false swearing of tlie witnesses for the 
prisoners, absence often of the chief evidence for the prosecution, dishonesty of 
jurors, incapacity, weakness, or venality of the judge, and from many other 
causes, the cases generally broke down, and the prisoners were freed. Not one 
criminal had yet been executed. Yet it was notorious tbat, at this period, at least 
100 murders had been committed within the space of a few months ; while 
innumerable were the instances of arson, and of theft, robber}^ burglary, and 
assault with intent to kill. It was evident that the offenders defied and laughed 
at all the puny efforts of the authorities to control them. The tedious processes 
of legal tribunals had no terrors for them. As yet ever3'tlnng had been pleasant 
and safe, and they saw no reason why it should not always be so. San Francisco 
had just been destroyed, a fifth time, by conflagration. The cities of Stockton 
and Nevada had likewise shared the same fate. That part of it was the doing of 



1058 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

incendiaries no one doubted ; and, too, no one doubted but that tliis terrible state 
of tilings would continue, and grow worse until a new and very different execu- 
tive from the legally constituted one should rise up in vengeance against those 
pests that worried and preyed upon the vitals of society. It was at this fearful 
time that the Vigilance Committee was organized." 

Tliis was in June, 1851, at which time the association organized "for the pro- 
tection of the lives and property of the citizens and residents of the City of San 
Francisco." They formed a constitution, and selected a room in which to hold 
their meetings, which were entirely secret. The first person they arrested was 
John Jenkins, a notorious "Sydney cove." He was seized for stealing a safe 
on the 10th of June. About 10 o'clock that night, the signal for calling the 
members was given — the tolling of the bell of the Monumental Engine Company. 
Shortly afterward about 80 members of the Committee hurried to the appointed 
place, and giving the secret password were admitted. For two long hours the 
Committee closely examined the evidence and found him guilty. "At midnight 
the bell was tolled, as sentence of death by hanging was passed upon the 
wretched man. The solemn sounds at that unusual hour filled the anxious 
crowds with awe. The condemned at this time was asked if he had anything to 
say for himself, when he answered : ' No, I have nothing to say, only I wish to 
have a cigar.' " This was handed to him, and afterward, at his request, a little 
brandy and water. He was perfectly cool, and seemingly careless, confidently 
expecting, it was believed, a rescue, up to the last moment. 

A little before one o'clock, Mr. S. Brannan came out of the Committee rooms, 
and, ascending a mound of sand to the east of the Rassette House, addressed the 
people. He had been deputed, he said, by the Committee, to inform them that 
the prisoner's case had been fairly tried, that he had been proved guilt}^ and was 
condemned to be hanged ; and that the sentence would be executed within one 
hour upon the plaza. He then asked the people if they approved of the action 
of the Committee, when great shouts of Ay ! Ay ! burst forth, mingled with a 
few cries of No ! In the interval a clergyman had been sent for, who adminis- 
tered the last consolations of religion to the condemned. 

Shortly before 2 o'clock, the Committee issued from the building, bearing the 
prisoner (who had his arms tightly pinioned) along with them. The Committee 
were all armed, and closely clustered around the culprit, to prevent any possible 
chance of rescue. A procession was formed ; and the whole party, followed by 
the crowd, proceeded to the plaza, to the south end of the adobe building, which 
then stood on the northwest corner. The opposite end of the rope which was 
already about the neck of the victim was hastily thrown over a projecting beam. 
Some of the authorities attempted at this stage of affairs to interfere, but their 
efforts were unavailing. They were civilly desired to stand back, aiid not delay 
what was still to be done. The crowd, which numbered upward of 1000, were 
perfectly quiescent, or only applauded by look, gesture, and subdued voice, the 
action of the Committee. Before the prisoner had reached the building, a score 
of persons seized the loose end of the rope and ran backward, dragging the 
wretch along the ground and raising him to the beam. Thus they held him till 
he was dead. Nor did they let the body go until some hours afterward, new 
volunteers relieving those who were tired holding the rope. Little noise or 
confusion took place. Muttered whispers among the spectators guided their 
movements or betrayed their feelings. The prisoner had not spoken a word, 
either upon the march or during the rapid preparations for his execution. At the 



CALIFORNIA. 1059 

cud he was perhaps strung up ahnost before lie was aware of what was so imme- 
diately coming. He was a strong-built, healthy man, and his struggles, when 
hanging, were very violent for a few minutes. 

The next execution which took place was about a month later, that of James 
Stuart. He was an Englishman, who had been transported to Australia for 
forgery. On leaving it, he wandered in various parts of the Pacific until he 
reached California, where he was supposed to have committed more murders 
and other desperate crimes than any other villain in the country. Before his 
death he acknowledged the justice of his punishment. He was hung July 11th, 
from a derrick at the end of Market street wharf, in the presence of assembled 
thousands. 

One month more rolled round, and the Committee again exercised their duties 
upon the persons of Samuel Whittaker and Robert McKenzie, who were guilty 
of robbery, murder, and arson, and on trial confessed these crimes. Tlie sheriff 
and his posse, with a writ of habeas coi'pus, took these men from the hands of 
the Committee and confined them in jail. The latter, fearful that the rascals 
would escape through the quibbles of the law, prepared for the rescue. 

"About half past 3 o'clock," says the "Annals of San Francisco," "on the 
afternoon of Sunday, the 24th of August, an armed party, consisting of 36 
members of the Vigilance Committee, forcibly broke into the jail, at a time when 
the Rev. Mr. Williams happened to be engaged at devotional exercises with the 
prisoners, among whom were Whittaker and McKenzie. The slight defence of 
the jailors and guards was of no avail. The persons named were seized, and 
hurried to and placed within a coach, that had been kept in readiness a few steps 
from the prison. The carriage instantly was driven off at full speed, and nearly 
at the same moment the ominous bell of the Monumental Engine Company rap- 
idly and loudly tolled for the immediate assemblage of the Committee and the 
knell itself of the doomed. The whole population leaped with excitement at the 
sound ; and immense crowds from the remotest quarter hurried to Battery street. 
There blocks, with the necessary tackle, had been hastily fastened to two beams 
which projected over the windows of the great hall of the Committee. Within 
17 minutes after the arrival of the prisoners, they were both dangling by the 
neck from these beams, the loose extremities of the halters being taken within 
the building itself and forcibly held by members of the Committee. Full 6000 
people were present, who kept an awful silence during the short time these pre- 
parations lasted. But so soon as the wretches were swung off, one tremendous 
shout of satisfaction burst from the excited multitude ; and then there was silence 
again. 

" This was the last time, for j^ears, that the Committee took or found occasion 
to exercise their functions. Henceforward the administration of justice might be 
safely left in the hands of the usual officials. The city now was pretty well 
cleansed of crime. The fate of Jenkins, Stuart, Whittaker and McKenzie showed 
that rogues and roguery, of whatever kind, could no longer expect to find a safe 
lurking-place in San Francisco. Many of the suspected, and such as were warned 
oflf by the Committee, had departed, and gone, some to other lands, and some 
into the mining regions and towns of the interior. Those, however, who still 
clung to California found no refuge anywhere in the State. Previously, different 
cases of lynch law had occurred in the gold districts, but these were solitary 
instandes which had been caused by the atrocity of particular crimes. When, 
however^ the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco had started up, fully organ- 



1060 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ized, and began their great work, Sacranu'iilo, Stockton, San Jose, as well as 
other towns and the more thickly peopled mining quarters, likewise formed their 
committees of vigilance and safety, and pounced upon all the rascals within their 
bounds. Tliese associations interchanged information with each other as to the 
movements of the suspected ; and all, with the hundred eyes of an Argus and the 
hundred arms of a Briareus, watched, pursued, harassed, and finally caught the 
worst desperadoes of the country. Like Cain, a murderer and wanderer, as 
most of them were, they bore a mark on the brow, by which they were known. 
Some were hanged at various places, some were lashed and branded, but the 
greater number were simply ordered to leave the countr}', within a limited time, 
under penalty of immediate death if found after a stated period witiiin its limits. 
Justice was no longer blind or leaden-heeled. With the perseverance and speed 
of a bloodhound, she tracked criminals to their lair, and smote them where they 
lay. For a long time afterward, the whole of California remained comparatively 
free from outrages against person and property. 

"From all the evidence that can be obtained, it is not supposed that a single 
instance occurred in which a really innocent man suffered the extreme penalty 
of death. Those who were executed generally confessed their guilt, and admitted 
the punishment to have been merited." 



OREGON. 

Area, 95,274 Square Milos. 

Population in 1860, 52,465 

Population in 1870, 90,923 

The State of Oregon is situated between 42° and 46° 20' N. lati- 
tude, and between 116° 31' and 124° 30' W. longitude. It is 
bounded on the north by Washington Territory, on the east by Idaho 
Territory, on the south by Nevada and California, and on the west 
by the Pacific Ocean. It is about 395 miles long, from east to west, 
and about 295 miles wide, from north to south. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the eastern part of the State, lying between the Cas- 
cade Pange and the Snake River, is mostly an elevated plateau, 
broken by mountain ranges. The western part, lying between the 
ocean and the Cascade Range, is mountainous. 

"The Coast Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, traversing Cali- 
fornia, continue northward through Oregon; the latter, after leaving 
California, are named the Cascades. Near the soutliern boundary the 
chain throws off a branch called the Blue Mountains, which extend 
northeastwardly through the State, passing into Washington and 
Idaho. The course of the Cascades through tlie State is generally 
parallel with the shore of the Pacific, and distant therefrom an 
average of 110 miles. In California, the direction of the Coast 
Mountains and coast valleys is that of general parallelism with the 
sea-shore; the mountains sometimes approaching close to the shore, 
and then receding miles from it, leaving belts of arable land between 
them and the ocean. In Oregon, the Coast Range consists ot a seriss 

1061 



1062 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

of high lands running at right angles Avith the shore, with valleys 
and rivers between the numerous spurs having the same general direc- 
tion as the highlands." * 

The western part of the State is the only inhabited and regularly 
organized portion. It is thus described by a writer thoroughly 
familiar with it: 

"Western Oregon, between the Cascades and the Pacific, is made 
up chiefly of three valleys, those of the Willamette (pronounced Wil- 
lam'-ette), Umpqua, and Rogue rivers. The first named stream 
begins in the Cascade Mountains, runs west 60 miles, then turns 
northward, runs 140 miles, and empties into the Columbia. The 
last two begin in the Cascades, and run westward to the ocean. There 
are, perhaps, several thousand miners, including Chinamen, in the 
Rogue River Valley; but nearly the whole permanent farming popu- 
lation is in the Valley of the Willamette. This valley, taking the 
word in its more restricted sense of the low land, is from 30 to 40 
miles wide, and 120 miles long. This may be said to be the whole 
of agricultural Oregon. It is a beautiful, fertile, well-watered plain, 
with a little timber along the streams, and a great deal in the moun- 
tains on each side. The soil is a grav^elly clay, covered near the 
creeks and rivers with a rich sandy loam. The vegetation of the val- 
ley is composed of several indigenous grasses, a number of flowering 
plants and ferns, the latter being very abundant, and exceedingly 
troublesome to the farmer on account of its extremely tough vitality. 
The tributary streams of the Willamette are very numerous, and their 
course in the valley is usually crooked, as the main stream itself is, 
having many 'sloughs,' 'bayous,' or 'arms,' as they are differently 
called. In some places the land is marshy, and everywhere moist. 
Drouth will never be known in western Oregon ; its climate is very 
wet, both summer and winter, the latter season being one long rain, 
and the former consisting of many short ones, with a little sunshine 
intervening. The winters are warm, and the summers rather cool — 
too cool for growing melons, maize, and sweet potatoes. Wheat, oats, 
barley, potatoes, and domestic animals thrive well. The climate, take 
it all in all, is much like that of England, and all plants and animals 
which do well in Britain will prosper in Oregon. The Oregon fruit 
is excellent, particularly the apples and plums ; the peaches and pears 
are not quite so good as those of California. All along the coast of 

* Report of the General Land-Office. 



OREGON. lOfi.; 

Oregon, there is a range of mountains about 40 miles wide, and they 
are so densely timbered with cedar, pine, spruce, and fir, that the 
density of the wood alone would render them worthless for an age, if 
they were not rugged. But they are very rugged, and the Umpqua 
and Rogue rivers, in making their way through them, have not been 
able to get any bottom lands, and are limited to narrow, high-walled 
canons. The only tillable lands on the banks of those rivers are 
about 50 miles from the sea, each having a valley which, in general 
terms, may be described as 12 miles wide by 30 long. Rogue River 
Valley is separated from California by the Siskiyou Mountains, about 
5000 feet high, and from Umpqua Vnlley by the CaHon Mountains, 
about 3000 feet high; and the Umpqua again is separated from the 
Willamette Valley by the Calapooya Mountains, also about 3000 feet 
high. All Oregon — that is, its western division, except the low lands 
of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue valleys — is covered with dense 
timber, chiefly of coarse grained wood — such as fir, spruce, and hem- 
lock. In the southwestern corner of the State, however, there are 
considerable forests of white cedar — a large and beautiful tree, pro- 
ducing a soft, fine-grained lumber, and very fragrant with a perfume, 
which might be imitated by mixing otto of roses with turpentine. 
Oak and ash are rare. Nearly all the trees are coniferous. In Rogue 
Valley and along the beach of the Pacific, there are extensive gold 
diggings. There are also large seams of tertiary coal at Goose Bay. 
These are the only valuable minerals in the State. The scenery on 
the Columbia is grand, from Wallawalla, where it first touches 
Oregon, to the ocean. There are five mountain peaks in the State, 
rising to the region of perpetual snow: Mount Hood, 13,700 feet 
high; Mount Jefferson, 11,900 feet high; the Three Sisters, Mount 
Scott, and Mount McLaughlin, all about 9000 feet high." 

The Columbia River, already described, forms the principal part 
of the northern boundary of the State. It receives the waters of the 
Wallawalla, Umatilla, John Day, and Falls rivers, east of the Cas- 
cade Range, and those of the Willamette, west of it. The Rogue and 
Umpqua rivers empty into the Pacific Ocean. The lower part of the 
Columbia forms a fine bay, and affords an excellent harbor. It is 
navigable to the falls for large vessels, and above them for a consider- 
able distance for steamers. The Willamette is navigable to Portland 
for ships, and for 80 miles above the falls for small steamers. The 
Umpqua is navigable for 25 miles for small steamers, and its- mouth- 
forms a harbor for vessels drawing 12 feet of water. 

There are several small lakes in the State. 
65 



1064 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCE! 




AN OREGON VALLEY. 



MINERALS. 

Oregon is principally an agricultural State, but mining is growing 
In importance. Gold exists in the State. The deposits of" copper are 
almost inexhaustible, and there are considerable deposits of coal in the 
Valley of the Williamette. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is mild along the coast, but increases in severity as one 
proceeds eastward. The winters are very irregular, but are usually 
short and mild. 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

In the eastern part of the State, much of the land is unfit for culti- 
vation. In Western Oregon, the lands in the valleys are among the 
most fertile in America, and produce large crops. 

In 1869, the agricultural resources of the State were as follows : 

Acres of improved land (estimated), .... 1,000,000 

Bushels of wheat, 1,750,000 

rye, 5,200 

" oats, 500,000 

" buckwheat 8,000 

" Indian corn, 200,000 

" barley, 200,000 

" Irish potatoes, 500,000 



OREGON. j^^gr^ 

Tons of hay, 75 000 

]N'umber of horses, , 49 800 

asses and males, 1560 

milch cows, 79^'312 

slieep, 101^960 

««'"^e 112,700 

" young cattle, 140,500 

Value of domestic animals, $7 946255 

COMMERCE. 

Oregon has some direct trade with Europe, South America, and tJJc 
Sandwich Islands, but her principal transactions are with San Fran- 
cisco, between which city and Portland (Onjgon), a line of fine steam- 
ships plies regularly. The exports are lumber, stock, hog.s, beef, 
butter, eggs, chickens, pork, flour, and fish. Cattle raising forms an 
important part of the industry of the State, and large droves are 
annually driven into California for sale. 

Manufactures are .still unimportant. The annual product is about 
^6,877,387. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The internal improvements of this State consist of the works that 
have been erected by a private corporation for the improvement of the 
navigation of the Columbia River, and the railroads built around the 
falls of that stream, and connecting the successive stages of naviga- 
tion. There are 159 miles of railroad within the State. The principal 
is that of the Oregon Central Railroad, which is to extend from Port- 
land to the California border, where it will ultimately connect with a 
road from San Francisco, It has been completed from Portland to 
Salem. 

EDUCATION. 

There are three colleges in the State. The principal of these is the 
Willamette University, at Salem, which is under the charge of the 
Methodist Church. It is an excellent institution, and has an endow- 
ment of $30,000. 

The common school system is similar to that of the Eastern States, 
The Superintendent of Public Instruction has the general supervision 
of the schools. The counties have each a Local Superintendent, and 
each district is governed by its Bonrd of Trustees. A school fund has 
been established, and taxes are levied for the support of the schools. 
Measures are on foot for the establishment of a State University. 



1066 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

In 1870, there were 594 public schools in the State, with 29,822 
jMjpils. 

Ill the same year, there were 2361 libraries in Oregon, containing 
334,959 volumes. 

The number of newspapers and periodicals was as follows : 4 daily, 
26 weekly, and 5 monthly, making a total of 35, with a total annual 
circulation of 3,657,300 copies. 

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

The Penitentiary is located at Portland, and is a flourishing institu- 
tion. The convicts are confined in temporary quarters, due regard 
being had to their safe keeping, and are required to labor on the 
public buildings. 

Measures are being taken for the erection of buildings for charitable 
and benevolent purposes by the State, and as soon as the pecuniary 
condition of the Commonwealth will permit it, these institutions will 
be provided. At present the insane and idiotic are cared for by 
private persons at the expense of the State. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870, there were 135 churches in Oregon. The value of church 
property was $471,100. 

FINANCES. 

In September, 1874, the total State debt was $596,256. During 
the two fiscal yeai-s extending from September 5th, 1872, to Septem- 
ber 5th, 1874, the receipts of the Treasury were $628,775, and the 
expenditures for the same period $663,193. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Every male citizen of the United States who has resided in the 
State six months, and every male foreigner who has lawfully declared 
his intention to become a citizen of the United States, who is twenty- 
one years old, and has resided In the State one year, is entitled to vote 
at the elections. 

The Government consists of a Governor, Secretary of State, 
Treasurer, Auditor, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 16 
members), and a House of Representatives (of 34 members), all 



OREGON. 1067 

chosen by the people. The State officers and Senators are elected 
for four years, and Representatives for two years. The general 
election is held in June, and the Legislature meets biennially in 
September. 

The judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court and 
five Circuit Courts. The judges of the Supreme Court are five in 
number, and are also judges of the Circuit Courts. They are elected 
by the people for six years. 

The seat of Government is located at Salem. 

The State is divided into 22 counties. 



HISTORY. 

Oregon was known to various navigators during the 17th and 18th 
centuries, but the first white man who entered it was Captain Rob«;rt 
Gray, of the ship Columbia, of Boston, who on the 7th of May, 
1792, entered and explored the lower part of its principal river, to 
which he gave the name of his ship. On his return home - he 
published a description of the river and its valley, which aroused so 
much interest on the part of the Government, that in 1804 an explor- 
ing expedition was sent out across the Continent, under Captains Lewis 
and Clark, of the United States army. The explorations of this 
party extended through the years 1804 and 1805, and made known 
for the first time the vast region watered by the Columbia. 

In 1811, the American Fur Company, of which John Jacob Astor 
was the leading member, established a post for trading purposes at the 
mouth of the Columbia River, and called it Astoria. It was the 
design of the Company to make this place an important city, in 
course of time, but this part of their project failed, and they sold the 
post to the Northwest Company (of England), to save it from capture 
<luring the war of 1812-15. 

Having thus secured a lodgement on the Columbia, the British 
claimed the whole country. The United States, on the other hand, 
claimed the region now known as British Columbia, and a serious 
controversy set in between the two powers. In 1846, however, a 
treaty between the United States and Great Britain adjusted the 
<lifficulty. The United States weakly surrendered the greater part 
of our claim, and the present northern boundary of Washington 
Territory was fixed as the northern boundary of Oregon. 

Emigration to the Territory began in 1839. In 1850, ther* 



i06S OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

were about 3000 settlers. The gold excitement ia California 
drew off many, but Congress by a liberal offer of lands induced a 
suf!icient number to remain, to prevent the country froiu relapsing 
into its wild state. From this time the Territory grew slowly but 
steadily. 

On the 14th of August, 1848, Oregon was organized as a Territory, 
and on the 2nd of March, 1843, the northern half was erected into a 
separate establishment, and called Washington Territory. In 
November, 1857, a State Constitution was adopted by the people, and 
on the 14th of February, 1859, Oregon was admitted into the Union 
as a sovereign State. 

The Indians for a long time caused great trouble to the people of 
Oregon, and greatly hindered its growth. They have now ceased 
their depradations, and the State is growing in population and in 
material prosperity. 

CITIES AND TOWNS. 

Besides the capital, the principal places in the State are, Portland, 
Oregon City, Albany, Corvallis, and Eugene City. 

SALEM, 

The capital of the State, is situated in Marion county, on the right or 
eastern bank of the Willamette River, 50 miles south-southwest of 
Portland, and 710 miles north of San Francisco. Latitude 44° 56' 
N., longitude 123° 1' W. The city lies in a rich prairie country, in 
tlie midst of some of the most beautiful scenery of the State. It 
contains the State buildings, 6 or 7 churches, 4 hotels, a theatre, 2 
newspaper offices, and several schools. It is the seat of the Willamette 
University. It has 1 woollen mill, 1 flour mill, 3 saw mills, 2 
machine shops, and 1 foundry, in successful operation. Travellers 
who have seen it, describe it as one of the prettiest and most enter- 
prising towns on the Pacific coast. The Willamette is navigable to 
Salem for small steamers during the season of high water, or for 
about 9 months in the year. In 1870, the population was 2842. 

PORTLAND. 

The largest and most important city of the State, is situated in Mul- 
tnomah county, on the left or west bank of the Willamette. River, 15 
miles from its mouth, 50 miles north-by-east of Salem, and 120 miles 



OREGON. 1069 

from the mouth of the Columbia River. The city is beautifully 
situated iu a lovely country, and is well built, the houses being mostly 
of wood. It stands on a plateau, which gradually increases in height 
as it recedes from the river, until it forms a range of hills at the 
western extremity of the city. From the summit of this range a 
magnificent view is obtained of Mounts Hood, Jefferson, and St. 
Helen, of the Cascade Range, and the windings of the Willamette 
and Columbia rivers. Portland contains 4 or 5 churches, several 
schools, 3 newsjjaper offices and a public library. It is the seat 
of the State Penitentiary and the Insane Asylum. The Oregon 
Iron Works and 2 assay offices are located here. It is governed 
by a Mayor and Council, and in 1870, it contained a population of 
8293. 

Portland lies at the head of ship navigation on the Willamette, 
and is the centre of a large and growing trade, with the magnificent 
region to the north and northwest of it. It has telegraphic communi- 
cation with San Francisco, and is connected with Sacramento by a 
line of daily stages. Upwards of 20 river steamers ply between 
Portland and the various towns on the Columbia and Willamette 
rivers. A line of steamships connects the city with San Francisco, 
Says Mr. Samuel Bowles, in his "New West:" 

" Ships and ocean steamers of the highest class come readily hither ; 
from it spreads out a wide navigation by steamboat of the Columbia 
and its branches, below and above; here centres a large and increasing 
trade, not only for the Willamette Valley, but for the mining regions 
of Eastern Oregon and Idaho, Washington Territory on the north, 
and parts even of British Columbia beyond. Even Salt Lake and 
Montana, too, have taken groceries and dry goods through tiiis 
channel, such are the attained and the attainable water communications 
through the far-extending Columbia. 

" The population of Portland is now from eight to ten thousand, 
who keep Sunday with as much strictness almost as Puritanic New 
England does, which can be said of no other population this side 
of the Rocky Mountains, at least. Whether this fact has anything 
to do with it or not, real estate we found to be very high in Portland, 
$400 a front foot for the best lots, 100 feet deep on the main business 
street, without the buildings. In religion, the Methodists have the 
lead, and control an academic school in the town, and a professed 
State University at Salem ; the Presbyterians are next, witli a beauti- 
ful church and the most fashionable congregation. 



COLORADO. 

Area, 104,500 square miles. 

Population in 1870, 39,864 

The State of Colorado lies between 37° and 41° N. latitude, 
and between 102° and 109° W. longitude. It is about 375 miles 
long, from east to west, and 275 miles wide, from north to south. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the State is mountainous. Here are to be found 
some of the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountain range, which 
passes, from the north to the south, through the middle of the 
State. " The average height of these mountains is 12,000 feet, though 
many of the peaks rise from 2000 to 5000 feet higher. The foot 
hills flank the range on either hand to a distance of fifty miles; to 
the eastward subsiding into the plains ; to the westward sloping to the 
base of other and continuous ranges of lesser height, which fill the 
spaces thence to the Pacific. This majestic range holds within its 
folds the North, South, Middle and San Luis Parks, immense areas 
of level land — surrounded by snowy mountains — each having a soil, 
climate and geological formation peculiar and distinctive. The 
plains imperceptibly slope from the base of the mountains, which rise 
abruptly from them to the Missouri river; presenting a smooth, undu- 
lating surface, destitute of timber, save in the valleys of the water- 
courses, and upon the high land, which near the mountains divides 
the waters of the Platte and Arkansas rivers." 

The Platte and Arkansas rivers rise near the centre of the State, 
and drain the eastern part. From the western slopes of the Rocky 
Mountains flow the Tampa, or Bear river, the Bunkara and Gunison 
rivers. The Bunkara and Gunison unite in the western part and 
form the Grand river, which is a branch of the Colorado. The Rio 
Grande rises in the southern part of the State, and flows southward. 
1070 



COLORADO 1071 



MINERALS. 



Colorado is very rich in mineral deposits. Gold and silver are abun- 
dant in the central part among the mountains. Copper, iron, coal, salt, 
limestone, and gypsum also exist in large quantities. The gold mines 
have thus far almost monopolized the attention of capitalists. There 
is a branch of the United States Mint at Denver, at which large 
quantities of the precious metals are assayed. " The mountain 
region," says a pamphlet, published by the Denver Board of Trade, 
" contains mines of gold, silver, copper, and lead, which are destined, 
under the influence of capital and cheap labor, to give to the American 
people for all time the monetary supremacy of the commercial world. 
The mineral belt extends the whole length of the range, and 
includes thirty miles of each of its flanks, making an aggregate of 
14,000 square miles of mineral land. In the two counties of Gilpin 
and Clear Creek, alone, not less than 12,000 distinct lodes have been 
discovered and recorded, and it is safe to say that of this number 
there are not less than 100 capable of annually yielding, under favor- 
able circumstances, such as the completion of projected railroads will 
secure, $500,000 each, a total of $50,000,000." 

The State is deficient in timber. In the eastern portion are exten- 
sive sandy plains, covered with a thick growth of the wild sage and 
prickly pear. Large herds of the buffalo, elk, antelope, and deer 
roam over the unsettled portions of the State. The bear is also found 
in the mountains, and along the lakes and marshes are to be found 
wild ducks and geese. 

CLIMATE. 

" The climate of Colorado varies with its height, both as to temper- 
ature and the amount of rain and snow. The climate of that portion 
lying at the base and east of the mountains is not only delightful but 
remarkably healthy. The frosts come, generally, early in the autumn, 
and continue far into the spring months ; but they are not severe. 
On the plains the snows of winter are never sufficient to prevent 
cattle of all kinds from thriving and fattening on the nutritious grass 
dried up and thus cured by nature in July and August. Through- 
out the winter months, with rare exceptions, the sun blazes down with 
an almost tropic glow, little or no snow falls, and although the 
nights are sometimes sharp and frosty, there is no steady intensity of 
cold. With such a climate Colorado could not well be otherwise 



1072 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

than healthy. The sanitary condition of the State is good, and the 
number of deaths, considering the labor and exjwsure to whicli the 
great majority of its inhabitants are subjected, remarkably small." 

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 

"In a country so remote from the agricultural districts of the 
States, and where the expense of transporting supplies is so heavy, 
the need of home productions is necessarily very great. The rather 
scanty opportunities which Colorado presents as a field for agriculture 
have been, however, improved -to the utmost. An extensive system 
of irrigation has been introduced, which, it is thought, will relieve the 
settlers from lack of rain, and other difficulties which have hitherto 
limited agricultural progress. As regards the production of grain, 
the crops on the various branches of the South Platte, Arkansas, 
Fontaine que Bruille, afford encouraging prospects. 

" In the southern part of the State, considerable attention has been 
paid to the raising of wheat, corn, barley, and other cereals; but the con- 
tinuance of dry weather presents a formidable obstacle to great success in 
this direction. The bottom lands of the Platte river, and other moun- 
tain streams, have a rich alluvial deposit, which only requires water 
at long intervals to promote an astonishing vegetable growth. All the 
succulent varieties of plants, such as potatoes, cabbages, onions, 
squashes, etc., attain an enormous size, retaining the tenderness, juici- 
ness, and sweetness which almost everywhere else belong onlv to the 
smaller varieties. The wild fruits of the State are also numerous and 
abundant. It is believed that Colorado will, in a few years, be able 
to supply her own home demand for the necessaries of life. As a 
grazing and stock-raising region, Colorado possesses great advantages. 
Near the base of the Rocky ranges, and along the valleys of the 
streams which have their origin in the mountains, vegetation is pro- 
lific. The grasses are not only abundant, but they contain more 
nutriment than the cultivated species of the most prosperous agricul- 
tural districts of the Mississippi valley. These grasses cure standing, 
and cattle have been known to feed and thrive upon them throughout 
the entire winter months." 

In 1870, Colorado produced 860,000 bushels of wheat, 575,000 
bushels of corn, 825,000 bushels of oats and barley, and 800,000 
bushels of potatoes. The entire wealth of tlie State has been stated at 
$50,000,000. During the year 1870, gold and silver were shipped 



COLORADO. 1073 

from the Territory to the amount of $5,454,000. A School of Mines 
has been established at Golden City. 

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. 

The manufactures of Colorado are in their infancy. In 1870, the 
capital invested in them amounted to $2,835,605, and yielded an 
annual product of $2,852,820. The commerce of the State consists 
in the export of its mining products and of cattle, sheep and wool. 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

The Kansas Pacific and the Denver Pacific railways connect Colo- 
rado with Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The railway 
system of the State is being rapidly developed. In 1874 there were 
642 miles of railway within the limits of Colorado. 

EDUCATION. 

Although so young a State, Colorado has an efficient system of 
public schools. The Superintendent of Public Education is appointed 
by the Governor for two years, and receives a salary of $1200 per 
annum. There are 25 county superintendents. In 1874 there were 
243 school districts, 180 schools, and 125 school houses, with an 
attendance of 7546. The State has also an agricultural college. 

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 

In 1870 there Avere 47 churches in Colorado. In the same year 
the value of church property was $207,230. 

FINANCES. 

The finances of the State are in a prosperous condition. The 
annual expenses of the State government are fully covered by the 
receipts of the Treasury. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The government of the State consists of a Governor, Secretary of 
State, Treasurer, Auditor and Adjutant-General, elected by the people 
of the State. The Legislature consists of a Senate of 13 members, 
and a House of Representatives of 26 members. The judicial power 
of the State is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate 



1074 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Courts, and Justices of the Peace. The Supreme Court consists of a 
Chief Justice and two Associates, appointed by the Governor of the 
State for a term of four years. For District Court purposes the State 
is divided into three districts, in each of which a Justice of the Su- 
preme Court holds the sessions. The Supreme and District Courts 
have chancery as well as common law jurisdiction. 

HISTORY. 

In 1859, gold was discovered in Colorado, in the vicinity of Pike's 
Peak, and emigrants flocked to the Territory, and by 1860 it con- 
tained 34,277 inhabitants. In March, 1861, the Territory of Colo- 
rado was organized, being constructed of portions of Kansas, Nebraska, 
and Utah. The Territory several times applied for admission into 
the Union as a State, but without success. At length Congress, on 
the 4th of March, 1875, passed a bill, which received the executive 
approval, admitting Colorado into the Union as a State, making the 
thirty -eighth member of the confederacy. 

DENVER. 

The capital of the State is thus described in the publication 
of the Denver Board of Trade, from which we have quoted : 

" Denver is beautifully situated on a plain, at the junction of 
Cherry Creek with the South Platte, 12 miles from the foot of the 
mountains, with an altitude of 5000 feet above tide level. The popu- 
lation is about 6000. Men from the East gaze with astonishment 
on this compactly built, busy settlement, with the peculiarities to the 
full of a large city, standing in the 'Great American Desert,^ 700 
miles from what has hitherto been supposed the ultima thule of inhabi- 
table land on the Atlantic slope of the United States. 

"Among the public buildings there are six churches, several of them 
imposing brick structures, belonging to the Episcopal, Methodist, 
Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregational and Catholic societies respec- 
tively ; two free and several select schools. It is connected with the 
East, with Central City and Georgetown, by telegraph lines, and is 
shortly to have the same communication with Santa F^, New Mexico. 

" There are two first-class flouring mills, run by water, capable of 
making several hundred sacks of flour per day ; two planing mills, 
sash and door factories, gunsmiths' and jewelry shops, cabinet manu- 
facturers, upholsterers, etc. 



THE TERRITORIES. 



ALASKA. 

Area, 577,390 Square Miles. 

Population, 75,000 (including 65,000 Indians). 

The Territory of Alaska comprises that portion of North America 
lying north of the parallel of 54° 40' N. latitude, and west of the 
meridian of 141° W. longitude. Within these limits are included 
many islands lying along the coast, and extending west from the 
main land. 

The boundaries are as follows : Commencing at 54° 40' N. lati- 
tude, ascending Portland Channel to the mountains, following their 
summits to the 141° west longitude; thence north, on this line, to the 
Arctic Ocean, forming the eastern boundary. Starting from the Arctic 
Ocean west, the line descends Behring's Strait, between the two 
islands of Krusenstern and Ratmanoff, to the parallel of 65° 30', and 
proceeds due north without limitation, into the same Arctic Ocean. 
Beginning again at the same initial point, on the parallel of 65° 30', 
tiience in a course southwest through Behring's Strait, between the 
.island of St. Lawrence and Cape Choukotski to the 172° west longi- 
tude; and thence southwesterly, through Behring's sea, between the 
islands of Attou and Copper, to the meridian of 193° west longitude; 
leaving the prolonged group of the Aleutian islands in the possessions 
now transferred to the United States, and making the western bound- 
ary of our country the dividing line between Asia and America. 

" With the exception of the narrow strip extending in a southeast 
direction along the coast nearly 400 miles, and the remarkable penin- 
sula of Alaska, it forms a tolerably compact mass, with an average 
length and breadth of about 600 miles each. Its greatest length, 
north and south, from the southern extremity of Alaska to Point Bar- 

1075 



1076 OUR COUNTRY AInD ITS RESOURCES. 

row, is about 1100 miles; its greatest !)readtli, measured on the Arctic 
Circle, which passes through Cape Prince ot" Wales, is about 800 miles ; 
the longest line that can be drawn across the country is from Cape 
Prince of Wales to its southern extremity, latitude 54° 40', a distance 
of about 1600 miles. Estimated area, 394,000 square miles. The part 
of the mainland south of Mount St, Elias consists of a narrow belt, 
which is continued along a mountain ridge parallel to the coast, and 
has nowhere a greater width than about 33 miles. The interior of the 
country is very little known ; but from several expeditions, it appears 
that throughout its western part it is elevated and uneven, while the 
part extending along the Arctic Ocean is inv^ariably flat, with the ex- 
ception of a small portion lying between 141° and 152° W. longitude. 
The coasts of the mainland and the islands have almost all been care- 
fully explored. The northern coast was first discovered in the course 
of the present century. Captain Cook, in 1778, during his last 
voyage, reached Icy Cape, latitude 70° 20' :N^., and 161° 46' W. ; and 
it was supposed, from the large masses of ice there met with, even in 
summer, that further progress was impossible. In 1826, however, 
Captain Beechy proceeded east as far as North Cape, or Point Barrow, 
latitude 71° 23' 31" N., longitude 156° 21' 32" W. ; while at the 
same time the lamented Sir John Franklin, then Ga{jtain Franklin, 
traced the coast west from the mouth of the Mackmizie to Return Reef, 
latitude 70° 26' N., longitude 148° 52' W. Fhe intervening space 
between Point Barrow and Return Reef was^ first explored in 1837, 
by Dease and Simpson, officers of the Hadson's Bay Company. 

"The whole of the northern coast cf Russian America, from De- 
marcation Point west to Point Barrow, its northernmost extremity, 
stretches with tolerable regularity in a west-northwest direction, and 
is, with the exception of a small ])art in the east, a dead flat, often 
nearly on a level with the sea, and never more than from 10 to 20 feet* 
above it. From Point Barrow the* coast takes a uniform direction, 
from northeast to southwest, rising gradually towards Cape Lisburn, 
which is 850 feet high. It here turns south, forming, between the 
two large inlets of Kotzebue Sound and Norton Sound, the remarkable 
peninsula of Prince of Wales, which projects into Behring's Strait, 
and terminates in an elevated promontory, forming the northwestern 
part of North America. From Norton Sound it turns first southwest, 
then south-southeast, becoming indented by several large bays, includ- 
ing those of Bristol Bay and Cook's Inlet, on the opposite of the long 
and narrow peninsula of Alaska; and is lined almost throughout by 



ALASKA. 1079 

several groups of large islands, of which the most important belong 
to the Aleutian, Kodiak, and King George III. Archipelagoes. The 
greater part of the coast last described is very bold, presenting a suc- 
cession of lofty volcanic peaks." 

The interior has been very little explored. The latest discoveries 
were made by the party engaged in surveying the route for the over- 
land telegraph to Russia. 

The coast line of the Territory is about 4000 miles in extent. In- 
cluding bays and rivers it exceeds 11,000 miles. The peninsula of 
Alaska is 300 miles in length, with an average breadth of 50 miles. 
The Aleutian Islands are the summits of a mountain range, which 
extends northward on the American coast, around the head of Prince 
William and Cook's Inlet, and down the peninsula of Alaska. They 
form a perfect curve southward, westward, and northward, from the 
extremity of the peninsula to Behring's Island, a distance of 1075 
miles, and constitute the most wonderful range of volcanic islands in 
the "Western AYorld. The six largest are all inhabited. The southern 
sides of these islands are generally steep and without indentation, 
consequently the inhabitants dwell on the north side, where the harbors 
are good. The islands have an area of from 350 to 1500 square miles. 
They are Ounimak, Ounalaska, Oumnak, Atkha, Amchitka, and 
Attou, Ounalaska has 700 inhabitants ; the others each about half that 
number. In Behring's Sea arc the islands of St. I^awrence and 
Noumbak, each possessing an area of more than 2000 square miles. 

There are several rivers iu the Territory. The principal stream is 
the Yukon, which flows into Behring's Sea, south of Norton's Sound. 
The Russians gave the name of Kwichpak to the lower part of this 
river. Like the Mississippi it discharges its waters through a num- 
ber of mouths, and its "delta" embraces nearly two degrees of lati- 
tude. It is 2000 miles long, is navigable for nearly 1500 miles, and 
is free from ice between the middle of May and the middle of Octobei'. 

The mountains are high and imposing. The height of Mount St. 
Elias is estimated at from 15,000 to 18,000 feet. Although situated 
40 miles from the coast, it is seen at sea at a distance of 100 miles 
from the land. Mount Fairweather is 100 miles to the southeast of 
it, and is almost as high. Several active volcanoes, some of which are 
10,000 feet high, lie within the Territory. 

The climate is variable, but is milder than that of the same latitudes 
on the Atlantic coast. " The investigations which have attended and 
followed the change in the political relations of the country, have 



1080 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




fr Bfjanczn 






MOUNT ST. ELI AS. 



developed some new facts with regard to it. The great extent of the 
Territory giv^es it a corresponding variety of climate, but the mean 
temperature is but little colder than that of Maine and New Bruns- 
wick, owing to the thermal current from the shores of Asia; the 
atmosphere is very humid, and a large quantity of rain falls in winter. 
The interior has been but litle explored, and is an almost unknown 
wilderness, the haunt of the Indians, and of the fur-bearing animals. 
Along many of the streams there is an abundance of timber, mostly 
of pine. The agricultural resources of the country form a very incon- 
siderable item in an account of its value as an acquisition to the 
United States, yet the districts along the coast are capable of yielding, 
in moderate quantities, the cereal grains and the more valuable vege- 
tables of the temperate zone. The precious metals are known to exist 
there, but it is a fact of more importance that iron and coal are found 
in considerable abundance, and can be obtained at no very great ex- 
pense. Two mines have for some time been successfully worked on 
the Aleutian Islands, and, with the iron works which they supply, 
are of great importance to vessels needing repair and in want of fuel. 
The principal value of the Territory of Alaska, for the present, will 



ALASKA. 1081 

depend on its fisheries and its fur productions. The supply of furs is 
on the decrease, owing to tiie active traffic which had been carried on 
in that commodity, but the fisheries are inexhaustible. Salmon abound 
in the rivers, and cod and halibut on the coasts. Whales and walrus 
are plentiful in the seas to the south of Behring's Strait." 

There are about 10,000 persons, besides Indians, in the Territory, 
including the military force stationed there. These consist of Ameri- 
cans, M'^ho have gone there since the purchase, Russians, Creoles, 
Kodiaks, and Aleoots. The native or Indian inhabitants, some 
65,000 in number, dwell principally along the coast and rivers, where 
fish and game are plentiful. They learn quickly, and exhibit a de- 
cided aptitude for commerce and the mechanic arts. They show 
great skill in fashioning their rude instruments of warfare and domes- 
tic utensils. Many of them, however, are vagabondish, and bear an 
unenviable reputation. 

There is as yet no organized civil government for the Territory. 
The Government of the United States maintains and exercises its au- 
thority through the military force stationed at Sitka and other places. 
During the last session of Congress, an unsuccessful eifort was made 
to organize Alaska as a county of Washington Territory. 

This extensive Territory, formerly known as Russian America, was 
granted by the Emperor Paul VIII., of Russia, in July, 1799, to a 
Russian-American Fur Company. In 1867, it was purchased by the 
United States from the Emperor of Russia, for the sum of $7,200,000. 
In July, 1868, Congress extended over the Territory the laws of the 
United States relating to customs, commerce, and navigation, and 
established a collection district. In August, 1868, the military dis- 
trict of Alaska was established, and attached to the Department of 
California. 

SITKA, or. New Archangel, on the island of Sit^a, is the seat 
of Government. It contains a population of about 500 Russians, 
Cossacks, and Creoles, besides the garrison, and there are about 1000 
Indians in the vicinity. It has but one street, Avith straggling log 
houses. It contains the " Governor's House," now the headquarters 
of the military commander, a Greek church, a Lutheran chapel, and 
the buildings of the Russian-American Fur Company. 

" The town is situated on a low strip of land, the Governor's House 
rising on a rocky height 100 feet or so above the general level. 
Snow-capped and peaked mountains, and thickly wooded hills sur- 
66 



1082 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




round it, and Mount Edgecumbe, on Crooze Island, immediately 
opposite the town, an extinct volcano, 8000 feet in height, is the great 
land-mark of this port — the most northern harbor on the Pacific 
shores of America. The coloring of the town is gay, and the sur- 
roundings picturesque. The houses yellow, with sheet iron roofs 
painted red; the bright green spire and dome of the Greek chunih, 
and the old battered hulks, roofed in and used as magazines, lying 
propped up on the rocks at the water's edge, with the antiquated 
buildings of the Russian Fur Company, give Sitka an original, 
foreign, and Yossilized kind of appearance." 



ARIZONA. 1 

t 

Area, . • 113,916 square miles. 

Population in 1870, 9,U58 

The Territory of Arizona lies between 31° 20' and 37° N. latitude, 
and between 109° and 114° W. longitude. Its extreme length, from 
north to south, is about 400 miles, and its extreme width, from east to 
west, about 330 miles. It is bounded on the north by Utah Territory 
and Nevada; on the east by the Territory of New Mexico; on the south 
by the Republic of Mexico; and on the west by California and 
Nevada. 

A large part of the Territor}' is mountainous. Numerous ranges 
traverse it in a generally northwest and southeast direction. The 
principal ranges are the Sierra del Carrizo, in the northern part ; the 
Mogollon Mountains, in the eastern part ; the Pinaleno, or Pinon 
Llano mountains, in the southeastern part; Mt. San Francisco, in the 
northern part of the central portion, and the Aztec Mountains, in the 
west. As a general rule, the surface of the Territory is elevated and 
mountainous, and a large portion is believed to be of volcanic origin. 
It also contains a number of extensive plains without trees. 

The principal rivers are the Colorado, which forms a part of the 
northern and western boundaries, the Little Colorado, the Gila, which 
flows westward across the southern part of the Territory, the Santa 
Cruz, the Bill Williams Fork of the Colorado, the Rio Verde, the Bio 
San Pedro, and the Rio Salinas. The Colorado is navigable for 
steamers for about 600 miles within the limits of Arizona. Its navi- 
gation is difficult and dangerous, however, in consequence of the force 
of the current, and the frequent shifting of the channel. In spite of 
these obstacles the water communication which it furnishes from ]x>r- 

1083 



1084 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



- > 


^ 


#-i^ 


KbSs^M^ 


^'^■B' 


H 




A/TliC MOUXTAIXS. 



tions of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, to the sea, is of the 
greatest value to those regions. 

Gold, silver, copper, mercury, and lead, are found in the Territory. 
Valuable silver mines are worked in the central and southern portions 
of Arizona, especially along the Colorado and Gila rivers. The great 
drawbacks to the success of mining enterprises in this Territory are 
the scarcity of Avater in the vicinity of the mines, and the hostility of 
the Indians. It is believed that the mineral wealth of Arizona very 
largely exceeds the discoveries that have thus far been made. 

A very large part of the land is utterly barren. The basin of the 
Colorado consists of elevated ti\ble-lands, broken by mountain ranges. 
The valleys of these ranges are fertile. South of the Gihi, and west 
of the 112th meridian, the country is sandy, and not generally fertile, 
except along the river. In other portions, there are many rich valleys 
and fertile prairies, containing millions of acres, and producing wheat, 
barley, oats, tobacco, vegetables, and fruits. Cotton and sugar grow 
well in the south, and grazing lands, of the finest quality, are abun- 
ilant. AVood is scarce tliroughout the Territory, and, in many parts, 
IS entirely absent. In the north-central portion is a large forest of 
yellow pine, interspersed with oak. Cottonwood grows along the 
shores of the streams. In the southeast part grows a low, stunted 
tree, called the Mezqnit. It is of no use for building, but is said to 
be valuable for mining purposes. 



ARIZONA. 1087 

The climate is mild. In southern Arizona, and along a portion of 
the Colorado, the sunmiers are too warm to allow the performance 
of work in the open air. In the central portion the sun is rarely so 
oppressive. In the mountain regions the nights are always cool. 
Snow falls in the central and northern portion, but does not remain 
long upon the ground. 

The Territory is sparsely inhabited, the settlements being confined 
to the southern portion. Its population in 1870 is no larger than 
that of 1850. The inhabitants consist of American settlers, miners, 
Spanish, half-breeds, and Indians. The towns are built chiefly of 
adobe, or sun-dried bricks, and bear a close resemblance to the INIcxI- 
can towns, having but few marks of American civilization about 
them. The greatest obstacle to the settlement of the Territory has 
been the merciless depredations of the Apachee Indians. The mllltaiy 
force of the United States stationed in the Territory is small, and the 
people are obliged to protect themselves by volunteer companies. The 
Governor, in his last message, urges the people to form military 
companies in all the settlements, and to exterminate the Apachces as 
far as possible. 

There are no railways or telegraphs, and no public schools in the 
Territory. The Governor and Secretary are appointed l)y tlie Presi- 
dent. The Legislature and other officials are all elected by the people. 
The principal towns are Tucson, containing 3000 Inhabitants, Pres- 
cott, with 1200 inhabitants, and Arizona City, with a })opulation of 
600. They are all wretched places, built of adobe, and filled with 
dirt and half civilized people. Ross Browne thus describes Tucson : 
"A city of mud boxes, dingy and dilaj)Idated, cracked and baked Into 
a composite of dust and filth ; littered about with broken corrals, 
sheds, bake-ovens, carcasses of dead animals, and broken pottery ; 
barren of verdure, parched, naked, and grimly desolate in the glare 
of a southern sun. Adobe walls without whitewash inside or out, 
hard earthen floors, baked and dried Mexicans, sore-backed burros. 
Coyote dogs, and terra-cotta children ; soldiers, teamsters, and honest 
miners lounging about the mescal shops, soaked with the fiery poison; 
a noisy band of Sonoranian buffoons, dressed in theatrical costume, 
cutting their antics in the public places to the most diabolical din of 
fiddles and guitars ever heard; a long train of Government wagons 
preparing to start for Fort Yuma or the Rio Grande — these are what 
the traveller sees, and a great many things more, but in vain he looks 
for a hotel or lodging house. 



DAKOTA. 

Area, 152,000 Square Miles 

Population in 1870, 14,181 

The Territory of Dakota lies between 43° and 49° N. latitude, 
and between 96° 25' and 104° W. longitude. It is bounded on the 
north by British America, on the east by Minnesota and Iowa, on the 
south by Nebraska and Colorado Territory, and on the west by Mon- 
tana and Wyoming Territories. It is about 400 miles long, from north 
to south, and nearly as broad. 

A recent Report of a Committee of the Legislature of Dakota, 
thus speaks of the Territory : 

" The Territory occupies the most elevated section of country be- 
tween the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico; forming, to a great 
extent, the water-shed of the two great basins of North America — the 
Missouri and the Mississippi rivers, and the tributaries of Hudson 
Bay. Thus within the limits of Dakota are found the sources of 
rivers running diametrically opposite; those flowing northward reach 
a region of eternal ice, while those flowing southward pass from the 
haunts of the grizzly bear and the region of wild rice through the 
cotton-fields and tiie sugar plantations of the Southerner, until their 
waters are mingled with the blue waves of the Gulf. 

"The general surface of the country east and north of the INIissouri 
is a beautiful, rich, undulating prairie, free from marsh, swamp, or 
slough ; traversed by many streams and dotted over M'ith innumerable 
lakes of various sizes, whose wooded margins, and rocky shores, and 
gravelly bottoms afford the settler the purest water, and give to the 
scenery of the Territory much of its interest and fascination. West 
•of the Missouri the country is more rolling, and generally becomes 
1C88 



DAKOTA. 1089 

broken, hilly, and finally mountainous, as the western limits are 
reached and terminated by the Rocky Mountains. 

" The mighty Missouri runs through the very heart of our Terri- 
tory, and gives us more than 1000 miles of navigable water-course, 
thus giving us the facility of cheap water transportation, by means of 
which we can bear away the surplus products of our rich, luxuriant 
lands to Southern markets, and receive in exchange the trade and 
commerce of all climes and lands. 

" We have, located on the Missouri, Big Sioux, Red River of the 
North, Vermilion, Dakota, and Niobrara, millions and millions of 
acres of the richest and most productive of lands to be found anywhere 
within the bounds of the National Government. 

" We have, combined, the pleasant, salubrious climate of Southern 
Minnesota, and the fertility of Central Illinois." 

The principal rivers are the Missouri, the Red River of the North, 
the Big Sioux, Big Cheyenne, and the White Earth. Concerning 
these streams, the Report quoted above proceeds as follows : " The 
Missouri River extends a thousand miles through the Territory, and 
is navigable for steamboats the entire distance, and hundreds of miles 
above. The country along the river is of unsurpassed fertility. The 
Big Sioux River is 200 miles long, a clear running stream of clear 
water, and cannot be surpassed for fertility of soil and the variety and 
luxuriance of its vegetation. The bottom lands on this stream are 
from a half to three miles wide, and bear an enormous growth of blue- 
joint grass, which makes hay of an excejlent quality. The Big 
Cheyenne is a most important river, and has its extreme source west 
of the Black Hills, which its two main branches enclose. These forks 
are supplied by numerous streams from the mountains, and they unite 
in about longitude 102° 20', the river flowing into the Missouri in 
latitude 44° 48'. In its lower course there is fertile land on its banks, 
and there are considerable areas in and around the Black Hills. The 
Cheyenne River can be rafted, and tlie stream that comes from the 
hills could be used to drive the logs down the river, and thus a way 
is opened to this fine supply of timber. White Earth River has 
generally an open well-wooded valley, with fine soil and luxuriant 
grass. Any one who travels in Nebraska will always feel rejoiced 
when he reaches the banks of this beautiful stream. It is much 
resorted to by the Brules. It has numerous branches, the largest of 
which is called the South Fork. The pine on White River and 
its tributaries is nearly equal in extent to that on the Niobrara. This 



1090 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

stream has been lused by traders to boat down their furs. I believe 
it can also be used to raft down the pine timber on its banks 
and branches. Lieutenant Warren speaks very favorably of the 
Niobrara River, which is partly in our Territory, that there is con- 
siderable pine timber on its banks and branches, and much good land 
and excellent water. The Red River of the North, rises in Lake 
Travers, flows north 380 miles to the British possessions, and is a 
navigable stream its entire distance, well-wooded, and a soil unsur- 
passed in fertility. There are a number of other small streams, some 
of which have abundance of timber, and a good soil, and clear running 
water. There are quite a number of lakes in East Dakota remark- 
able for their beauty, and with their sylvan associations form the 
prominent charm of its rural landscape. There is an abundance of 
timber on some of these lakes surrounded with a good soil, water, and 
plenty of fish in the waters of the same. All the streams of Dakota 
abound in delicious fish of many varieties. 

" The prevailing soil of Dakota is a dark, calcareous, sandy loam, 
containing a various intermixture of clay, abounding in mineral salts, 
and an organic ingredient derived from the accumulation of decomposed 
vegetable matter, for long ages of growth and decay. The earthy 
materials of our soil are minutely pulverized, and the soil is every- 
where light, mellow, and spongy; while its sandy predominance makes 
our soil very early. The upland soil of East Dakota cannot be sur- 
passed for fertility and the variety and luxuriance of its vegetation. 

"Your committee have been unable to get any accurate informa- 
tion in relation to the amount of the crops per acre, but from their 
own personal observation, they are of the opinion that no State or 
Territory surpasses Dakota in the yield of their crops per acre, and 
they are of the opinion the average yield of wheat per acre is 25 
bushels; oats, 45 ; corn, between 50 and 60; potatoes, 225. All 
vines and garden vegetables yield bountifully. But for raising wheat, 
Dakota, we believe, is not equalled by any State or Territory in the 
Union. Our dry, pure atmosphere is what is required for the perfec- 
tion of this grain ; the best wheat grown in the world is the wheat 
grown on the Red River, within the limits of Dakota. The inhabi- 
tants of that section claim 60 bushels as an average yield per acre, and 
the wheat weighs from 65 to 70 pounds per bushel. Every one that 
has ever seen any of the Red River wheat ]ironounced it the finest 
they ever saw. And we are of the opinion that a large portion of our 
Territory will yield equally as well ; some farmers have told your 



DAKOTA. 1091 

committee of a yield of 104 bushels of potatoes from oue and one- 
fourth bushels of seed, and corn at 100 bushels per acre. 

"Dakota is the finest field in the world for stock-growing. It 
stands prominent above all other countries as the best for the produc- 
tion of grass. ' The grasses/ says Farrey, ' are proverbially in perfec- 
tion only in northern and cold regions. It is in the north alone that 
we raise animals from meadows, and are enabled to keep them fat and 
in good condition without grain.' In none of the prairie districts of 
North America are the native grasses so abundant and nutritious as 
on the plains and in the valleys of Dakota. This is sufficiently 
proved by the countless herds of buffalo that pasture throughout the 
year, upon its plains, even north of the 49th parallel of latitude ; a 
fact which suggests an equivalent capacity for the herding of domestic 
cattle. Horses and cattle roam during summer and winter over the 
prairies and through the woods, and keep fat without housing or hay. 
The wihl grasses of Dakota are of many varieties. The blue-joint of 
the valleys makes the best of hay, and generally yields about three 
tons per acre. The gramma or buffalo grass of the upland prairies is 
so nutritious that horses will work all the time they are fed on 
it, without any grain, and keep fat. All the wild grasses of Dakota 
are more nutritious than any of the tame grasses ; cattle become fatter 
by pasturing on it. When cut it shrinks much less in curing for hay. 
It seldom heats. There is no dust in the hay. Horses that eat it 
never have the heaves. The hay in appearance is green, and it smells 
much sweeter than tame hay. On the whole, it is superior either for 
pasturage or hay for horses, cattle, or sheep. Owing to the healthi- 
ness and the dryness of the climate of Dakota, sheep must do 
extremely well in Dakota. We have no cold sleet-storms here, that 
are so fatal to sheep in many countries. The Indians have always 
kept thousands of horses in this country, but never feed them hay in 
winter." 

Among the animals found in and native to the Territory are the 
buffalo or bison, the elk, antelope, deer, grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, 
raccoon, and muskrat." 

It is believed that the Territory is very rich in minerals. Valua- 
ble deposits of gold, silver, iron, and copper have been discovered. 
Coal also exists in considerable quantities, and the salt lakes in the 
northern part of the Territory furnish an abundant supply of salt. 

The Government is similar to that of the other Territories ; it was 
organized by Congress in March, 1861. 



1092 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

YANCTON, the capital, is situated on the left bank of the Mis- 
souri River, about 7 miles above the mouth of the Dakota or James 
River, and in the southeastern corner of the Territory. It is 60 miles 
northwest of Sioux City, in Iowa, the present terminus of the Chicago 
and Northwestern Railway. It contains about 1500 inhabitants, 2 
churches, 2 schools, 1 seminary (conducted by the Episcopal Church), 
and a newspaper office. 



IDA HO. 

Area, - . 96,000 Square Miles. 

Population in 1870, 14,998 

The Territory of Idaho lies between 42° and 49° N. latitude, and 
110° and 117° W. longitude. It is bounded on tiie north by British 
America, on the east by Montana and Wyoming Territories, on the 
south by Utah Territory and Nevada, and on the west by Oregon and 
Washington Territory. Its greatest length, from north to south, is 
480 miles, and its greatest breadth, from east to west, is about 340 
miles. The widest portion is below the southern boundary of Mon- 
tana. North of that the Territory varies in width from 40 to 60 
miles. 

The surface is mountainous. The Rocky Mountains extend for 250 
miles along the eastern and northeastern borders, and a curvilinear 
range, called the Bitter Root Mountains, continues the eastern border 
from the Rocky Mountain range to the northern part of the Ter- 
ritory. Fremont's Peak is the highest point of the Rocky Mountain 
range in the United States, and has an altitude of 13,570 feet. It lies 
on the border between Idaho and Dakota. 

"The Snake River and its branches drain the whole Territory, except 
a portion, of about 120 miles long and 45 wide, in the extreme 



IDAHO. 



1093 




A CANOX IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIXS. 



northern part, which is drained by Clark's Fork of the Columbia and 
its branches, and an irregularly-shaped portion in the southeastern 
corner, which is drained by Green and Bear rivers. Bear River falls 
into Salt Lake, and Green River empties into the Colorado. This 
portion of the Territory has some farming and a large amount of good 
grazing lands, and is very scantily supplied with wood. No mines 
have been discovered in it. The principal branches of the Snake 
River in Idaho are the Clearwater, Salmon, Payette, Boise, and many 
small rivers and creeks, which, uniting, form a large river, with many 
falls and rapids and a current of great swiftness." 

There are three lakes of considerable size in Idaho, the C<Bur 
d'Aline, about 24 miles long and two or three wide, very irregular in 
form ; the Pen d'Oreille, a crescent-shaped lake, about 30 mi»2S long 
and 5 broad ; and the Boatman, about the same length and 6 miles 
wide. Tlie Pen d'Oreille and Clark's Fork are navigable for steamers 
for 80 miles. 

The Snrveyor-General of Idaho, in his Report for 1867, thus 
speaks of the Territory : 

" The altitude of Idaho Territory, vrith its mountains and table- 
lands, renders the winters cold compared with the country lying west, 
but dry and healthy. The Boise, Payette, and Weiser valleys are 
sheltered and mild. The soil of the valleys is highly favorable to the 
growth of cereals and vegetation. Extensive crops are raised whcra 



1094 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

irrigation is practicable. The alkali land, mostly covered with san^e- 
brush, has proved well adapted to the raising of grain. The soil, 
reported second-rate, being decomposed granite, yields the heaviest 
crops. The extensive table-lands are covered with wild .grasses and 
wild rye, and are valuable for grazing. The mountains are clothed 
with pine and fir timber. The valleys are destitute of timber except 
a species of cottonwood growing along the banks of the rivers. The 
valleys are depending upon the mountains at a heavy cost for lumber 
and fuel. 

" Gold is found on the head-waters of all the rivers. Rich placer 
mines have been profitably worked for years on the Clearwater and 
Salmon rivers. Extensive placer and quartz mines are found on the 
Boise River and its branches, embracing several districts. Many 
rich quartz lodes of gold and silver have been discovered and partially 
worked ; their future development depending upon the reduced cost 
of transportation and other expenses, which thus far have retarded the 
growth and prosperity of the country. The quartz and placer mines 
of Owyhee county, situated in the southwest part of the Territory, 
have proved to be eminently rich so far as developed. Some of the 
ledges are being worked with valuable machinery, repaying the capital 
invested, though at an enormous outlay. The quantity and quality 
of the ore already abstracted are favoi'able indications of their future 
wealth. Several thousands of gold and silver quartz claims have been 
taken up and recorded, more or less prospected, but the heavy ex- 
penses under which the miners of this Territory have labored, has, 
in general, prevented their successful development. The near ap- 
proach of the Pacific Railroad to the southern borders of the Territory 
will materially reduce the cost of working the mines, when the 
resources of the country will be more ftivorably brought into notice." 

There are no railways in the Territory. The Northern Pacific 
Railway will cross Idaho from east to west when completed. The 
Lewis or Snake Fork of the Columbia River is navigable to Lewiston, 
on the western border, just above the northern boundar^^ of Oregon. 
This river furnishes the usual and most convenient route for persons 
and goods entering Idaho. 

The public school system has been in operation for several years. 
There are about 20 schools in the Territory. These are limited to 8 
or 9 counties. 

The Government is similar to that of the other Territories. The 
Territorial prison is situated at Boise City. It does not pay expenses. 



IDAHO. 1097 

The Territory of Idaho was organized by Congress in March, 1863, 
out of portions of Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, and Utah Territo- 
ries. In May, 1864, the Territory of Montana was formed out of the 
eastern portion. The discovery of gold was the immediate cause of the 
settlenieut of the Territory. The rich deposits of the precious metal 
drew large numbers of settlers from California, Oregon, and the 
eastern settlements. In a short time the population of Idaho num- 
bered 20,000. This soon fell oif, however, as the mining excitement 
led the more adventurous portion to other places. At present the 
population consists largely of settlers, who have come into the Terri- 
tory with the intention of remaining there. The Territory is growing 
rapidly, and its permanent prosperity seems now placed on an assured 
basis. 

BOISE CITY, or Boise City, the capital, is situated on the east 
side of the Boise River, at the head of the fertile valley of the same 
name, about 393 miles from Salt Lake City, in Utah. It has a beau- 
tiful location, is well laid out, and is one of the best built of the 
frontier towns. Nearly all the travellers and supplies for the Boise 
Basin pass through it; hence it is a great staging centre. It is the 
principal commercial town in the southern part of the Territory, 
being situated between the Owyhee and Boise Mines. It contains 
about 2500 or 3000 inhabitants, several churches and schools, and 3 
newspaper offices. 



THE INDIAN TERRITORY. 

Area 68,991 Square Miles. 

Population in 1870, about 17,000. 

The Indian Territory consists of a tract of country set apart by 
the United States as a permanent home for the Indian tribes removed 
thither from east of the Mississippi r.s well as those native to the 
Territory. It lies between 33° 30' and 37° N. latitude ; and between 
94° 30' and 103° W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by 
Kansas, on the east by Missouri and Arkansas, on the south by Texas, 
and on the west by Texas and New Mexico. 



1098 OUR COUNTRY AND 1X8 RESOURCES. 

The Territory is draiuod by the Arkansas and Red rivers and their 
trilmtaries. The Arkansas and Red are navigable for steamers for a 
part of their eonrse, but the tributaries are too shallow for naviu^ation. 

Tiie greatcT part of the Territory is still in a wild stale, and 
abounds in game. Vast herds of bulfaloes and wild horses roam over 
its prairies. The antelope, deer, })rair'e dog, wild turkeys, and grouso 
are ibund. 

The United States Government has military stations at Fort Cib- 
sor, on the Arkansas, Fort Townson, on the Red, and Fort Washita, 
on the Red River, but the Federal Government exereiscs no authority 
over the Indians exeept for the punishment of certain crimes com- 
mitted by them against the whites. For this purpose, the Indian 
Territory is annexed to the Judicial Districts of the States of Missouri 
and Arkansas, that the offending Indians may be brought to trird 
belbre the United States Circuit and District Courts when sitting in 
those districts. The Indians are allowed to live under their own 
laws, and to ibllow their own customs and mode:; of life. Each tribe 
has its lands assigneil and secured to it by the United States. Several 
elforts have been made to organize the Tcrritoiy. In the latter part 
of 1870, a general council of the tribes was held at Ockmulgee, at 
which a Constitution for the Territory, similar in its provisions and 
requirements to the Constitution of the United States, was adopted by 
an almost unanimous vote, subject to ratification by the people. This 
Constitution provides for a government and political system similar 
to our own, and confines its privileges to the Indian tril)es of the 
Territory. In the new system the various Indian nations correspond 
with the States of our own Confederation. 

The principal tribes now occupying the Territory are the Choctaws, 
Chickasaws, Creeks, Scn)inoles, Cherokecs, and Osages. Some of 
these tribes — the Cherokecs being the most improved — have mado 
great advances in civilization, and have their towns, farms, schoolc, 
and chun^hes, whilst others are fast falling into vagrancy. The 
United States Government holds in trust for these Indians the sum 
of $1,600,000, yielding an annual income of over $100,000. The 
tribes have ceded nearly 40,000,000 acres of their lands to the United 
States, and the organization of the Territory would open these to set- 
tlement. The chiefs oppose the movement. 



MONTANA. 

Area, 143,766 Square Miles, 

Population in 1870, 20,594 

The Territory of Montana, witli the exception of a small portion 
in the southwest, lies between 45° and 49° N. latitude, and 104° and 
116° W. longitude. Its extreme length, from east to west, is about 
560 miles, and its extreme breadth, from north to south, about 320 
miles. This is at the projection in the southeast portion. In otiier 
parts its average breadth is about 275 miles. It is bounded on the 
north by British America, on the east by Dakota Territory, on the 
soutli by Wyoming and Idaho Territories, and on the west by Idaho. 

"The surface is generally mountainous. The great Rocky Moun- 
tain range extends across the Territory. Commencing at the northern 
boundary this range extends for a distance of about 200 miles in a 
south-southeast direction, and then describes a great curve towards the 
west until it touches the border of Idaho. From this point it 
extends along the southwestern boundary of Montana for a distance 
of nearly 200 miles. The Bitter Root Mountains also form a part of 
the western boundary, ]\[inor chains of mountains occur in diflPorent 
parts of the Territory. The long valley of the Yellow Stone River, 
in the eastern part of Montana, is reported to be fertile, and to be bor- 
dered on one or two sides by grand walls of mountain. The valleys 
of the extensive region, between the Yellowstone and the Missouri, 
are said to be liberally supplied with running water and forest trees, 
among which the pine and cedar are to be found. The pine, fir, and 
cedar also abound on the Rocky Mountains and Bitter Root Moun- 
tains. 'The country bordering on the Jefferson Fork, the Gallatin 
Fork, and the Madison Fork of the Missouri/ says Captain Mullau, 

1099 



1100 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

' is among the most beautiful to be found west of the Mississippi, The 
country is a gently undulating prairie, dotted here and there M'ith 
clumps of timber. All the streams are beautifully fringed with forest 
growth, the soil is rich, climate mild and invigorating, and all the 
elements for happy homes are here to be found.' " 

The principal rivers are the Missouri, the Yellowstone, and Clark's 
Fork of the Columbia River. The Missouri rises near the southwestern 
corner of the Territory, and pursues a circuitous course throu2:hout ite 
whole extent to the eastern border, where it passes into Dakota. 
About 500 miles from the source of the river, and in the western ])art 
of the central portion of the Territory, are the Great Falls of the Mis- 
souri, which rank next to those of Niagara in grandeur. They are 
described in the earlier pages of this work. 

The climate is healthful, and, with an atmosphere devoid of 
humidity, is admirably calculated for those afflicted with diseases of 
the lungs, or any manner of rheumatic affections. The purity of the 
water, and the entire absence of all malarious influences, also render it 
well adapted to the invalid suffering from any causes whatsoever. 

Professor G. C. Swallow, in 1867, thus summed up the results 
of his investigations of the agricultural and mineral resources of 
Montana : 

" It certainly is one of the finest stock countries on the Continent. 
All the more important domestic animals and fowls do remarkably 
well ; horses, mules, and neat cattle are more hardy, and keep in 
better condition on the native grasses than they do in the States on 
hay and grain. As a general rule they winter well on the grass of 
the valleys and foot-hills without hay or grain. The valleys furnish 
a large area of natural meadows, whose products are equal to those of 
the cultivated meadows of the Middle States. Beef fattened on the 
native pastures is equal to the best produced in the country. 

" The small grains, wheat, rye, barley, and oats, produce as large 
an average yield as in the most favored grain-producing States ; 50 
and 60 bushels to the acre are not uncommon yields for Montana. Of 
the native fruits we have strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, service- 
berries, choke-cherries, haws, currants, and gooseberries, and there is 
every reason to believe that apples, pears, cherries, plums, quinces, 
blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, and gooseberries can 
be cultivated in our broad valleys as successfully as in any of the 
mother States. 

"All the more important root crops, such as potatoes, ruta-bagas, 



MONTANA. 1101 

beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, and onions, and all the more import- 
ant garden vegetables, are cultivated with great success. 

" Timber is abundant on the mountain slopes and in some of the 
valleys. Five varieties of pine, two of fir, one of spruce, two of cedar, 
grow on the mountains and in the mountain valleys and canons; 
balsams, poplars, aspens, alders, and willows on the streams. The 
pines, firs, spruce, and cedars furnish an abundance of good timber 
for building, mining, and farming purposes. 

" The purest waters abound everywhere, in cool springs, mountain 
streams, meadow brooks, and clear, rapid rivers. Hot and mineral 
springs also occur. Beautiful lakes, and magnificent waterfalls and 
cascades are numerous in the mountains. 

" Veins of gold, silver, copper, lead, and iron Tare found in great 
numbers in nearly all the mountainous portions of the Territory. So 
far as discovered, they usually come to the surface on the foot-hills 
and sides of the valleys and canons. A large portion of these lodes 
are true veins, cutting through granite, syenite, porphyry, trap, gneiss, 
mica slate, hornblende slate, talcose slate, argillaceous slates, sand- 
stone, and limestone. These veins vary in thickness, from a few 
inches to 50 or 60 feet. The gangue or vein rock, called quartz by 
the miners here, is very variable in character. In the gold-bearing 
veins it is usually a whitish quartz, more or less ferruginous — often' 
nearly all iron. In some veins it resembles a stratified quartzite; in. 
others it is syenitic; pyrites, hornblende, calc-spar, arsenic, antimony,, 
copper and tellurium, are found in these veins. In the silver veins 
the iron, so abundant in the gold veins, is usually replaced by oxide of 
manganese. This mineral is sometimes so abundant as to constitute 
the larger portion of the gangue. The gangue in many of the coppei 
mines is usually quartz, heavy spar, talc-spar, and brown spar, more- 
or less commingled. 

" Many thousand lodes of gold, silver, and copper have already 
been discovered and recorded, and a large number of them somewhat 
developed. It is true, as well as in all other mining regions, that a 
large part of the lodes discovered cannot be worked with profit by the 
method usually adopted in new mining countries ; but many of those 
which cannot now be profitably worked will become valuable when 
experience has shown the best methods, and when labor and materials 
can be had at ordinary prices. But there is a very large number of 
large and rich lodes, which will yield large profits even at the present 
prices of labor and material ; and there is quite a number of lodes of 
67 



1102 



OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 




A Fr.ONTIEII CITY. 



ibotli gold and silver already discovered which will rank among the 
largest and richest in the annals of mining. 

^^TJiis, like all new mining districts, presents serious obstacles and 
difficulties in the way of immediate success. These are obvious to all 
experienced men, and are expected in all such undertakings. But all 
this and other hindrances to the full success of our quartz-mining 
operations will soon be removed. They are evils which will naturally 
cure themselves. Better mills are now going into operation, better 
lodes are bought in larger quantities, good men are employed to 
manage, and owners of quartz property arc offering better facilities for 
developing their lodes; capital is turned toward this source of wealth, 
and our best financiers are operating in Montana mining property. 

"The placer mines, though very extensive, and in some instances 
vastly rich, have not yielded so much as in former years. But many 
new and rich discoveries have been made, and large sums of money 
spent in conducting water to favorite localities, and we have every 
reason to believe that the placers will yield as many millions as in 
former years to those hardy toilers who have labored so faithfully and 
successfully in securing this 'golden harvest.' 

"In conclusion, it may be stated with safety that Montana has the 
agricultural capacity for sustaining any population which her minefs. 



NEW MEXICO. 1103 

salubrious climate, and glorious scenery may attract to her fair land. 
Her mines are more numerous and more diffused than any other 
equal area on the globe, and they will prove as rich and yield as large 
profits as the most productive in this or any other country." 

VIRGINIA CITY, the capital of the Territory, is situated on 
Alder Creek, a tributary of Jefferson's Fork of the Missouri. It is 
tolerably well built for a frontier city, and contained a population of 
867, in 1870. It contains a school, several churches, a newspaper 
office, and a theatre. Stages connect it with the principal tov/nc of 
the Territory. 



NEW MEXICO. 

Area, 121,201 Square Miles. 

Population in 1870, 91,874 

The Territory of New Mexico lies between 31° 20' and 37° N. 
latitude, and between 103° and 109° W. longitude. It is bounded 
on the north by Colorado, on the east by Texas and the Indian Terri- 
tory, on the south by Texas and the Republic of Mexico, and on the 
west by Arizona Territory. Its extreme length, from north to south, 
is about 400 miles, and its breadth, from east to west, about 350 miles. 

The greater part of the Territory consists of high table lands broken 
by several ranges of mountains. The Rocky Mountains pass through 
the central portion from north to south. The Sierra Madre range 
passes through the western portion, and the southern and eastern 
parts contain several minor ranges, which diverge from the main 
chain of the Rocky Mountains and pass off into Texas. 

The principal river of New Mexico is the Rio Grande del Norte, 
which, rising in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, flows from north 
to south across the Territory, between the Rocky and Sierra Madre 
Mountains, draining an extensive valley. 



1104 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The habitable portion of the Territoiy is the Valley of the Rio 
Grande. Here the climate, owing to the great elevation of the valley, 
is temperate and constant. In the hotter portions of the day the mer- 
cury sometimes reaches 100°, but the nights are always cool. Some 
of the highest mountains are covered with perpetual snow. Between 
July and October there are heavy falls of rain, but the atmosphere is 
in spite of this very dry. The ground is parched and hard during 
the greater part of the year. 

In consequence of this, the greater portion of the Territory is sterile. 
Except in a few regions nothing can be done in the way of agriculture, 
and in almost every portion artificial irrigation is nesessary to produce 
the simplest crops. Many parts of the Valley of the Rio Grande, and 
the valleys of some of the other streams produce good crops of Indian 
corn, wheat, melons, grapes, apples, peaches, and apricots. The In- 
dians on the GiH cultivate cotton, wheat, corn, melons, and vegetables 
by means of irrigation. Irrigation, however, cannot always be de- 
pended on, as the water source is frequently destroyed by the evapo- 
ration of the streams. The valleys of the northeast portion of the 
Territory afford excellent pasturage, and the table lands, though unfit 
for agricultural purposes, are excellent for stock raising. They pro- 
duce a peculiar grass, which the dry season cures instead of rendering 
it worthless. Cattle, sheep, mules, and horses find this excellent 
winter food. The Territory will probably never attain even a res- 
pectable position as an agricultural region, but it is destined to become 
a prominent place for stock raising. 

Only a small portion of the surface is wooded. Such hard woods 
as are found are of an inferior quality, and are limited in quantity. 

Animals are not as prolific here as in the other Territories. Those 
found here are tlio deer, mountain sheep, wild hog, antelope, cougar, 
ocelot, lynx, brown bear, black bear, grizzly bear, coyote, wolf, mar- 
mot, skunk, weasel, hare, rabbit, squirrel, beaver, and elk. Wild tur- 
keys, geese, ducks and swans, are found. The Territory also contains 
a venomous species of tlie scorpion and lizard. 

It is probable that New Mexico will owe its future prosperity to its 
mines more than to any other source. It is said to be very rich in 
mineral deposits, especially in gold and silver, though very little has 
been done as yet towards the development of these resources. A great 
drawback to mining enterprises is the hostility of the Apachees, who 
infest a large part of the Territory. Iron is found in abundance; also 
gypsum ; coal is found in limited quantities, and there are salt lakes 
in the northeast portion. 



NEW MEXICO. 



llOo 




SANTA FK. 



The Government is similar to that of the other Territories, except 
that in New Mexico the power of the Government is but slight. The 
inhabitants are wild and lawless, as a rule, and are very low down 
in the scale of civilization. The condition of society is similar to 
that in Mexico. The Roman Catholic religion is the principal faith. 



SANTA Ffi, the capital, is situated on the Rio Chicito, or Santa 
¥6 River, about 20 miles from its confluence with the Rio Grande. 
It is the seat of an extensive overland trade with the Missouri River. 
It is wretchedly built. The houses are constructed of adobe and are 
rarely more than one story in height. The inhabitants, with the 
exception of the few Americans residing or sojourning in the place, 
are ignorant and degraded. The place bears an evil reputation as one 
of the most reckless and miserable towns on the globe. In 1870, the 
population was 4600. 



UTAH. 

Area, . ' 88,056 square miles. 

Population in 1870, 86,786 

The Territory of Utah lies between 37° and 42° N. latitude, anu 
between 109° and 114° W. longitude. Its greatest length, from 
north to south, is 345 miles, and its greatest breadth, from east to 
west, about 270 miles. It is bounded on the north by Wyoming and 
Idaho Territories, on the east by Wyoming and Colorado, on the 
south by Arizona, and on the west by Nevada. 

" The Wasatch range of mountains divides the Territory diagonally 
northeast and southwest into two parts, the northwestern being much 
lager than that lying to the southward. The Wasatch range is high 
and rugged. Its lofty summits, covered with perpetual snow, pro- 
bably have an altitude of 11,000 or 12,000 feet above the level of the 
sea. In a broad and elevated range, surrounded by countries rich in 
gold and silver, we should expect to find those metals. But, so far 
as is known, no range of mountains on the western coast has been 
found rich in precious metals that has a trend to the northeast and 
southwest, and it may be considered problematical whether any mines 
of those metals will be found of great richness in the Wasatch Moun- 
tains. On the western side of the Territory are a number of small 
ranges, on the Goshoat and a number of others, that contain mines of 
gold and silver. 

" The largest river is the Colorado, one of the longest in the United 
States. Of its capabilities for navigation, comparatively little is 
known, though, so far as explored, the reports are unfavorable. Its 
principal branches are the Green, Grand, San Juan, and Virgin 
rivers. These drain the southeastern portion of the. Territory. On 
1106 



UTAH. 1107 

the north, Goose and Holmes's creeks run into Snake River, but all 
the interior streams empty into lakes that have no outlet to the sea. 
Bear River and the Jordan empty into Salt Lake, besides many large 
creeks and numerous smaller ones. 

" Salt Lake is about 120 miles long, north and south, and 40 miles 
wide, and contains several islands of considerable size, some of which are 
partially covered with timber. A steamer is now being built for the 
j)nrpose of shipping the timber from these islands for the use of Salt 
Lake City. The lake is subject to sudden storms, and boat naviga- 
tion is sometimes dangerous. Until the present time, no serious effort 
has been made to test its capabilities for navigation, but there is no 
doubt that the trade on this lake will, at some future period, be of 
considerable magnitude. The water is extremely salt. An analysis 
shows that it contains over 22 per cent, of solid matter. It is pro- 
bable the lake once had an outlet to the ocean ; and from the fresh- 
water tertiary fossils found at Bear River, and at other points, it is 
almost certain that it then contained fresh water. Then, also, it 
doubtless contained many varieties of fish, but as the water grew salt, 
they gradually perished; and, so far as has been observed, it has no 
animal life in it at present. The cause of the extreme aridity of this 
country lies in the fact that it is surrounded by high mountains. The 
Sierra Nevada on the west, the Wasatch range on the south and east, 
and the Rocky Mountains on the north, completely encircle it. The 
wind coming from any quarter has its moisture absorbed in passing 
over the mountains. The absence of vegetation, the effect of this ex- 
treme aridity, also aggravates the droughts. The cultivation of those 
valleys, by covering them with crops and trees, may cause some 
change in the amount of rain-fall, and it is not unlikely that in the 
course of years the water in Salt Lake will be permanently higher 
than it is now. As the small rain-fall at present is due to the environ- 
ment of mountains, the inference is, that in former times they did not 
exist, and that this lake is older than the mountains; this conclusion 
appears to be warranted by our present knowledge of the facts. 

" Utah Lake, the source of the Jordan, is almost in the shape of a 
right-angled triangle, about 30 miles long, and 20 wide. The water 
is fresh. There are several other lakes, as Little Salt, Sevier Lake, 
and Goshoat." 

The Territory is generally an elevated, mountainous, and barren 
reo-ion. The waters of the Great Basin have no apparent outlet, and 
either discharge themselves Into the lakes already mentioned, or sink 
into the sands of the desert. 



1108 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Agricultural pursuits are extensively carried on by means of the 
best system of irrigation on the Continent. " Farmers in the Eastern 
States might learn much here that would be valuable to tlieni. From 
a report of the Deseret Agricultural Society of January 11th, 18G6, it 
appears that ' there have been constructed 277 main canals, in length 
amounting to 1043 miles, 102 rods, at a mean width of 5 feet, 6 
inches, and a mean depth of 2 feet, 2 inches, which water 153,940 
acres of land, at a cost of $1,766,939, and there is in course of con- 
struction canals at an estimated cost of $900,000.' " The efforts of 
the Mormon farmers have been well repaid, and their fruits, vege- 
tables, etc., will compare favorably with those of any portion of the 
country. 

Iron is found in large quantities in Iron and Beaver counties. 
Gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead also exist, but it is believed that 
the deposits are small. Coal, both anthracite and bituminous, is 
ibund in limited quantities. Salt is yielded from the waters of Salt 
Lake in unlimited quantities. It is becoming an article of export. 
Soda exists in vast beds in many parts of the Territory. 

The animals native to the Territory are the elk, deer, antelope, 
grizzly bear, mountain sheep, fox, and wolf. The lakes abound in 
water fowl, and the mountain streams in excellent trout and salmon. 

The people of the Territory have gradually built up a system of 
manufactures which does much to supply their immediate wants. 
They make their own cloth, grind their own flour, and provide many 
articles of domestic use. Besides its local commerce, Utah carries on 
an active trade with the settlements in Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, and 
Montana, off the line of the Pacific Railway. 

The Pacific Railway crosses the northern portion of the Territory 
from east to west. Ogden, a few miles north of Salt Lake City, is 
the eastern terminus of the Central Pacific, and the western terminus 
of the Union Pacific Railways. 

There is a system of public schools, and the Mormons have estab- 
lished a University of Deseret. The education provided by the 
Mormon schools, however, is said to be arranged with a view to 
keeping the children within the fold of the Mormon faith. 

Utah was originally a part of Upper California. In 1848, it was 
ceded to the United States by Mexico, and, in 1847, was settled by the 
Mormons, who had been expelled from Nauvoo, in Illinois. They 
settled on the borders of Salt Lake, and founded Groat Salt Lake 
City. They set up a Provisional form of Government, and gave to 



UTAH. 



1109 




THE TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY. 

the Territory the name of the State of Deseret. In 1850, this form 
of goverumeut was abandoned, and the Territory of Utah was or- 
ganized. 

The Territorial Government is similar to that of other Territories; 
but, besides this, the Mormon Church has a complete establishment 
of its own, of which Brigham Young, the Prophet, is the head or 
President. The Mormons, as a rule, pay little heed to the Territorial 
Government, but look to Young and the Twelve Apostles, as the chief 
dignitaries of the Church are called, in all things. The laws of the 
United States are executed with difficulty, and a vast amount of 
trouble has been given the Federal Government by the hostility and 
mutinous conduct of the Mormons. Just before the civil war, it be- 
came necessary to send an army into the Territory to compel obedi- 
ence to the laws.* It is believed, however, that the completion of the 
Pacific Railway will render the task of enforcing obedience to the 
laws comparatively easy for the General Government. 



* Tlie reader is referred to the numerous works on Utah and the Mor- 
mons, for an account of the liistory, relicfious belief, and political system of 
the Mormons. The limits of this work forbid such a narrative here. 



1110 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, the capital of tlie Territory, is 
situated in Salt Lake County, on the east bank of the river Jordan, 
which connects Utah I^ake with the Great Salt Lake, about 22 miles 
east of the latter lake, and 4200 feet above the level of the sea. It 
was laid out in July, 1847. In 1870, it contained a population of 
about 17,000. William Hepworth Dixon thus sketches the city: 

" The site of the new city was laid between the two great lakes, 
Utah Lake and Salt Lake, — like the town of Interlachen, between 
Brienz and Thun, — though the distances are here much greater, the 
two inland seas of Utah being real seas when compared against the 
two charming lakelets in the Bernese Alps. A river, now called the 
Jordan, flows from Utah into Salt Lake; but it skirts the town only, 
and, lying low down in the valley, is useless, as yet, for irrigation. 
Young has a plan for constructing a canal from Utah Lake to the 
city, by way of the lower benches of the Wasatch chain; a plan which 
will cost much money, and fertilize enormous sweeps of barren soil. 
If Salt Lake City is left to extend itself in peace, the canal will soon 
be dug ; and the bench, now covered with stones, with sand, and a 
little wild sage, will be changed into vineyards and gardens. The 
city, which covers, we are told, three thousand acres of land, between 
the mountains and the river, is laid out in blocks of ten acres each. 
Each block is divided into lots of one acre and a quarter ; this quan- 
tity of land being considered enough for an ordinary cottage and 
garden. 

"As yet, the temple is unbuilt ; the foundations are well laid, of 
massive granite; and the work is of a kind that bids fair to last; but 
the Temple block is covered with temporary buildings and erections — 
the old tabernacle, the great bowery, the new tabernacle, the temple 
foundations. A high wall encloses these edifices; a poor wall, M'ith- 
out art, without strength ; more like a mud wall than the great work 
which surrounds the temple platform on Moriah. When the works 
are finished, the enclosure will be trimmed and planted, so as to offer 
shady walks and a garden of flowers. 

" The Temple block gives form to the whole city. From each side 
of it starts a street, a hundred feet in width, going out on the level 
plain, and in straight lines into space. Streets of the same width, and 
parallel to these, run north and south, east and west ; each planted 
with locust and ailantus trees, cooled by two running streams of water 
from the hill-side. These streets go up north, towards the bench, and 
nothing but the lack of people prevents them from travelling onward. 



UTAH. 1113 

south and west, to the lakes, which they already reach on paper, and 
in the imagination of the more fervid saints. Main street runs along the 
temple front ; a street of offices, of residences, and of trade. Originally, 
it was mearnt for a street of the highest rank, and bore the name of 
East Temple street; upon it stood, besides the temple itself, the 
Council house, the Tithing office, the dwellings of Young, Kimball, 
Wells, the three chief officers of the Mormon Church. It was once 
amply watered and nobly planted; but commerce has invaded the 
precincts of the modern temple, as it invaded those of the old ; and the 
power of Brigham Young has broken and retreated before that of the 
money-dealers and the venders of meat and raiment. Banks, stores, 
offices, hotels, — all the conveniences of modern life, — are springing up 
in Main street; trees have, in many parts, been cut down for the sake 
of loading and unloading goods; the trim little gardens, full of peach 
trees and apple trees, bowering the adobe cottages in their midst, ha.ve 
given way to shop-fronts and to hucksters' stalls. In the business 
portion, Main street is wide, dusty, unpaved, unbuilt; a street showing 
the three stages through which every American city has to pass: the 
log shanty, the adobe cot (in places where clay and fuel can* be easily 
obtained, this stage is one of brick), and the stone house. Many of 
the best houses are still of wood ; more are of adobe, the sun-dried 
bricks once used in Babylonia and Egypt, and still used everywhere 
in Mexico and California ; a few are of red stone, and even granite. 
The temple is being built of granite from a neighboring hill. The 
Council house is of red stone, as are many of the great magazines, 
such as Godbe's, Jennings', Gilbert's, Clawson's ; magazines in which 
you find everything for sale, as in a Turkish bazaar, from candles and 
champagne, down to gold dust, cotton prints, tea, pen-knives, canned 
meats, and mouse-traps. The smaller shops, the ice cream houses, 
the saddlers, the barbers, the restaurants, the hotels, and all the better 
class of dwellings, are of sun-dried bricks; a good material in this dry 
and sunny climate; bright to the eye, cosy in winter, cool in summer; 
though such houses are apt to crumble away in a shower of rain. A 
few shanties, remnants of the first emigation, still remain in sight. 
Lower down, towards the south, where the street runs off into infinite 
space, the locust and ailantus trees reappear. 

"In its busy, central portion, nothing hints the difference between 
Main street in Salt Lake City, and the chief thoroughfare, say, of 
Kansas, Leavenworth, and Denver, except the absence of grog-shops, 
lager beer saloons, and bars. The hotels have no bars, the streets 



1114 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

have no betting-houses, no gaming-tables, no brothels, no drin king- 
places. In my hotel — ' The Salt Lake ' — kept by Colonel Little, one 
of the Mormon elders, I cannot buy a glass of beer, a flask of wine. 
No house is now open for the sale of drink (though the Gentiles swear 
they will have one open in a few weeks), and the table of the hotel is 
served at morning, noon, and night, with tea. In this absence of 
public solicitation to sip either claret-cobbler, whiskey-bourbon, Tom 
and Jerry; mint-julep, eye-opener, fix-up, or any other Yankee decep- 
tion in the shape of liquor — the city is certainly very much unlike 
Leavenworth and the River towns, where every third house in a 
street appears to be a drinking den. Going past the business quarter, 
we return to the first ideas of Young in planting his new home ; the 
familiar lines of acacias grow by the becks; the cottages stand back 
from the road-side twenty or thirty feet; the peach trees, apple 
trees, and vines, tricked out with roses and sun-flowers, smother up 
the roofs. 

" Right and left from Main street, crossing it, parallel to it, lie a 
multitude of streets, each like its fellow; a hard, dusty road, with 
tiny becks, and rows of locust, cotton-wood, and philarea, and the 
building-land laid down in blocks. In each block stands a cottage, 
in the midst of fruit trees. Some of these houses are of goodly ap- 
pearance as to size and style, and would let for high rentals in the 
Isle of Wight. Others are mere cots of four or five rooms, in which 
the polygamous families, should they ever quarrel, would find it dif- 
ficult to form a ring and fight. In some of these orchards you see 
two, three houses; pretty Swiss cottages, like many in St. John's 
Wood, as to gable, roof, and paint: these are the dwellings of different 
wives. 'Whose houses are these?' we ask a lad in East Temple 
street, pointing to some pretty-looking villas. ' They belong,' said he, 
'to brother Kimball's family.' Here, on the bench, in the highest 
part of the city, is Elder Hiram Clawson's garden ; a lovely garden, 
red with delicious peaches, plums, and apples, on which, through the 
kindness of his youngest wife, we have been hospitably fed during 
our sojourn with the Saints ; a large house stands in front, in which 
live his first and second wives, with their nurseries of twenty children. 
But what is yon dainty white bower in the corner, with its little gate 
and its smother of roses and creepers ? That is the house of the youngest 
wife, Alice, a daughter of Brigham Young. She has a nest of her 
own, apart from the other women, — a nest in which she lives with 
her four little boys, and where she is supposed to have as much of 
her own way with her lord as the daughter of a Sultan enjoys in the 



UTAH. 1115 

harem of a Pasha. Elder Naisbit, one of the Mormon poets, an Eng- 
lish convert to the faith, as it is in Joseph, lives with his two wives 
and their brood of young children, on the high ground opposite to 
Elder Clawson, in a very pretty mansion, something like a cottage 
on the Under Cliff. Much of the city is only green glade and orchard 
waiting for the people who are yet to come and fill it with the pride 
of life. 

" In First South street stand the theatre and the City Hall, both 
fine structures, and for Western America remarkable in style. The 
City Hall is used as head-quarters of police, and as a court of justice. 
The Mormon police are swift and silent, with their eyes in every 
corner, their grip on every rogue. No fact, however slight, appears 
to escape their notice. A Gentile friend of mine, going through the 
dark streets at night towards the theatre, spoke to a Mormon lady 
of his acquaintance whom he overtook ; next day a gentleman called 
at his hotel, and warned him not to speak with a Mormon woman in 
the dark streets unless her father should be with her. In the winter 
months there are usually 700 or 800 miners in Salt Lake City, young 
Norse gods of the Denver stamp ; every man with a bowie-knife in 
his belt, a revolver in his hand, clamoring for beer and whiskey, for 
gaming-tables and lewd women, comforts which are strictly denied to 
them by these Saints. The police have all these violent spirits to 
repress ; that they hold them in decent order with so little blood- 
shed is the wonder of every Western Governor and Judge. William 
Gilpin, Governor elect of Colorado, and Robert Wilson, sheriff of 
Denver and justice of the peace, have nothing but praise to give these 
stern and secret, but most able and effective, ministers of police. 

"With this court of justice we have scarcely made acquaintance. 
A few nights ago we met the judge, who kindly asked us to come 
and see his court ; but while we were chatting in his ante-room, be- 
fore the cases were called, some one whispered in his ear that we 
were members of the English bar, on which he slipped out of sight, 
and adjourned his court. This judge, when he is not sitting on the 
bench, is engaged in vending drugs across a counter in Main street ; 
and as we know where to find him in his store, we sometimes drop 
in for soda-water and a cigar ; but we have not yet been able to fix a 
time for seeing his method of administering justice at Salt Lake. 

" The city has two sulphur springs, over which Brigham Young 
has built wooden shanties. One bath is free. The water is refreshing 
and relaxing, the heat 92 degrees. 

" No beggar is seen in the streets ; scarcely ever a tipsy man ; and 



1116 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

the drunken fellow, when you see one, is always either a miner or a 
soldier — of course a Gentile. No one seems poor. The people are 
quiet and civil, far more so than is usual in these western parts. From 
the presence of trees, of water, and of cattle, the streets have a pas- 
toral character, seen in no other city of the mountains and the plains. 
Here, standing under the green locust trees, is an ox come home for 
the night; yonder is a cow at the gate, being milked by a child. 
Light mountain wagons stand about, and the sun-burnt emigrants, 
who have just come in from the prairies, thankful for shade and 
water, sit under the acacias, and dabble their feet in the running 
creeks. 

" More than all other streets, perhaps. Main street, as the business 
quarter, offers picture after picture to an artist's eye; most of all when 
an emigrant train is coming in from the plains. Such a scene is be- 
fore me now ; for the train which we passed in the gorge above 
Bear River, has just arrived, with sixty wagons, 400 bullocks, 600 
men, women, and children, all English and Welsh. The wagons fill 
the street; some of the cattle are lying down in the hot sun; the 
men are eager and excited, having finished their long journey across 
the sea, across the States, across the prairies, across the mountains ; the 
women and little folks are scorched and wan ; dirt, fatigue, priva- 
tion, give them a wild, unearthly look ; and you would hardly recog- 
nize in this picturesque and ragged group the sober Monmouth 
farmer, the clean Woolwich artisan, the smart London smith. Mule 
teams are being unloaded at the stores. Miners from Montana and 
Idaho, in huge boots and belts, are loafing about. A gang of Snake 
Indians, with their long hair, their scant drapery, and their proud 
reserve, are cheapening the dirtiest and cheapest lots. Yon fellow 
in the broad sombrero, dashing up the dust with his wiry little horse, 
is a New Mexican ; here comes a heavy Californian swell ; and there, 
in the blue uniform, go two officers from the camp. 

"The air is wonderfully pure and bright. Rain seldom falls in 
the valley, though storms occur in the mountains almost daily ; a 
cloud coming up in the western hills, rolling along the crests, and 
threatening the city with a deluge; but, when breaking into wind 
and showers, it seems to run along the hill-tops into the Wasatch 
chain, and sail away eastward into the snowy range." 

Three newspapers are published in the city, one of which is the 
organ of the Mormon Church. 

Besides the capital, the principal towns of Utah are, Provo, Og- 
den, Brownsville, Franklin, Springville, Nephi, Stockton, and Payson. 



WASHINGTON. 

Area, 69,994 Square Miles. 

Population in 1870, 23,925 

Washington Territory embraces the extreme northwestern por- 
tion of the Great Republic. It lies between 45° 33' and 49° N. lati- 
tude, and between 117° and 124° 43' W. longitude. Its extreme 
length, from east to west, is about 360 miles, and its extreme breadth, 
from north to south, about 235 miles. It is bounded on the north by 
British Columbia and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca (by the latter 
of which it is separated from Vancouver's Island), on the east by 
Idaho, on the south by Oregon, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. 

The western half and parts of the southeastern portion of the Ter- 
ritory are mountainous. These mountains being continuations of the 
ranges which have been described in Oregon. The Cascade Range 
extends entirely across the Territory, from north to south, dividing it 
into two unequal portions; the larger and less rugged being the 
eastern portion. In this range occur, within the limits of the Terri- 
tory, the lofty peaks of Mount Rainier, 12,300 feet high. Mount St. 
Helen and Mount Adams, each about 9500 feet high, and Mount 
Baker, 10,700 feet high. These are all covered M'ith j)erpetual snow. 
West of the Cascade Range are the Coast Mountains, running parallel 
with and but a short distance from the Pacific Ocean. They extend 
from the Strait of S;in Juan de Fuca across the Territory into Oregon. 
Mount Olympus, 8150 feet high, is the principal peak. 

The Strait of San Juan de Fuca forms a part of the northern 
boundary, and separates Washington from Vancouver's Island. It 
also affords water communication between the Pacific Ocean and Ad- 
miraltv Inlet and Pnget Sound, a large bay extending southward into 

1117 



1118 OUR COUNTKY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

tlie Territory for 70 miles from the Gulf of Georgia. These are navi- 
gable for ships of the largest size. Gray's Harbor, on the Pacific, at 
the mouth of the Chehalis River, is about 20 miles long, and has about 
20 feet of water on the bar at low tide. 

Cape Flattery, at the entrance of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, and 
Cape Disappointment, at the mouth of the Columbia River, are the 
])rincipal capes. There are no important islands on the coast. The 
Isle of Grief, 40 miles south of Cape Flattery, is the largest. Whid- 
i)y's Island, in Admiralty Inlet, is noted for its deer. It is well tim- 
bered, but water is scarce. The Arroo Islands, north of it, possess 
valuable fisheries. Lake Chelan, in the north-central part of the Ter- 
ritory, is the largest lake. It is 33 miles long. 

The principal rivers are the Columbia, and its two branches, the 
Clark's and Lewis's Forks, the Spokane, the Okanagan, the Yakima, 
the Chehalis, the Skogit, and the Cowlitz. The Columbia enters the 
northeastern part of the Territory from British Columbia, and at first 
flows southwest. Just below the 48th parallel of latitude, it turns 
westward and pursues a generally westward course to the 120th 
meridian of longitude, where it abruptly turns to the southeast, and 
flows in this general direction to the 46th degree of latitude, whc n it 
turns once more to the westward, and flows in that general direction 
to the Pacific Ocean. From the last turn mentioned it divides Wash- 
ington from Oregon. It is navigated by a daily line of steamers. 
The Lewis's Fork forms a part of the eastern boundary of the Terri- 
tory, separating it from Idaho. At Lewiston it turns to the south- 
west, and flows to the Columbia. The Chehalis flows into Gray's 
Harbor; the Skogit into Puget Sound; and the others into the 
C^olumbia. These rivers all rise on the summit of the snowy moun- 
tains, and are subject to sudden freshets. Their rapids afford first- 
class water-power. 

The climate of Washington resembles that of Oregon. In the 
western portion of the Territory it is mild, there being scarcely any 
winter at all in this region. "Properly speaking, there are but two 
seasons, the dry and the rainy. The grades of temperature, and the 
accompaniments which in other countries of the same latitude ascribe 
the features and title to the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and 
winter, are here in great measure obliterated, or at least so dimly 
marked that the seasons imperceptibly run into each other, and lose 
their distinctiv^e line of division. It is not unusual for the three winter 
months to be mild, without snow or ice, the grass growing meanwhile. 



WASUINGTON. 1119 

In February, the weather may occur mild and genial as May, to be 
succeeded in March or April with our coldest weather. In July and 
August, days in some portions of which the niaxiuium temperature 
will reach 90° or 100°, are sometimes followed by cold nights, occa- 
sionally accompanied by heavy frost. The rainy season proper begins 
late in October or early in November, and may be said to continue 
till the ensuing April. It frequently happens that after the first 
rains weeks of weather similar to Indian summer occur, and it is 
seldom that one or other of the months of January, February, or 
March does not prove continuously mild and clear. The summers of 
this Territory are unsurpassed in the world. While many days are 
exceedingly warm, the nights are always cool and refreshing, as if 
specially intended for wholesome sleeping. In the winter months, 
six in number, rains prevail. No disappointment should be felt if 
falling weather occurred some part of each 24 hours, and yet many 
bright sunshiny days relieve the long-continued i-ainy season of Wash- 
ington Territory." 

" The soil of all the prairie lands, with the exception of those 
directly around Paget Sound, is exceedingly fertile. Those of the 
Sound are of a sandy, gravelly nature, not readily cultivated, but pro- 
ducing enormous fir and cedar trees. The soil on the mountains is 
generally very rich ; but the dense growth of forest deters the emi- 
grant from attempting clearings on a large extent, as the fine, fertile 
plains and prairie oiFer far greater inducements. Fruits of various 
kinds, particularly apples, can be cultivated very readily, and in the 
greatest perfection. Indian corn does not thrive well, as the seasons 
are not hot enough ; but wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes yield the 
most abundant crops, of the finest quality. The potatoes, in particular, 
are surpassingly fine. The wheat grown on the Columbia, called 
Oregon wheat, is known for its superior excellence. 

" Although the Territory is a very mountainous country, yet there 
are many immense plains and prairies ; and, by reference to the map, 
it will be seen that innumerable streams, like veins, permeate the 
whole region, and each of them, from the largest to the smallest, flows 
in its course through rich and fertile plains, of various sizes, lying 
between the mountains. Governor Stevens, in January, 1854, writing 
of the Territory, says of the waters of Puget Sound, and the adjacent 
ones of Hood's Canal, Admiralty Inlet, and Fuca Straits, 'that their 
maritime advantages are very great, in affording a series of harbors 
68 



1120 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

almost unequalled in the world for capacity, safety, and facility of 
access, and they are in the immediate neighborhood to what are now 
the best whaling grounds of the Pacific. That portion of Washington 
Territory, lying between the Cascade Mountains and the ocean, 
although equalling, in richness of soil and ease of transportation, the 
best lands of Oregon, is heavily timbered, and time and labor are 
required for clearing its fo/ests and opening the earth to the produc- 
tion of its fruits. The great body of the country, on the other hand, 
stretching eastward from that range to the Rocky Mountains, while it 
contains many fertile valleys and much land suitable to the farmer, is 
yet more especially a grazing country — one which, as its population 
increases, promises, in its cattle, its horses, and, above all, its wool, to 
open a vast field to American enterprise. But, in the meantime, the 
staple of the land must continue to be the one which Nature herself 
has planted, in the inexhaustible forests of fir, of spruce, and of cedar. 
Either in furnishing manufactured timber, or spars of the first descrip- 
tion for vessels, Washington Territory is unsurpassed by any portion 
of the Pacific coast.' " 

The timber of the Territory is like that found in California and 
Oregon. The giant fir grows here, often attaining a height of 300 
feet, and a thickness of from 8 to 12 feet. The other trees are the 
spruce, maple, hemlock, cedar, oak, asli, alder, and willow. These 
are all of the finest and most useful species. 

The forests of the Territory are plentifully stocked with game. 
The animals, native to this region, are the elk, deer, bear, fox, otter, 
beavei', muskrat, and rabbit. The native birds are the swan, wild 
goose, brant, gull, duck, eagle, grouse, pheasant, partridge, M^oodcock, 
hawk, raven, and robin. Tiie waters of the Territory swarm with 
fish, among which are the cod, mackerel, halibut, herring, flounder, 
oyster, crab, lobster, and clam. The Columbia and its tributaries are 
famous for their fine salmon fisheries, which are among the most 
extensive in the world. 

The commerce of the Territory consists principally in the export 
of lumber, particularly of masts and ship timber. The masts and 
spars produced in this Territory are said to be the best in the world. 
The amount of timber exported from Puget Sound is estimated at 
nearly $2,000,000 annually. Numerous saw mills are engaged in 
preparing lumber for domestic use and for exj)ortation. The assessed 
value of property in the Territory, in 1869, was $7,843,239. 

The mineral resources of the Territory have hardly been satisfac- 



WASHINGTON. 



1121 




STREET IN OLYMPIA. 



torily ascertained yet. Gold has le.^n found on the Coliimhia River, 
and in the northeastern part of the Territory. Coal is found in appa- 
rently inexhaustible quantities Avest of the Cascade Range, along the 
Columbia and the rivers emptying into the Pacific, and near the 
Strait of San Juan de Fuca. It is believed that there is coal enough 
in Washington to supply the wants of the Pacific coast for generations 
to come. 

The public school system is the best of any of the Territories. The 
schools have been in operation a number of years, and are doing a 
noble work for the children of the Territory. There are between 50 
and 60 public schools in the Territory, besides several private schools. 
All are well attended. The University of Washington is located at 
Seattle, in King county. It was established in 18G2. The general 
Governmeiit has endowed it with 46,080 acres of unoccu]Med land, 
which it is believed, will create a fund of at least $75,000. There 
are about 10 public libraries in the Territory, and 9 newspapers are 
published there. 

The Territory of Washington was organized in March, 1863, up to 
which time it formed a part of Oregon. 



IJ22 OITU aniNTKY AND ITM IIE.SOITUCKS. 

OTiYMIT A, tho onj>ilaI of 1 lie Territory, is eitimtcd in 'I'linrston 
rnni)ty, on ♦!•'> east side of Tenalqiict's Klvor, at its entrance into 
I*ngot Soimd. It lies at t]»n head of Rliip navigntion on Pnget 
Honnd, 150 miles from the iV-ifje Ocean. It contains the Htate 
Houce, Terriloiial library, several ehurohes and schools, and 6 news- 
jitjicr oltices. 



W Y O M ING. 

Area , . iihout HH,ono Sijunre Mileft. 

Popdialion ill 1H7(», ti.llH 

TiiK Territory of Wyoming lies Ix-fween 41" and 45" JM. latitude, 
and between 104" and 112" W. longitude. Its extreme length, from 
east to west, is about 30O miles, and its breadth, from iinrlh to komIIi, 
Ml)OUt 275 miles. It is bounded on the north by Monlann, on the 
«»!iHt by Hakola and Nebraska, on the sontli by ( 'ohnado and Utah, 
Mild on I ho west by Utah, Idaho, and Montana. 

A largo jiart oC the T<'rril«)rv is monnlsiinoiis. Th(< IlofKv Moun- 
tains cross the western part from northwest to southeast. 'Jhe Kattle- 
snoke an<l Big Horn Mountains ooeupy a ctmsiderable part of the 
norlhern and wrstern parts, mid the Hlaek Hills lie along the eastern 
border and extend into Dakota. 

'I'he principal river is the North P'ork of the IMatlc, which rises 
on the eastern slop(!s of the Uoeky Mountains and pursucH a generally 
oaslward course' into Nebraska. The (rallatin VnrU of the Missouri, 
the Yellowstone and its tribntarios, and the Littlo Missouri, fako their 
rise in tin; n(»rtli('rn part of the Territory, and tli(> noilheasfcrn ])or- 
lioii is drained i)v the headwaters of tlu' Shvenne and ils branehes. 

Much of the laml of NVyoming is suited to enltivalion. ()(li(>r see- 
lions, however, sulVer from a senreity of water. The whole Terri- 
((»rv is well sn|i|)lie<l with timber, and in the southern portion the sup- 
ply is inexhauslible. The pine, spruce, hemlock, and cedar, are the 
principal trees. The Territory offers superior od vantages for stook 
raising, the prairies being covered with a spontaneous i^rowth of an 
excellent ami nutritious grass. 

The clinuite is healthful and delightful. The winters arc mild and 



wvoMiNcr 



1 1 T\ 





■^tm^'' 



I'llN 



o|ii*ii, iiimI mi iMiiiiy |Mii'ln, ri'iiiii Ni)Vi*iiiIm<i' \n Ajiiil, iIimimiIiI ii !)•> 

lt(<|»l vvillnMil, f>)liii||,(<i', (Hill lliid (ti|('<<ll«>iir I'immI III I III' Hlmiiliii(f \n'i\m of 

iIh' |Miii|'||iM, 

<i<i|i| llllH IliUitl (llllM)l III (•MI|Hllli<l'llltl<< i|iliitllit|i'n willlill 'Jjt tllll<"4 III 

llin I'lii'llli' Willi wiiy, liiiiiM'iinM IiimIh uI' inui hikI iihiI liiivi* Im'cii 

<IIn(UIV(U'(1i| willlill II mIimI'I, tliMllllli'M of iJiM niUilM I'llllil. Li'llil I in\, 

|ini' ni'M iilnii ImiiihI in moimk |iiii'liiiiic« nl' llin 'r<'i'rlliii y, iiiiil uIIhim i'iiii ' 
hlill viiIiiiiIiIk nil wi'lln, wliili< liiii*< iiimI (rvp^iiiii iih' iiIhiimIiiiiI, II, 
Im liriJidVi"! lliiil in (III* i'<iiirn<< nC ii li'W ,v<miI'm NVyniiilii^' will lin nii(< 
III' (III' |ii iii<'i|iiil iiiiiiiii(^ I'l'fjiiiiiiq tiC llii' I'liiitilrv. Till' l*ii"lll<' lldil 

Wliy iilli'iu liiiii '.mil (iiiililicu till |ii<iiii|ti. < niiiliiiiiiii'iil lull willi lIlH 

KiiMli'i'ii iiiiirlii'h' 

'rii« I'liiiiiliy MiMilli ul' iJiM Nnilli I'M! It III' till' riiilli' i« IIh' Mtily |iiii'l, 
ni'llliMl IN yi'l, 'I'liM pMcilli' iriiilwiiy imnnrn iiIiihimI. Iliiiiiii'li iIk' i'i'IiIim 
ol'lliln |ioi'liiiii, mill i(4 ilniii(/ iiiiu'li lowMi'iU iMi|iriivlii(/; nml iit('llJiii|i( l(, 

'ril« (fOVi'i'liiiM'lil. i«» hImiIIiU' In (lull III (Ik- iiIIm I 'IVl I'idil'ii'n, In 
Wynlllitl(j; whiih'II imt^ni'nM llu* I'lpjii ul' nnll'iiifM', iiml I In* l'l(ilir In nil, 
on jllt'it'H, A frl'llllil j<>l'y« <''ilinicilill|r nl' null llinl Wnlni'll, Wliai v\lh 

pHiii'lU'il n(, liiu'imiiM Cily on lln' Vili ol' Mm'cli, IM7<). WniiM'n «Uo 
liiiv>* |Im« rif/lil III IhiIiI oIDi'k. AI iIik 'iVi'i'llni'liil cloi'llnii of Hi'|ili'iii- 
Ih'I' 7, IH'/d, (l«i woiiH'M v«'i'y gt'iK'riilly voIimI. VVniiM«ii wmim nnntl 



1124 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

nated by the Republican party at Cheyenne for the offices of county 
clerk and school superintendent, but were defeated with the rest of 
the local ticket. 

The Territory of Wyoming was organized on the 25th of July, 
1868, out of portions of Dakota, Idaho, and Utah, the larger part 
consisting of the western portion of Dakota. 

CHEYENNE, the capital, and largest and most important town 
in the Territory, has now a population of from 3000 to 5000. Much 
of it is " floating," and the population of the place varies more than 
that of most mining towns. It is situated on the Union Pacific 
Railway, 516 miles from Omaha, and is a place of considerable trade. 
Two newspapers are published here. " The first stake was driven 
at Cheyenne on the 13th of July, 1867, and in one month there was 
a town of 8000 inhabitants on the spot. These were, however, made 
up in a large measure of adventurers and disreputable characters. No 
sooner was a new station of the Pacific Railway established at Lara- 
mie than a large part of this population departed from Cheyenne, but 
the more respectable portion remained, and a permanent city has been 
founded." 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1125 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 

One of the most important achievements of the American nation is its system of 
free public education, by which the precious gift of knowledge is brought within the 
reach of all classes of the people, and by means of which the humblest citizen may 
obtain for his children the advantages which in other countries are enjoyed only by 
the richer and aristocratic classes. This system has been the object of much discussion 
of late years, and is commonly regarded in this country as the basis of our prosperity. 
It will be interesting, tlierefore, to glance at its history and examine some of its 
results. 

The free education of every child in the community at the cost of the public at 
large is an American idea. In no ancient country was there any provision for the 
education of all classes. The nearest approach to this was in Sparta under the system 
established by Lycurgus. The education of the Spartan youth was furnished at the 
expense of the State, it is true, but it was chiefly physical ; the object being to render 
the men of the country invincible in battle. Even this system was confined to the 
aristocratic class. The great mass of the people were serfs, and were designedly kept 
in ignorance and poverty in order that they might be the more easily ruled by the 
nobles. In Rome schools were abundant, but they also were restricted to the 
patricians and the wealthier plebeians. In none of the ancient States were the 
common people regarded as of suflicient importance to be entitled to the benefits of 
education. Tliey were simply hewers of wood and drawers of water for their aristo- 
cratic masters, and were looked upon as little better than the beasts of the field. 

It was not until Christianity became the controlling power of the world that the 
duty of educating the people as a whole was recognized or taught. The Church of 
Christ has always been a foe to ignorance, and has at all times branded it as the 
prolific mother of vice and crime. As soon, therefore, as they were in a position to 
do so, the bishops and priests began to impress upon their people the duty of teaching 
the young of all classes. The great and the rich would always find the means of 
education open to them, but the poor and humble had no such advantages, and the 
church at once constituted herself their instructor. In the year 529 the Council of 
Vaison recommended the founding of public scliools in every Christian land, in which 
all persons might receive instruction. It is true that the recommendation of the 
Council was not generally observed, and that the clergy as a whole did not carry out 
the designs of the church with respect to education ; but it is also true that the only 
schools in existence during those dark ages, in which the poor scholar could find the 
means of slaking his thirst for knowledge, were those kept open by the church. 

When Charlemagne came to the throne, at the end of the eighth century, the world 
was sunk in ignorance. In spite of his love of war and power, his sensual pleasures, 
and great ambition, his vigorous and comprehensive mind readily appreciated the 
importance of knowledge to a people, and he resolved that his own should possess it. 
At the age of forty-five he began to atone for the deficiencies in his own neglected 
education bv commencing a regular course of study under the learned monk Aicuin. 
"He established," says Russell, "schools in the cathedrals and principal abbeys, for 
teaching writing, arithmetic, grammar, and church music; certainly no very elevated 
sciences, vet considerable at a time when many dignified ecclesiastics could not 
subscribe the canons of those councils in which they .sat as members, and when it was 
deemed a suflScient qualification for a priest to be able to read the Gospels and under- 
stand the Lord's Prayer." The clergy being the most appropriate teachers, 



1126 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Charlemagne endeavored to make them more careful in the discharge of their duties. 
He embraced all classes of the clergy in his vigilant circumspection, and was espe- 
cially anxious that the lower clergy, who were most immediately in contact with tlie 
common people, should qualify themselves to be their instructors. In one of his 
edicts upon this subject he ordained that, " if, after the repeated admonitions of their 
bishop to improve the poverty of their understandings by study, they should still show 
no traces of amendment, their ignorance should not only be punished with the loss of 
their office, but of whatever ecclesiastical preferment they held." 

By a capitular of 789, and by several successive ordinances, the bishops were ordered 
to establish two sorts of schools in their respective dioceses. Infant schools were to be 
established, in which reading and writing were to be taught. Others of a higher 
grade were to be opened in the cathedi-als and monasteries, in which the arts of music, 
grammar, logic, and rhetoric were to be taught. The instruction afforded in these 
schools was to be gratuitous. In A. d. 800 the Synod of Mentz ordered that schools 
should be established by the parochial priests in every town and village, that " the 
little children of all the faithful should learn letters from them. Let them recei^ve 
and teach these with the utmost charity, that they themselves may shine as stars 
forever. Let them receive no remuneration from their scholars, unless what the 
parents, through charity, may voluntarily ofier." 

" Over the progress of the young scholars Charlemagne watched with a degree of 
attention not to be expected from the multiplicity of liis public concerns ; and he took 
great delight in examining, with the masters, their different compositions. Having 
discovered, upon some remarkable occasion, that the children of the poorer classes of 
the people, whom he had caused to be educated among those of the nobles, left the 
latter far behind in their studies, he applauded their proficiency, and declared that his 
favors should be exclusively bestowed on them. Then turning to their high-born 
fellow-students, he addressed them in words which evinced his fixed determination to 
stimulate and reward talents, even if they should be deduced from the lowest origin. 
* It is evident,' says he, ' that you rest your claims to promotion solely upon the merits 
of your ancestors. Know, therefore, that they have received their recompense, and 
that the State renounces all obligations, except to those who are capable of promoting 
her interests and honor by their abilities.' " 

But Charlemagne died, and when his strong hand was removed there was no one to 
guide the cause of popular education in the way he had meant it to proceed. The 
monks became careless ; the great schools survived, but the majority of the smaller 
ones disappeared. In 1179 the Council of Lateran endeavored to revive the zeal of 
the church, and ordered that grammar schools should be established in every cathe- 
dral for the free instruction of the poor. In 1245 the Council of Lyons enlarged this 
ordinance and made it more binding. 

It was easy, however, for councils to enact decrees, but difficult to enforce them. 
In some countries they were entirely neglected ; in others they were obeyed in the 
larger towns, where excellent schools existed and flourished, always under the control 
of the clergy. In the smaller towns and country districts the decrees of the councils 
were neglected. The priests were idle and careless, and the people poor and ignorant. 

The common school, it will thus be seen, was the outgrowth of the Christian Church. 
It was designed at the outset to afford a mingled religious and secular instruction. 
As time passed on the more important establishments developed into the great 
universities and colleges of Europe. These were capable of extending their benefits 
but to a small number of the whole people, and while they did noble service to the 
cause of learning, were not able to carry out the original design of the church in 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1127 

educating the masses of tlie people. That was left to the clergy in the common 
schools. Many of these schools perished, as we have stated. The instruction received 
at the hands of the clergy by the common people became limited to religious instruc- 
tion. The priesthood came to the conclusion that so they instructed the people in the 
doctrines of the church, in the legends of the saints, and trained them to reverence 
and obey the clergy as the lawful administrators of "Holy Church," it was not 
necessary to teach them reading, writing, or any of the scholastic arts. Thus the 
object with which the church had started out was defeated by its own appointed 
instruments, and the very means it had designed for raising the common people out 
of the depths of ignorance was made the engine of sinking them lower into that abyss. 

The reason is well known. The church was becoming corrupt, was neglecting its 
spiritual ends, and was seeking after temporal power. It was easier to fasten its yoke 
upon an ignorant than upon an educated people, and so it became the settled policy 
of the church and the priesthood to discourage and prevent the spread of knowledge 
among the people. So far was this policy carried that the church became the chief 
foe of knowledge. Its hatred of it was fanatical. The clergy, who were meant to be 
the teachers of the masses, became the most ignorant — with few exceptions — of the 
community. They pursued with a bitter hatred every friend of learning. Only the 
universities were safe from them. Even Pope Sylvester the Second was pursued to 
his grave by the fanatical hostility of the monks because of his zeal for learning. " The 
genius of this famous pontiff'," says Mosheim, "was extensive and sublime, embracing 
all the branches of literature ; but its more peculiar bent was turned toward mathemat^ 
ical studies. Mechanics, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and every other kind of 
knowledge that had the least affinity to these important sciences, were cultivated by 
this restorer of learning with the most ardent zeal, and not without success, as his 
writings abundantly testify. Nor did he stop here, but employed every method that 
was proper to encourage and animate others to the culture of the liberal arts and 
sciences Hence it was that the geometrical figures described by this mathe- 
matical pontiif were regarded by the monks as magical operations, and the pontiff 
himself was treated as a magician and a disciple of Satan." The monks zealously 
spread the story that Sylvester did not die, but was carried off by the devil, to whom 
he had sold himself for a number of years. 

The cause of popular education languished until the dawn of the Eeformation. 
That great movement gave it new life. The Reformers well understood that a people 
to be virtuous and pure must be intelligent, and they exerted themselves from the 
first to spread among the masses at least a plain common school education. Luther 
was especially active in this respect. The ignorance of the people was to him a 
terrible evil, and ought to be ameliorated at almost any cost. In 1526 he wrote to the 
Elector of Saxony: "Government, as the natural guardian of all the young, has the 
right to compel the people to support schools. What is necessary to the well being 
of a State, that should be supplied by those who enjoy the privileges of such State. 
Now nothing is more necessary than the training of those who are to come after us to 
bear rule. If the people are too poor to pay the expense, and are already burdened 
with taxes, then the monastic funds, which were originally given for such purposes, 
are to be employed in that way to relieve the people." 

Melancthon gave Luther his earnest support and co-operation in his measures, and 
in 1527 assisted him in drawing up the plan for a common school system in Saxony. 
This system was soon put in operation in that country, and thus Luther had the 
pleasure of seeing the inauguration of one of his dearest hopes — the free education of 
the young of all classes. The system was destined to be short lived, however. The 



1128 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

breaking out of the Thirty Years' War, in 1618, involved all Germany in the most 
terrible conflict in which it had ever engaged, and which brought general ruin to the 
whole country. The Saxon schools were neglected in the struggle and fell into decay. 
Still, the good effects of Luther's work were not lost. His schools perished, but his 
system was the germ from which sprang the great modern system of German public 
education. 

We have neither the time nor space to describe here the growth of the German 
schools. We have traced, imperfectly, the progress of free education up to the time 
when Protestant Germany took up the cause which she has since rendered triumphant. 
We can do no more at present than ask the reader's attention to the following brief 
notice of the German system of to-day, which we take from the "American Educa- 
tional Encyclopaedia" for 1875: 

"The Prussian system of education, which likewise prevails in most of the German 
States, is the most complete and thorough of any in the old world. It assumes that it 
is the right and duty of the State to provide schools, and compels the attendance of all 
well children between seven and fourteen years of age. It furthermore looks to tlie 
special preparation of teachers, as far as practicable, for every grade of school, with 
opportunities for professional improvement and promotion, and guaranty of pecuniary 
aid when sick, infirm, or aged, and for their families in case of death. The State 
exercises supervision over all schools, public and private. Formerly the clergy 
possessed this supervising power to a large extent. The new school law of 1872, 
however, aimed at the entire separation of school and church, and the withdrawal of 
school management from the clergy as such. The Minister of Instruction, appointed 
by the crown, exercises supreme authority in educational matters. Local supervision 
rests in the provisional authorities, who have the general control of secondary educa- 
tion, including the gymnasia, ' Realschule,' and primary normal schools. The schools 
of Prussia are divided by Professor Drove into five general classes : 1st. Primary. 
2d. Burgher. 3d. Eealschule. 4th. Gymnasium. 5th. University. 

" In nearly all the German States, as well as in Denmark and Sweden, persons are 
prohibited from opening schools or seminaries without undergoing examinations before 
boards constituted for that purpose. If found qualified, the candidate receives a 
teacher's license, but in this license the grade of the school he is found capable of 
teaching is clearly defined, and he renders himself liable to prosecution as an impo.stor 
if he represents his school in his announcements as of any higher grade than that 
which his license declares him qualified to teach. The following studies are obliga- 
tory for all children in Prussia : religion, the mother tongue, including writing and 
grammar, arithmetic, practical elementary geometry, realien (comprising geography, 
history, the elements of natural history, and the rudiments of physics), drawing, 
singing, gymnastics, and for girls, needlework. To each of the last four branches the 
pupils of the upper classes are required to give two hours weekly. In giving the 
gymnastic exercises the teachers must follow the course laid down in the ofl5cial 
manual prepared for the purpose. Prussia was the first country in the world to estab- 
lish normal schools, the earliest of these dating back as far as 1701. In 1819 it was 
decreed that ten should be established, one in each province. Now there are eighty- 
eight. In the whole German Empire there are one hundred and forty-three. The 
course of training in these professional schools varies from three to six yeans. In 
1873 there were twenty-one universities in the German Empire, with 1734 professors 
and 18,588 students." 

Scotland was, next to Germany, the country in Europe which after the Reformation 
gave most care to the education of tlie masses. Its free schools were the work of the 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1129 

Eeformaiion, and were among the most potent allies of that great movement. As 
they grew out of a religious movement, they naturally remained under the control of 
the clergy. In 1560 -John Knox urged upon the Government the necessity of estab- 
lishing free public schools in every parish, and advised that they should be supported- 
by the Kirk and conducted by its ministers. The suggestions of the Reformer were 
discussed with true Scotch caution, but no action was taken upon them for a number 
of years. In 1696 the free school system was given a national existence by an Act of 
the Scottish Parliament, which established a common school in each parish, to be 
supported in part by the parish and in part by rate bills. These schools were placed 
under the charge of the clergy. 

It was not in Europe, but in America, however, tiiat the free public school system 
was to receive its widest development. The emigrants to the new world were chiefly 
of English birth and training, and came to America to found a State. They were 
convinced that such a task could be accomplished only by an intelligent people, and 
one of their first measures was to make provisions for schools which should afford 
their children tlie means of fitting themselves for the discharge of the duties of free 
citizens of a free State. 

As early as 1621 a " Free Grammar School," as it was called, was established in 
Charles City, Virginia. In 1636 tlie General Court of Massacliusetts made provision 
for the establishment of a similar school at Boston, appropriating to this object the 
sum of £-400, which was equal to a year's rate of the whole colony. In 1637 an order 
was passed locating the school at Newtown, the name of whicli place was changed to 
Cambridge, in memory of the university in England where most of the leading men 
of the colony had received their education. In 1638 regular academic studies were 
begun, and in 1639 it was ordered that the name of the school be changed to Harvard 
College, in honor of the Rev. John Harvard, its great benefactor, wlio bequeathed to 
it the sum of £779 17s. 2cZ. "Free grammar schools" were also founded in New 
Haven in 1638, in Salem in 1641, and in Eoxbury prior to 1645. All these schools 
were supported in part by donations of money or real estate, either by towns or indi- 
viduals, and in part by tuition fees. They were not free schools in the truest sense, as 
they were free only to the contributors to their support, and to them only in part. 

Still tliey were a beginning, and from the foundation thus laid sprang the free public 
school, which is of New England origin. It was the determination of the fathers of 
New England that knowledge should be restricted to no l;ivored class, but should be 
accessible to every child, without other payment than the tax imposed upon the 
parent. Every citizen was to be taxed for the support of the free schools, and was 
thus to be given a direct interest in their proper conduct. 

The first free public school was established by the town of Hartford, in Connecticut, 
prior to the year 1642. The funds for its foundation and support were supplied by the 
town treasury. In 1643 the authorities of Hartford passed a resolution providing 
"that the town shall pay for the schooling of the poor and for all deficiencies." In 
1647 the colony of Massachusetts Bay enacted the first general law upon the subject to 
be found on our statute books. It was in the following words : 

" It is therefore ordered yt every towneship in this jurisdiction, after ye Lord hath 
increased you to ye number of fifty householders, shall tlien forthwith appoint one 
within the town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and reade, 
whose wages shall be paid either by ye parents or masters of such children, or by ye 
inhabitants in generall by way of supply, as ye maior part of those yt order ye pruden- 
tials of ye town shall appoint, provided those yt send their children be not oppressed 
by paying much more yn they can have ym taught for in other towns." 



1130 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOUFwCES. 

The example of Massachusetts and Connectiait was followed by New Hampshire 
and Vermont, and free schools were established in everj- colony in which there were 
children enough. 

These old-time common schools were largely religions in their character. Dr. Kit's 
says of iliem : '"At first the common school was a strictly church school, a school under 
the special charge and oversight of the clergyman of the parish or township, and 
where the children were carefully instructed in the orthodox faith. In the earlr 
Puritan settlements the schoolmaster, if at all competent, was verv highlv thought of. 
. . . . The highly educated schoolmaster ranked next to the mimster. It is not 
imlikely, indeed, that the great rtspcct which, coupled often with very inadequate 
pay. is found still to attach throughout the States to the office of public school teacher, 
is derived in part from the old Puritan and Presbvterian feeling in regard to the 
schoolmaster as a sort of church officer, ranking often, if he were bat learned, not far 
behind the minister in the ctmsidenition of the parishioners. Be thL<, however, as it 
may, it is certain that in all the earlier period of the history of the States the school 
was a strictly religious institution. Ihe schoolmaster in the Presbyterian settlements 
taught not only the Scripttires, but the Asembly's Catechism ; in the Episcopal settle- 
ments he taught the Bible and the Church Catechism ; among the Independents and 
the Quakers he, at least, closely instructed the children out of the Scriptures for 
generations after the Eastern States were senled." This will be readily tmdetstood 
when it is remembered that for several generations after the States were settled the 
clergy represented the best culture to be found among the people of America. Our 
people have always yielded a willing homage to inteUectual ability, and when the 
clergy were their most capable guides folk wed them in matters of education as thev 
did in mo>t tilings else. As the country increased in prosperity and population, and 
in intelligence, the people began more and more to take their matters into their own 
hands, and finally, profiting by the lesK>ns of other lands, assumed the control of their 
8chooK and made them in the strictest s«ise of the word non-sectarian. 

The records of the New England colonies show that the public schools were faith- 
fully and liberally supported. In 1670 the Government of Connecticut could say. in 
answer to an official inquiry : ■" One-fourth of the annual revenue of the colony is laid 
out in maintaining the free (common) schools for the education of our children." 
The Middle and Southern colonies were not so careful of this great catL^e, and as a 
consequence failed to reap the benefits derived by their Eastern sisters from their 
fostering care of their schools. The records show that Xew England never murmured 
at the burdens necessary to the support of these schooL;. The colonies were heavily 
taxed for the ordinary purposes of government and for the costly wars against the 
French and the Indians : but however great their bnrdeiL* they never forgot the public 
schools or failed to provide liberally for them. We have seen that the Thirty Yearr" 
War broke up the German schools founded by Luther. The New England schools 
grew up in the midst of constant war, and grew stronger and more prosperous everv 
year in spite of their daily exposure to the dangers by which they were surrounded. 
Throughout the Revolution, when the whole country was staggering tmder its load of 
debt, the public schools were maintained, and the taxes neceseary to their support 
paid promptly. 

At the close of the Bevolution the rich western lands of Connecticut came into the 
market. The sale of these lands by the State would have placed large sums of moneT 
in the treasury. Connecticut had suffered heavily during the war. She had main- 
tained a larger number of troop? in the field, in proportion to her poptiLiiion. than 
any other State, and the return of peace found her poor and with a heavy debt. The 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1131 

sale of her^vestem lands offered her a readv means of relief and would have greatly- 
lightened the load of taxation borne by her people. In this hour of her sorest 
financial distress she gave a noble proof of her wise care for her children. By a 
solemn vote of the State Legislature the western lands of Connecticut were dedicated 
to the cause of education, and a law was enacted providing that the proceeds of the 
sales of these lands should constitute a permanent school fund ; thus securing a liberal 
provision for the free schools in the future. The fund now amounts to $2,044,190. 
The interest on this amount is annually devoted to educational purposes. The 
example of Connecticut was followed by Massachusetts, which State set apart for 
educational purposes a part of her wild lands in Maine, which then formed a portion 
of her territory. 

At the opening of the nineteenth century the New England school system was 
arranged as follows : The leading principle was the instruction of all the children in 
the State in the rudiments of an English education, namely, reading, writing, elemen- 
tary arithmetic, elementary geography, and grammar. It was sought to accomplish 
this by the establishment of one or more common schools in every precinct or district 
containing fifty householders, or even a smaller number. Each district was made 
independent of the others in the management of its financial affairs, in the hiring of a 
teacher, the provision of school-houses, text-books, etc. The schools of each town or 
district were placed under the charge of a superintendent or board of visitors, gener- 
ally consisting of professional men, and almost invariably including the clergy. These 
examined the teachers, engaged them, inspected the schools, and selected the text- 
books. The schools were supported by a general taxation and by rate bills. The 
poor were expressly exempted from the payment of rate bills, the system being based 
upon the Connecticut maxim, that " the town shall pay for the schooling of the poor." 
The town authorities had power to compel the attendance of children of a school age, 
and to prevent and punish truancy. This system gradually spread into New York 
and Pennsylvania, and was established in Ohio and the other Western States settled 
principally by New England emigrants. It was very defective, and failed entirely to 
make provision for the wants of those pupils who wished to advance beyond the 
simpler studies of the common school. 

The charters of the colonies had left their boundaries vague and undefined. 
Previous to 1781 only six of the original States could determine their boundaries with 
accuracy. The limits allowed them by their charters extended far beyond the 
mountains, and embraced large regions which offered many inducements to emigrants 
from the older communities. One after another the States ceded these lands to the 
General Government, establishing exactly defined borders for their own territory. It 
was resolved by the General Government, upon its first acceptance of these lands, that 
they should " be disposed of for the common benefit of the United States." It was the 
general desire of the country that the Government should use these lands to assist the 
cause of education, and in accordance with this feeling the General Government began 
a generous and liberal policy of assistance to the schools, which it has since steadily 
carried out. The ordinance of 1785 for the government of the Northwest Territory, 
and the second ordinance for the same purpose, passed in 1787, set apart "section 16 
of every township" for the express purpose of maintaining the public schools. The 
latter act contained this memorable clause, setting forth the purpose of the General 
Government in making this donation : "Relicjion, morality, and knowledge being necessanj 
to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall 
be forever encouraged." 

Under this law the States of Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, 



1132 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

t 

Alabama, Maine, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, Texas, and "Wisconsin 
have each received the 16:li section of each township of the lands within their limits. 

The ordinance was renewed in 1789, after the adoption of the Constitution of tlie 
United States. In 1848 the General Government decided to increase the amount of 
assistance extended by it to tlie schools, and the 36th section of every township was 
set apart, in addition to the 16th section, for school purposes. 

Tlie States which have received these two sections — the 16th and 36th — are Cali- 
fornia, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, Nevada, Nebraska, and Colorado. Every Territory 
organized since 1848 has also received these sections. 

In addition to the grants of these sections to the States, sixteen States have received, 
in accordance with an Act passed in 1841, 500,000 acres of land each, which some 
have added to their school fund. These lands were not specially dedicated to educa- 
tional purposes. The States receiving them were Alabama, Arkansas, California, 
Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, 
Nebraska, Nevada, Oi-egon, Wisconsin. 

By the Acts of 1849, 1850, and 1860 the General Government donated to fourteen 
States certain lands, generally known as " swamj) lands," embracing an aggregate of 
62,428,413 acres. A considerable portion of this grant has been used by some of the 
recipients for school purposes. Tlie States receiving it were Alabama, Arkansas, 
California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missis- 
sippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 

The total amount of lands granted by the General Government to the public schools 
reaches the enormous extent of about 140,000,000 acres. The permanent school fund 
of the States that have received lands from this source amounts to the sum of 
$43,866,787, an average of over $2,000,000 apiece. 

" Nor was tlie fostering care of the Government restricted to the common schools. 
The men who laid the foundations of our institutions were not guilty of the absurdity 
of supposing that any system of elementary education, however excellent, could long 
thrive unless there were vitally joined with it, as a part of the same system, provisions 
for a broad and generous higher education. They believed and acted upon tlie belief, 
that a Government established ' to promote the public welfare,' and so constructed as 
to reflect public opinion, might as wisely and legitimately bestow attention upon 
advanced education as upon primary; and they would have observed with incredulity, 
if with no stronger feeling, the painful eflbrts of those philosophers in our own day 
who labor to show that Government surely ought to promote instruction in the three 
R's, and just as surely ought not to go a step further. They regarded higher and 
lower education as equally important, each in its own place, and equally worthy of 
the patronage and assistance of the General Government. 

"Accordingly the ordinance of 1787, which has been already referred to, besides its 
provisions for schools, set apart 'not more than two complete townships of land, to be 
given perpetually for the purposes of a university.' The two townships thus desig- 
nated for the support of a university have accordingly been given to every State that 
has been organized since the becinning of the present century, and Ohio was fortunate 
enough to receive three — one while a Territory, and two on being admitted into the 
Union. Florida and Wisconsin appear to have received four each. This was the 
extent of the aid rendered by the Government to higher education previous to 1862. 
The 'university' lands thus donated amount to only $1,119,440 acres, and the benefit 
derived from them has been exceedingly small. In three or four States the fund has 
been so administered as to produce good results, but in most cases it has profited a 
small number of individuals rather than the entire community. The State of Ohio, 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1133 

for example, so disposed of her three townships that tliey now contribute only $10,000 
annually to the support of two ' universities,' while the lands themselves have been 
rendered forever tax free to the fortunate lessees. 

" It is a noteworthy circumstance, and, as the result has proved, a grave oversight, 
that the United States Government, until 1862, attached no conditions to its liberal 
grants. In that year the Government may be said to have made a distinct and 
important advance in its method of donating lands for the support of education, by 
attaching a condition to its gifts. By the Act then passed, as is well known, Congress 
appropriated to the several States 30,000 acres of the public lands for each Senator 
and Representative in Congress ; the amount accruing from the sale of such lands to 
be invested as a perpetual fimd for the maintenance of at least one college in each 
State, where the principal object should be, ' without excluding other scientific and 
classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as 
are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the Legislatures 
of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical 
education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.' This 
grant has been extended by supplementary Acts, so as to apply to the States that were 
in rebellion when the original Act was passed ; and on this basis have been established 
the institutions which have come to be generally, but not very correctly, known as 
'Agricultural Colleges.' A few of the States have not completed the establishment of 
these institutions, and in some others they have not been long enough in operation to 
enable them to state results ; but sufficient has been done to furnish the means of 
estimating their general working, and especially of answering the question how far 
they have fulfilled and are fulfilling the expectations of Congress in establishing 
them. 

" Some apprehension has arisen 'on this point, owing, apparently, to a failure to 
notice the terms of the law in which the design of the institutions is expressed. A 
moment's observation will show that the words of the Act, as quoted in the preceding 
paragraph, are the statement of a comprehensive scheme for promoting the advanced 
education of the people. The broad purpose is to provide for the 'liberal' as well as 
the ' practical education of the industrial classes,' and that not in any single direction, 
but 'in the several pursuits and professions in life.' The 'leading object' is to be the 
promotion of ' agriculture and the mechanic arts,' not necessarily by training a body 
of apprentices in manual practice, which experience generally shows to be attended 
with too many drawbacks in an educational institution, but by teaching ' such branches 
of education as are related to ' those subjects ; that is, in short, the whole range of the 
mathematical, physical, and natural sciences, with special reference to their applica- 
tions in those great branches of human industry. 

" The whole amount of land liable to issue under the Act of 1862 and the Acts 
supplementary to it is 9,600,000 acres. This land, so far as it has been disposed of, 
has been sold for an average price of seventy cents per acre, and if the entire amount 
be reckoned at the same price, the total proceeds will be $6,720,000. This grant of 
less than $7,000,000 is the sum total of what the Government has done for the institu- 
tions referred to. 

"On this basis thirty-five of the States have located institutions, and as four of them 
have divided the fund, the number of institutions thus established is thirty -nine. Of 
these thirty-six have been opened, but some of them only a few months. The returns 
from them are necessarily imperfect, both in respect to material values and internal 
working. The average value of the Congres.sional endowment of the institutions, as 



1134 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

far as ascertained, is $179,645. The maximum endowment is $630,000, and the 
minimvim $50,000." * 

Such is the liistory of the aid rendered by the General Government to the common 
schools and to the liigher institutions of learning. We have deemed it best to present 
this portion of our narrative entire here, and must now return to the point at which 
we left the common schools in the earlier years of this century. 

The defects of the common school system, as it existed at the opening of the century, 
were evident to all interested in it. But a limited amount of instruction was furnished, 
and this deteriorated in character, as the routine system of teaching had the effect, in 
the course of time, of lowering the standard of the schools. In consequence of this 
they began to suffer in the public estimation. It was evident to the earnest men 
engaged in the cause that the common school system must end in an ignominious 
failure unless the evils from which it was suffering could be checked and removed. 
In 1817 these persons inaugurated a reform movement, which was carried on with 
great vigor, and which may be said to be still in progress. 

Between 1821 and 1828 the school systems of most of the New England States were 
subjected to a careful revision. From 1826 to 1830 conventions were held in nearly 
all the principal towns of New England, at which the evils from which the common 
schools were suffering were elaborately discussed and measures proposed for the reme- 
dying of them. The interest of the people was thoroughly aroused and was kept alive 
by these meetings, and the press gave its aid and encouragement to the good work of 
reform. Horace Mann, Henry Barnard and others labored actively to bring about a 
reform ; teachers' institutes were established, normal schools were founded, and at 
length a beneficent and sweeping change was effected. A better and more vigorous 
system took the place of the old one, and the good work embraced not only New 
England, but all the Northern and most of the Western States. The work of improve- 
ment has gone on steadily since then, and scarcely a year has rolled by but lias wit- 
nessed some gain in this respect. 

There is no national system of free public education in the Union, each State 
reserving to itself the management of its free schools. However they may differ as to 
details, the systems of the various States are founded upon a series of fundamental 
principles common to all, and which may be briefly stated as follows : There is a 
system of graded schools for each town or district, embracing, 1st. Primary schools for 
the younger pupils. 2d. Grammar schools for those of more advanced age, in which 
are taught, in addition to the ordinary branches, philosophy, chemistry, history, and 
frequently drawing, vocal music, algebra, geometry, and French. 3d. High schools 
for the still more advanced, in which are taught the studies necessary for a business 
education, and in most cases the languages and higher mathematics. These schools 
are placed under the supervision of one or more efficient visitors, who are paid for 
their services. They ascertain by a thorough examination the qualifications of the 
teachers, who are employed or dismissed npon their recommendation. In each town 
or district these visitors, or " Boards of Education," have power to enforce uniformity 
of text-books, and in most of the States are forbidden by law to change the text-books 
in use under a given period. Some of the States enforce uniformity of text-books in 
all the schools within their limits. The local boards have also authority to compel 
regularity and punctuality of attendance. Provision is made for the establishment of 
school libraries in connection with the free schools. The local boards select black- 
boards, maps, charts, globes and other apparatus for instruction, a liberal sum being 

* "American Educational Encyclopa?dia " for 1875, pp. 15, 17. 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1135 

allowed for the purchase of these. They are also required to secure the erection of 
suitable school-houses, arranged in such a manner as to receive proper warmth and 
ventilation, and constructed so as to promote convenience of instruction. Normal 
schools are established in every State for the instruction and training of teachers. 
Teachers' institutes are also held at stated times and places for the exercise and drill 
of those already engaged in the work of their profession. Teachers' State associatit)ns 
are organized for the comparison of metliods of teaching and tlie establishment of 
periodicals devoted to education. In some of the States the schools are absolutely free 
to all, and are supported entirely by taxation and the interest upon their perinaneiu 
educational funds ; in others they are supported in part by taxation and in part bv 
small rate bills, which are abated where the parents of the child are unable to paN'. 
In such cases the text-books needed, as well as instruction, are furnished to the pupil 
without cost; so that the schools are practically free even in the States where rate hills 
exist. This practice, however, is rapidly disappearing. The schools are now abso- 
lutely free in most of the States and will soon be in all. 

One great defect of the system is the isolation of the local Boards of Education. 
Except in Massachusetts and New York there is hardly a shadow of a State system, 
so called. Even in Massachusetts the State has no power to enforce any regulation 
concerning the management of the schools in the towns. It can only advise. In 
some of the States attendance upon school is compulsory. The compiilsory education 
law of New York, which went into effect on the 1st of January, 1875, is a fair speci- 
men of the legislation on tliis subject. Its leading provisions are as follows: 

"All parents and guardians are required to instruct children in their charg?, .or 
cause them to be instructed, in spelling, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, 
and arithmetic. All children not physically or mentally incapacitated, between the 
ages of eight and fourteen years, must attend some public or private day school at 
least fourteen weeks each year, eight of which shall be consecutive, or they nuist be 
taught at home fully fourteen weeks each year in the branches named above. 

■'No person shall employ any child under fourteen years of age during the estab- 
lished school hours of the locality, unless such child shall have attended some publiii 
or private day school fourteen weeks of the fifty -two weeks next preceding any and 
every year in Avhich such child shall be employed, or shall have been instructed pi 
home during the time above mentioned, and in the branches above specified. The 
■child must deliver to his employer a certificate to this effect in the handwriting of his 
teacher. The penalty for disobeying this provision of the bill is fifty dollars, to ho 
paid into the school fund by tlie employer for each offence. 

"Trustees are required to inspect the situation of all cliildren employed in the 
manufacturing establishments, in February and September of each year, and to report 
all violations. Manufacturers are compelled to furnish correct lists of the children in 
their employ between the ages of eight and fourteen years. 

"For violating any provisions of this bill one dollar fine shall be paid. For each 
succeeding violation, after having been properly notified, the offender shall pay five 
dollars for each and every week's continuance, not exceeding thirteen weeks in any 
one year. All these penalties are to be devoted to school purposes. 

" Trustees are required to furnish text-books for the cliildren on the written sl3.lx- 
ment of parents or guardians that they are unable to do so. 

" On the statement of any parent or guardian that he or she cannot compel a child 
to conform to this Act, the latter shall be regarded as an habitual truant and so dealt 
with. 

"Boards of Trustees and Instruction arc authorized and directed to make all needful 
69 



IVM OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

proviidons, arrangementfi, and regulaticiM for the discipline, inslruci^ioa, and confine- 
ment of habittial truant children found in the streets, Hubject to the approval of the 
Juinice of the Supreme Court of the district. Two weeks' attendance at a half-term 
or evening school shall, for all purposes of this Act, which takes effect on the firfet day 
of January, be counted as one week at a day school." 

Previous to the war the Southern States, as a rule, were careleas of their public 
schools. In some of them a system of free common schools could scarcely be said to 
exist. Many of the larger towns and cities of the South supported excellent free 
achools, but no such provision was made for the children of the country district'". 
Apart from its apathy on this subject, the Sknith had a great difficulty to contend with 
in iti: sparsely settled country, which rendered it impossible in some localities to 
conduct a school with succeas. At the close of the civil war, when the various State 
Governments of the South were undergoing the process of reconstruction, advantage 
was taken of the opportunity to establish in each State a system of free public educa- 
tion suited to its want«. The embarrassed financial condition of these States made ii 
impoeoible to carry out the new laws respecting education as promptly or as thor- 
oughly as was desired, V>ut a fair bejanning was made, which gives promise of great 
results in the future. In Arkansas and Texa* education is c-ompuL^ory. 

The black population I* nc* neglected. Some of the Southern States have made 
lil>eral provision for colored -rchools. Some of these are among the best schools in tlie 
South. There has been no effort to mingle the two races in the schools, but a generous 
and far-sighted policy has secured to the colored schools all the advantages enjoyed 
by the white. 

In 1874 an effort was made in G>Dgreae to secure the paseage of a measure known 
an the Civil Eights Bill, which provided, among other things, for the mingling of the 
two races in the common schools. The bill passed the Senate, but could not command 
3 sufficient vote in the House, and so was lost. It was bitterly opposed by the 
Hfiuthem people, whoee sentiments were condensed as follows by the Memphis Appeal : 
" ft Ls evident the public school systems of the Southern States cannot survive the 
enactment of this bill." It was declare^! by many of the best friends of the black race 
t!iat an attempt to establLsh mixed schfjols in the South would utterly defeat itself. 
The whites c-ould not be compelled to send their children to such schools, and would 
he rendered bitterly hor^tiio to all schemes of free public education. Many of the most 
earnest members of the RepuVjlican party opposed the bill because of this conviction. 
The educational press of the North and West a-s a nile regarded the bill with extreme 
disfavor, and urged its withdrawal. The Iowa Scfiool Journal expressed the views of 
its fellow-workers in the caase of free education, as well as its own, in the following : 
" In our opinion the bill, should it become a law, will greatly annoy the caase of 
aJucation in certain parts of the Union. If the law shall be so worded or interpreted 
as to demand that a school system supported by general taxation shall provide as good 
schools for the blacks as for the whites, leaving it with the boards and school officers, 
or the localities, to determine wheiher or not the blacks shall be entitled to seats in 
the schools provided for the whites, and rice verga, it would meet everj- demand of 
justice and equality. In Keokuk, in our own State, the Board of Education has 
provided for a ' colored scrhool,' with suitable buildings and competent teachers. We 
can see that a law which would step in and break up this distinction, under the plea 
that the Board has made a discrimination on account of color, would be absurd and 
foolish in the extreme." The measure having failed, there is good reason to believe 
that it will not be attempted again. Race prejudices cannot be overcome by Con- 
gressional enactments, and the fairest and most friendly course to the blacks is to 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1137 

secure for them what the whites of the South are willing to concede— equal advan- 
tages in separate schools. In the South at large there is a very decided willingness t(. 
give the negroes these advantages, for the whites are now convinced that the prosperity 
of their States depends upon the education of all their citizens. There will hardly bo 
another effort made to array the race prejudice of the Southern people against tht 
system of public education, and we may therefore hope that the progress of education 
among the negroes will be rapid and satisfactory in the future. 

The general advance made by the common school system in the past eight or ten 
years has been very great. The extent and character of it cannot be shown better 
than by the following statistics of several of the principal States, which we take from 
the "American Educational Encyclopaedia " for 1875 : 

" In the State of California the number of school districts in 1864 was G84 ; in 1874 
it was 1462. In 1864 the whole number of schools was 754; in 1874 it had increased 
to 1868. The number of pupils in the public schools in 1864 was 29,416 ; in 1874 it 
was 97,681. In the former year the sum of $328,338 was paid to teachers; in the 
latter year these salaries amounted to $1,434,366. In 1864 the sum of $2271 was 
hpent for school libraries and apparatus; in 1874 the amount spent for this purpose 
was $29,245. In 1864 the total expenditure for scliool purposes was $483,407 ; in 1874 
it was $2,113,356. 

" In the State of Illinois the progress of eight years is shown by the following 
figures: In 1865 the number of districts in the State was 10,062; in 1873 it was 
11,231. In the former year the number of schools was 10,291; in the latter 11,396. 
In 1865 the total number of teachers was 17,015 ; in 1873 it was 20,924. In 1865 the 
number of pupils was 580,304 ; in 1873 it was 662,049. The average monthly salaries 
of teachers in 1865 were as follows : males $38.09 ; females $24.96. In 1873 they had 
increased to the following monthly average : males $50 ; females $39. The total 
amount expended for school purposes in 1865 was $3,193,636; in 1873 it wa.s 
$7,480,889. 

"In Iowa the number of schools in 1864 was 6237 ; in 1874 it was 8816. In the 
former year the total average attendance of pupils was 111,185; in the latter year it 
was 204,204. In 1864 the amount paid to teachers was $570,115; in 1874 it wai* 
$2,248,667. The total amount expended for school purposes in 1864 was $761,537 ; in 
1874 it was $4,229,455. 

" In the State of Maryland the comparison extends over but eight years. In 1866 
the number of schools in the State was 1219 ; in 1874 it was 1742. The number of 
teachers in 1866 was 1533 ; it had increased to 2555 in 1874. The total number of 
pupils in 1866 was 64,793 ; in 1874 it was 130,234. In 1866 tlie sum of $356,680 was 
paid for teachers' salaries; in 1874 the sum of $889,486 was paid for the same purpose. 
The total amount expended for school purposes in 1866 was $477,425 ; in 1874 the 
amount expended for this purpose was $1,354,066. 

" In Massachusetts the number of schools in the State in 1863 was 4626 ; in 1873 it 
was 5305. The number of teachers in 1863 was 10,753; in 1873 it was 8449. The 
average attendance was 181,381 in 1863 ; and was 202,882 in 1873. In the former 
year the amount of money raised by taxation for the support of common schools was 
$1,434,015 ; in 1873 this amount was $3,889,053. 

" The State of Michigan shows a notable improvement in the past ten years. In 
1864 there were 4426 school districts in the State. In 1874 the number had increased 
to 5521. In the former year the whole number of children attending school was 
215,736 ; in the latter year it was 324,615. In 1864 the number of teachers was 8816 ; 
in 1874 it was 11,950. In 1864 the amount paid for teachers' salaries was $591,335 :; 



1138 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

in 1874 it was $1,765,068. In 1864 the total amount expended for purposes of educa- 
tion was $871,671 ; in 1874 it was $3,148,885. 

" The ten years' progress of Nevada covers the whole period of her existence as a 
State, the date of her admission into the Union being 1864. In 1864 there were 34 
school districts in the State, in which the estimated value of school-houses was 
$34,733; in 1874 the number of school districts was 62, the vahie of school-houses 
$69,413. In 1864 there were 1524 pupils in attendance upon the public schools, 
which employed the services of 37 teachers ; in 1874 the number of pupils was 3372, 
the number of teachers 76. In 1864 the total school expenditures were $50,732; in 
1874 they were $98,468. 

"In the State of New York the number of school districts in 1864 was 11,717, the 
number of school-houses 11,712 ; in 1874 the number of school districts was 11,995, 
the number of school-houses 11,739. In the former year the number of children 
attending school was 881,184; in the latter year it was 1,030,779. In 1864 the 
number of teachers employed was 26,888 ; in 1874 it was 29,464. In 1864 the amount 
paid as teachers' salaries was $3,093,460; in 1874 it was $7,415,181. In 1864 the 
State paid the sum of $30,468 for the support of colored schools ; in 1874 the amount 
expended for this purpose Avas $74,611. The total expenditures for school purposes 
in 1864 amounted to $5,069,250; in 1874 they were $12,088,762. 

"In the State of Ohio, in 1864, there were 11,810 public schools; in 1874 the 
number was 14,543. In the former year the number of teachers employed was 
20,108 ; in the latter year it was 21,899. In 1864 the amount expended for tuition 
and incidental expenses was $2,420,940 ; in 1874 it was $5,535,747. The total expen- 
ditures for educational purposes in 1864 were $2,738,124; in 1874 they amounted to 
$7,431,975. 

" In the State of Pennsylvania there were 1825 school districts and 12,566 schools in 
1864; in 1874 the number of school districts was 2050, the number of schools 16,305. 
The number of pupils in the former year was 637,785; in the latter year it was 
834,020. The number of teachers in 1864 was 14,688 ; in 1874 it was 19,089. In 
1864 the total amount expended for school purposes was $2,218,355 ; in 1874 it was 
$8,345,836. 

" In the State of Vermont there were 2682 school districts in 1864, and 2754 in 
1874. In the former year there were 76,021 pupils enrolled in the schools ; in the 
latter year 78,139. The number of teachers emj^loyed in 1864 was 4341 ; in 1874 it 
was 4406. The total amount expended for school purposes in 1864 was $327,249; in 
1874 it was $622,227. 

" The following figures show the progress of six years in the new State of West 
Virginia: In 1868 there were 1517 school districts and 1140 schools in that State; in 
1874 the number of school districts was 2411, the number of schools 2857. In the 
former year there were 35,304 pupils attending the public schools ; in the latter year 
the attendance was 81,100. In 1864 the total expenditures for school purposes were 
$167,130; in 1874 these expenditures amounted to $748,064." 

The following table, which is taken from the same source as the above figures, will 
show the financial resources of the various States at the beginning of 1874, witii 
respect to the common schools : 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1139 

RECEIPTS OF SCHOOLS AND STATE SCHOOL FUNDS. 



STATES. 



Alabama 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massaclmsetts 

Michigan' I 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey 

New York 

North Carolina. 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Rhode Island 

South Carolina 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Vermont 

Virginia 

West Virginia 

Wisconsin 

TERKITOBIES. 

Arizona 

Dakota 

District of Columbia 

Idaho 

Indian 

Montana 

New Mexico 

Utah 

Washington 

Wyoming 



Income from 


Total income 




taxation for 


•"rora all 


School Fund. 


l»7:J. 


siiurces. 






$490,604 




'«;>67,378 


405,404 


$55,000 


1,4-23,719 


2,551,279 


1,417,500 


137,557 


257,557 


137,507 


1,203,842 


1,442,667 


2,04:3,375 


163,-284 


192,397 




75,000 


116,219 


£81,785 


108,992 


260,432 




6,075,097 


9,259,441 


6,382,000 


1,482,279 


3,081,773 


8,395,1 o5 


3,898,702 


4,519,088 


3,294,742 


931,958 


1,863,098 


3,017,589 


838,000 


963,121 


1,628,123 


493,845 


67S,373 




849,775 


1,179,712 


312,975 


1,0J3,721 


1,398,607 


315,370 


3,889,053 


4,206,054 


2,127,653 


2,.^ 61 ,133 


3,939,528 


3,124,471 


814,891 


1,093,706 


2,907,624 


1,089,685 


1,242,308 


1,9.50,<'00 


1,145,384 


1,790,314 


7,273,882 


111,018 


798,660 


104,00''( 


434,150 


502,527 


47,192 


2,426,705 


2,947,068 


805,033 


10,305,397 


11,2.56,895 


3,029,5 3 


212,-363 


408,794 


2,187,564 


6,739,344 


7,705,603 


3,562,992 


71,152 


230,611 


452,724 


7,548,149 


8,248.119 




556,250 


601,361 


45,666 


449,968 


449,968 




1,092,915 


1,144,534 




415,432 


532,110 




850,000 


1,023,000 


1,500,660 


693,059 


778.991 


305,849 


1,810,096 


2,628,027 


2,389,488 


4,942 


5,849 




22,000 


22,000 




220,514 


220,514 




20,129 


33,013 




31,350 


33,161 
58,621 




12,885 


127,447 




12,000 


17,C00 




41,180 


69.474 





From what has been written the reader will be able to trace the rise and progress 
of the free school system from its birth down to its grand development in the American 
schools of to-day. We have shown that the free school was the outgrowth of the 
Christian Church, and was for a long period entirely under the control of the clergy. 
We have pointed out the evils which arose from such a connection, and have shown, 
in an imperfect way, it is true, the gradual secularization of the schools. As men 
have become advanced in wisdom and experience, they have become convinced that 
the task of conducting the general education of the masses of the people belongs 
properly to the State. In this country this conviction has led to the withdrawal of the 
common schools from the hands of the church, and the experiment of making thera 
strictly secular institutions has been tried and has demonstrated that upon no other 
basis can the schools be properly or successfully conducted. 

In our own free land the State does not concern itself with the religiouB beliefs of 



1140 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

its citizens, except to secure to each and all full protection and equality under the law. 
It gathers together in the public schools children of every shade of religious belief. 
Its object is not to make religious converts — it leaves that ta^^k to the various cliurohei* 
and to the religious and home influences by which the child is surrounded in its 
private life — but to fit the young pupil for the exercise of the important duties of a 
free citizen of a free Republic. It aims simply to give him as good an education a.-* 
the means at hand will permit, and to save him from the sorrow and degradation of 
ignorance. It aims to train up an intelligent community as the only means of pre- 
serving its free institutions. It has no right to attempt the religious training of its 
children, and it would be a great wrong to them to do so. Such training they ma=»t 
receive from the religious organizations to which they belong. It cannot undertake 
to teach all creeds in the public schools, and to attempt to enforce any particular 
religious tenets in those institutions would be a cruel wrong to the community. 
Therefore the American people have wisely determined that their public schools shall 
concern themselves only with the business of secular education. 

For some years pa.st there has been a persistent effort in certain quarters to force 
upon the public schools a semi-religious or sectarian character. The sentiment of the 
nation has set so strongly against this that the advocates of the scheme have been 
forced to change their mode of attack. It is now proposed that the State shall assume 
the support of the sectarian schools by appropriating to them the taxes levied upon 
and collected from the whole people, or by using for this purpose a part of the public 
school funds, which are the property of the people of each State without respect to 
religious belief. 

The American people have learned too well the lessons of the past to listen for a 
moment to such a demand. They will maintain their noble system of public education 
imimpaired, and will resist and defeat all attempts to give to it a sectarian character, 
or to divert its means of support to objects foreign to its design. They are convinced 
tliat it is the only means of training up an intelligent body of citizens, and that as 
such it is the very comer-stone and foundation of their liberties and prosperity, and 
must be maintained in all its vigor and purity, be the cost what it may. 



THE AMERICAN FLAG. 1141 

WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART IN AMERICA. 



OUR OLDEST INHABITANT. 

It is believed that the oldest man living within the territory of the Union is Mr. 
Lomer Griffin, of Lodi, Medina county, Ohio. He is nearly one hundred and seventeen 
years old. He was born at Granby, Litchfield county, Connecticut, on the 22d of 
April, 1759. In spite of his advanced age he is hale and intelligent, and rememberH 
the events of his early life with distinctness. He can recall with ease the incidents 
connected with the excitement produced in his native town by the breaking out of the 
American Revolution. Among these he mentions the departure of his brothers from 
home to enlist in the army, while he remained behind to take care of the farm. He 
cast his first vote for John Adams for President, having failed for some reason which 
he does not remember to vote for Washington. Since then he has voted at every 
Presidential election. His life has been simple and uneventful, having been pissed in 
plain farmer style. He has never used tobacco in any shape, but until a short while 
jigo has taken his " bitters " regularly. About forty years ago he lost his right arm by 
the fall of a tree, but is quite expert with his left. 

" He dislikes to be bothered by inquiries about his age," says a writer in Harpertf 
Weekly, " and when a newspaper interviewer questioned him too closely a short time 
since about Noah's Ark, and the Tower of Babel, the old gentleman quite testily re- 
sented the impertinence, and advised the interviewer to 'go AVest and kill grasshoppers.' 
But after a little persuasion and coaxing he became quite communicative, and talked 
without reserve of his early days and experiences, of the times when only a narrow 
strip of territory along our eastern seaboard was inhabited, and the greater part of our 
country was still in the hands of the dusky and savage aborigines. What wonderful 
changes have taken place all over the world in politics, science and the industrial art« 
since he was old enough to take an interest in the progress of public affairs! He has 
lived through changes which we know only from books, and with his own eyes has 
witnessed the growth of America from its colonial state to its present commanding 
position among the nations of the world." Mr. Griffin was alive at the close of the 
year 1875, and his friends were hopeful that he would be spared to witness the Centen- 
nial of the independence of his country. 

THE AMERICAN FLAG. 

There has been much controversy as to the date of the adoption of the Stars and 
Stripes as the national ensign of the United States. The facts in the case are simply 
these: A number of flags had been used by the Americans previous to the Declaration 
of Independence, none of which could be called national. On the 14th of June, 1777, 
Congress ordered " that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alter- 
nate red and white ; that the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, represent- 
ing a new constellation." The design is supposed to have been suggested by John 
Adims, who was then Chairman of the Board of War; and it is believed that he ob- 
tained the idea from the arms of the Wa.shington family, the shield of which represente 
a white field traversed by two red bars, with three spur rowels or stars in the upper 
portion. The resolution of June 14th was not made public until September 3d, 1777, 
and the Stars and Stripes were first displayed conspicuously at the surrender of Bur- 



1142 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

goyne in October of the same year. No attempt was made to alter the flag mitil 1794, 
when it was resolved by Congress that it should consist of fifteen stripes and fifteen 
stars. The addition of a star and a stripe for each new State was found to be exceed- 
ingly inconvenient, as it would soon enlarge the flag to ridiculous proportions. In 
1817, Captain Eeid of the navy, who had commanded the famous privateer General 
Armstrong, during the second war witli England, suggested that the number of stripes 
Ix; fixed at thirteen, in commemoration of the thirteen original colonies, and that a 
new star be added to the cluster in the Union on the 4th day of July next succeeding 
the admission of any new State. The suggestion was adopted by Congress, and on the 
4(h of April, 1818, became a law. The first flag made under this law was made by 
the wife of Captain Reid. This lady died in Baltimore, Maryland, about the year 1857. 



THE ASTOR LIBRARY. 

On the east side of Lafayette Place, in the city of New York, stands one of the 
noblest institutions in America — the Library given by the Astors to the city of New 
York. The library owes its existence to the late John Jacob Astor. For many years 
he carefully considered the subject, and at his death bequeathed the sum of four hun- 
dred thousand dollars " for the establishment of a public library in the city of New 
York." The will provided that the management of the affairs of the institution should 
be confided to a board of eleven trustees. The building was completed a few years 
after Mr. Astor's death, and the library was opened in January, 1854. The edifice is 
ill the Byzantine style of architecture, and is one of the handsomest of its kind in the 
country. The library room is one hundred feet in length by sixty-four in width, and 
fifty in height, and is reached by a flight of thirty-six marble steps leading from the 
iVont entrance. The lower rooms are used for the deposit of public documents and 
other purposes. 

The growth of the library was so rapid that in January, 1856, Mr. William B. 
Astor, perceiving that the original building was not large enough for the purpose 
contemplated by his father, made a donation of an adjacent piece of land eighty feet 
wide and one hundred feet deep, and upon tliis erected at his own cost an additional 
building of the same size and in the same style as the original edifice. 

As early as the year 1839 Mr. Astor, aided by Dr. Joseph G. Cogswell, Jifttrwanls 
the first Superintendent of the library, purchased a number of books as the basis of tlie 
collection he intended to establish. In May, 1848, Dr. Cogswell was appointed 
Superintendent of the library, in accordance with the known wishes of Mr. Astor. In 
tiie fall of the same year he visited Europe, authorized to purchase books to the 
amount of $20,000. He was absent about four months, during which time he collected 
about 20,000 volumes. These were placed in a building temporarily rented for tlie 
[)iirpose. By the time the present library building was opened the number of books 
liad increased to 70,000. The full capacity of the buildings is over 200,000 volumes, 
and has been nearly reached at the present time. 

In the selection of books particular care wa.s given to tliose which it was believid 
would be most useful to a young and growing country. The departments of technoloi; y 
and bibliography are unusually rich, and that of American history is designed to be 
one of the chief features of the collection. In linguistics, particularly Oriental, the 
Astor Library is the most valuable in America. Great care has also been given to 
natural science, the works on this branch numbering about 7000 volumes, and many 
of these are rare and castly. 

Every facility is oflfered to visitors who desire to avail themselves of the advantages 



OPERATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES MINT. 1143 

of the library. A systematic and excellent mode of government has been adopted, 
which is satisfactory to both officers and visitors. 

The catalogue of the library will be, when completed, the most perfectly arranged 
catalogue ever published. It will consist of eight octavo volumes, numbering upward 
of 500 printed pages each. The first four volumes will be devoted to an alphabetical 
index of authors' name?, and the remaining four to a systematically arranged catalogue 
of subjects. A portion of the work has been printed. 



OPERATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES MINT. 

The process of coining money, as practised in the United States Mint at Philadel^ 
phia, and its branches, is deeply interesting. 

Each deposit of gold and silver is received and receipted for by the Treasurer of the 
Mint. It is weighed and numbered and sent to the melting room, where it is melted 
and cast into bars. The object of this process is to convert the mass into a homoge- 
neous state, so that by an assay piece taken from it the condition of the whole may be 
a.scertained. After the melting the deposit is returned to the Treasurer, and the 
assayer, taking a small but stated quantity, ascertained by woiglit, subjects it to an 
exceedingly delicate chemical test, by wliich he ascertains the proportion of gold or 
silver which it contains, and thus determines the fineness of the whole. The result is 
reported to the Treasurer and carefully registered. The fine gold is parted from the 
mass by dissolving the silver which it contains by means of nitric acid, and precipi- 
tating it by a solution of common salt. This gives chloride of silver, which is reduced 
to fine silver by the action of sulphuric acid and granulated zinc. After the separa- 
tion both the gold and the silver remain in the form of fine powders, and are entirely 
unlike those metals as ordinarily seen. Upon being melted, however, they as.sume 
their proper form. 

The fine gold thus obtained is now mixed with , a stated proportion of copper for 
alloy, and after being melted is cast into ingots of the sizes suitable for coins. These 
ingots are examined by the assayer, who certifies to such as are of the standard fine- 
ness, after which they are delivered by the melter and refiner to the Treasurer. As 
the metals pass from hand to hand they are charged or credited to the official 
receiving or returning them, and these accounts are adjusted every year. 

The Treasurer delivers the certified ingots to the coiner. These ingots are flat 
metal bars about twelve inches long, one-third of an inch thick, and from three- 
quarters to one and a half inches in width. The bars are passed through a powerful 
.steam press, which accurately flattens them into strips of the thickness required for 
the coins for which they are designed. After being brought to the proper condition 
the bars are cut by a vertical punch into planchets of the size wanted. The planchets 
are carefully weighed before being coined. This is done by females, whose delicacy 
of touch renders them the best persons for this service. The women are seated at a 
long table, and each one is provided witli a pair of balances and a flat file. If, upon 
weighing them, the planchets are found to be too heavy, they are brought to the 
proper weight by drawing the file lightly around the edge, while those that are too 
light are thrown aside to be remelted. 

After being thus adjusted the planchets are placed in the milling machine, the 
effect of which is to crowd up the edge of each piece evenly into a border or rim. 
Upon being taken out they are annealed and cleaned or whitened. They are now 
ready for coining. The planchets are a little smaller than the space in which they 



1144 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

are placed in the coining press. The force of the die causes them to expand into the 

collar of the machine and take from it a fluted edge. The completed coins are care- 
fully examined bj the coiner for the purpose of detecting the imperfect pieces, after 
which they are counted, put into bags, and finally delivered to the Treasurer. The 
process of counting is very greatly simplified by means of a counting board invented 
by an officer of the Mint. Nearly all the machinery used in the Mint is of American 
invention and manufacture. The steam engine in the coining room is noted as one of 
the most perfect and beautiful machines ever made. 

The greatest care is taken to hold all the individuals connected with the Mint to a 
strict accountability for the metals and coins which pass through their hands, and it is 
highly gratifying to know that these officials have always been found faithful to their 
trust. Indeed, the wastage of the metals in melting and refining is generally, for 
gold, about one-thirteenth, and for silver one-eighth of the amount allowed by law for 
that purpose. 

During the year 1874 the operations of the mint and its branches were as follows : 
Gold coinage, $50,442,690 ; silver coinage, $5,983,601 ; gold bars stamped, $31,485,818 ; 
silver bars stamped, $6,847,799.18. 

THE PINY WOODS. 

In the far Southern States of the Union there are large districts known by this 
name. They extend generally from sixty to one hundred miles inland from the coast 
of the Gulf of Mexico through the States of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and a part 
of Louisiana. The region occupied by them is but little cleared or cultivated. The 
surface is varied, but is barren and sandy throughout. Almost the entire growth is 
pine. The woods are very dense and in many places majestic, though one soon 
becomes tired of the sameness of the scene. The borders of the streams are fringed 
with a thick growth of magnolia, bay, laurel, and other evergreens. The absence of 
undergrowth allows the eye a wide range through the trees. The smaller swamps or 
thickets, which are numerous, are known by the inhabitants of the region as " Bay- 
galls," and these are often the sources of large streams. Here the deer and other 
game, which desert the open woods, are found in large numbers. A singular feature 
of these woods consists of circles of trees, of an acre or less in extent, entirely dead, 
without any apparent cause. This is variously attributed to the ravages of insects or 
the effects of lightning. The brooks and rivulets of the piny woods consist of the 
purest and most limpid water, and the atmosphere of the region is singularly healthful 
and exhilarating. The exhalations from the pine trees are believed to possess 
properties positively curative of incipient pulmonary disease. 



THE INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE. 

America, and especially that portion of it included within the limits of the United 
States, has made the most extraordinary advance in the great work of civilization ; 
but there are still large portions of the continent as wild, and peopled by races as 
barbarous, as when Columbus first set foot upon our shores. On our own western 
frontier there are races of Indians who are still untamed and dangerous, and who hold 
the white man their greatest enemy, and prize his scalp as their proudest ornament. 

These people are not only distinct from the white race, but they are separated from 
each other by lines as strongly drawn and by customs as varied as those which divide 
the various nations of Europe. By these customs they can at a glance distinguish 



THE ICE TRADE. 1145 

each other when a white man would fail to perceive any difference. For instance, in 
order to enable parties roaming across the prairies to distinguish friends from enemies, 
they have adopted a general system of signs. When two parties of Indians meet on 
the prairie they halt and commence signalling. The signal to halt is given by raising 
the right hand with the palm in front, and gradually moving it forward and back 
several times. When this command has been obeyed, one of the parties will raise the 
right hand again and move it slowly to the right and left. This means, " Who are 
you? I do not know you." The other party will then reply by giving the peculiar 
signal of the tribe to which they belong, and if this be not understood the questioning 
party will ask if they are friends by raising both hands grasped in the manner of 
shaking hands, or by locking the two forefingers firmly while the hands are held up. 
If friendly the other party will respond with the same signal, but if enemies they will 
probably disregard the command to halt, or will give the signal of anger by closing 
the hand, placing it against the forehead, and turning it back and forth while in that 
position. 

The nationality of a party is signalled as follows, which will be better imderstood 
by the reader when it is remembered that the name of each Indian tribe has a par- 
ticular signification. The Comanche, or " Snake," is indicated by making with the 
hand a waving motion in the air in imitation of the crawling of a snake. The 
Cheyenne, or " Cut Arm," by drawing the hand across the arm to imitate the cutting 
it with a knife. The Arapahoes, or "Smellers," by seizing the nose with the thumb 
and forefinger. The Sioux, or " Cut-throats," by drawing the hand across the throat. 
The Pawnees, or " Wolves," by placing a hand on each side of the forehead, with two 
fingers pointing to the front, to represent the narrow, sharp ears of the wolf. The 
Crows by imitating the flapping of the bird's wings with the palms of the hands. 

The Indians do not confine themselves to these purposes in their sign language. 
They have a pantomimic vocabulary which is exceedingly graceful and simple, and 
which is understood and used with great facility and accuracy by all the tribes from 
the Gila to the Columbia, the motions and signs to express ideas being common to all. 
It is a singular fact that this Indian sign language bears a striking resemblance to 
that used by the deaf mutes in our public institutions. General Marcy, of the United 
States army, states that he described a buffalo hunt to the pupils of one of these insti- 
tutions, using the Indian sign language, and that the pupils understood him perfectly, 
with the exception of mistaking a buffalo for a deer. 

By means of these signs the Indians, whose sight is keen and practised, can com- 
municate with each other at considerable distances and in the presence of an enemy. 
Indeed, the closer we study their customs the more we are impressed with the fact 
that necessity, " the mother of invention," has supplied them with expedients which 
equal many of our own in ingenuity. 

THE ICE TRADE. 

The business of gathering, storing, and selling ice has become such a commonplace 
affair in our country that our readers may be surprised to find it included among the 
remarkable things of this wonderful land. But as such, indeed, it deserves to rank. 

The principal supplies of ice are collected in the Northern States, and are obtained 
from the fresh-water rivers, the smaller lakes, and the New England "pond"," from 
the upper Mississippi to the Canada line. The more important firms engaged in the 
business pursue a uniform and exact system, which is very interesting and admirably 
adapted to the purpose. When the ice has reached a thickness of nine or ten inches 



1146 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

for home use, or twenty inches for exportation, the snow, or rough upper crust, is 
shaved off by means of a metal scraper which is drawn over it by a single horse. An 
instrument, or plow, armed with several sharp blades placed at regular distances from 
each other, is drawn over the ice, and then drawn over it a second time at right angles 
to the tirst lines, dividing the field into small blocks twenty-two inches square. In 
some cases the size of the blocks is twenty-two by thirty-six inches. A plow of deeper 
blade is then drawn over the ice in the lines made by the first plow, sinking just 
deep enough to leave the ice adhering firmly together until the final operation. In 
the smaller establishments the final cutting is done by means of a hand-saw. An ice- 
spade completes the final separation of the blocks, and they are pushed by means of a 
pike into the open water and conveyed to the shore. Here the blocks are carried by 
the aid of steam power up an inclined plane to a gallery, from which they are 
lowered into the ice-house in regular rows. 

The ice-houses are situated immediately on the shore of the water where the 
"harvest" is made. They are substantially constructed, and are very large and 
spacious, frequently exceeding 20,000 tons in capacity. There is an ice-house at 
Athens, on the Hudson, which holds 58,000 tons, and there are two at Rockland 
Lake, New York, holding 40,000 tons each. There are about fifty of these huge 
buildings around Fresh Pond, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The cutting season is very short, and all hands are kept busy. The work is carried 
on day and nighl, and the number of men engaged often amounts to several hundred. 
These, aided by the steam power employed in lifting the ice from the water to the 
houses, cut and pack about 600 tons in an hour. The scene is animated and exhil- 
arating, and never fails to draw large crowds of spectators to witness it. 

The first attempt to make American ice an article of commerce was made by Mr. 
Fredez'ic Tudor, of Boston, who, in 1805, sailed from that port in his own brig for 
Martinique, with a cargo of 130 tons of ice, which he obtained from that part of Lynn 
which was then called Saugus. Mr. Tudor derived no profit from this business until 
the close of the second war with England, when he obtained the monopoly of the 
Havana trade. In 1817 he introduced his business into Charleston, South Carolina ; 
in 1818 into Savannah, Georgia ; and in 1S20 into New Orleans. About 200,000 tons 
of ice are annually shipped from the port of Boston alone at present. About one-half 
of this amount is sent to the Southern States. Besides this. New York and several 
other cities are engaged in exporting ice. A great quantity of ice is also obtained 
from the great lakes and shipped down the Mississippi. The ice-boats ascend to the 
vicinity of Peru, Illinois, in the autumn, where they are filled during the winter, and 
allowed to freeze up in the river. They are released by the spring thaw, and float 
down the river into the Mississippi with their freight. A large part of the Southern 
States draws its ice supply from this source. 



AN AMERICAN ENTERPRISE. 

The Express system, now so necessary to the wants of our country, is decidedly an 
American institution. It was begun, like many great enterprises, in a very modest 
and unassuming way. On the 4th of March, 1839, Mr. William F. Harnden, of 
Boston, made his first trip from that city to New York as a public messenger. His 
route was from Boston to Providence by railroad, and thence by steamer, via Long 
Island Sound, to New York. He had charge of a few booksellers' bundles and orders, 
and some packages belonging to brokers, containing Southern and Western bank 
notes to deliver or exchange. For these services he charged a moderate compensation. 



THE CHICAGO LAKE TUNNEL. 1147 

and his enterprise soon grew so popular that he proposed to take charge of freight, 
the speedy delivery of which lie guaranteed. For this purpose he made a contract 
with the Providence Railroad and the steamers connecting with it, which enabled him 
to make four trips per week. His scheme offered so many advantages to business 
men and others that it soon became firmly established. This was the origin of the 
express system, which, commencing thirty-six years ago with a capital of about five 
dollars, employing one man, and embracing but one route of less than 200 miles, now 
commands over $20,000,000 of capital, employs about 10,000 men, and traverses each 
day nearly 40,000 miles of railroad, besides the steamboat routes. Besides the home 
traffic, some of the companies send out expresses by every steamer to Europe, and 
receive them from the Old World with equal regularity. 

The advantages of the system are incalculable, and it may be safely asserted that 
the business of the country could not be transacted without it. A merchant sending 
goods to a distant buyer may ship them by an express, the proprietors of which will 
guarantee their safe delivery far in advance of the time that would be consumed by 
the ordinary freight lines; be responsible for any loss or injury of goods; and, should 
the merchant desire it, will collect the amount of his bill on the delivery of the goods, 
and remit it to him within a few days, at a moderate charge and without trouble 
to him. 

The business of the express companies is conducted with the most perfect order and 
precision. Each man has his place and separate specified duties. There is no conflict 
of authority, no confusion ; everything goes on with clock-like regularity. Every 
charge made by the company for transportation is entered, with the date, upon the 
way bill, at the office or station from which it is forwarded. The address of each 
package is entered in full, with the value of the package and the sum charged by the 
company for transporting it. ICach agent retains copies of his way bills, which copies 
are carefully preserved, and after a certain time forwarded to the main office of the 
division, where they are filed away. Every package received by an agent is compared 
with its appropriate entry in the way bill accompanying it. If correct, it is checked 
off; if wrong, information of the error is sent to the office from which it was shipped, 
and the mistake promptly rectified. The companies transport their freight in their 
own cars, paying the various roads a stated sum per annum for this privilege, and 
these cars form a part of each fast express or mail train. Every express car or train 
is accompanied by a " messenger." To the agent of every station he delivers what the 
way bill calls for, and receives the freight to be forwarded from that point to the 
stations further on. All this is done at the stations during the ordinary pauses of the 
trains. 

The main ofiices of the various companies are located in New York. Their routes 
extend throughout the Union, every railway station being an express office. 

When we consider the vast amount of energy and executive ability and tact engaged 
in the management of the tremendous business of the various express companies we 
may well be proud of an institution which reflects so much credit upon ihe mercantile 
community of the Union, and which has done so much to develop the industry and 
wealth of the country. 

THE CHICAGO LAKE TUNNEL. 

One of the most remarkable public works in this or any other country is the great 
tunnel under Lake Michigan, by means of which the city of Chicago is supplied with 
pure water. It is a tiiumph of engineering skill of which any country might be 



1148 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

proud, and will always remain a noble monument to the intelligence and enterprise 
of the great West. 

For many years Chicago labored under a serious disadvantage with regard to its 
supply of drinking water, which retarded the growth of the city and impaired its 
healthfulness. The drinking water of the city was obtained from sources which were 
poisoned by the drainage of its sewers. There was but one way to remedy this evil, 
and that was to obtam pure water from the lake at a distance too far from the city to 
admit of the liquid being rendered impure by contact with the drainage of the city. 
The municipal authorities set to work in concert with competent engineers to accom- 
plish this, and the result of their efforts is the wonderful lake tunnel. 

It was resolved to sink a shaft into the bed of the lake at a distance of two miles 
from the city, and to connect this shaft with the water-works by means of a tunnel 
under the bed of the lake. The lake bed was carefully examined, and it was ascer- 
tained that underneath the top layer of soft mud was a continuous stratum of hard blue 
clay, which would give a firm and solid support to the proposed tunnel. 

Ground was broken on the 17th of March, 1864. A shaft was sunk at each end, on 
shore and in the lake. The work on shore was easy enough, but the lake shaft 
required all the skill and courage of the engineers in charge. A huge wooden crib or 
coffer dam was built on shore and towed to its destination. It was heavily armored 
with iron, and was built as strong as human ingenuity could make it, and was provided 
with water tight compartments which could be filled with stone in order to steady it 
in itfl place in the lake. It was sunk in about thirty-five feet of water, which left about 
five feet of the structure above the surface of the waves. It was then fastened securely 
to huge screws driven ten feet into the bed of the lake. 

In the centre of this crib was a well or open space, twenty-five feet in diameter, 
tlirough which the shaft was to be sunk. The shaft was to be driven through the well 
of the crib thirty feet into the bed of the lake, making the depth in all sixty-six feet 
below the surface of the water. Seven cast-iron cylinders, each nine feet long, nine 
feet in diameter, and weighing about thirty thousand pounds each, were prepared for 
this purpose. One of these cylinders was suspended in the well, another was bolted on 
to it with a water-tight joint, and the cylinder was lowered and another fastened in the 
same way. The process was continued until the shaft, a solid iron tube, sixty-four feet 
deep, rested on the bottom, and forced its way by its own weight through the soft mud 
down to the hard blue clay beneath. Then the water was pumped out, the top closed, 
the air exhausted by a powerful steam engine, and the tube driven by atmospheric 
pressure down to the desired depth in the lake bed. 

The shore end shaft was easily sunk. A cast-iron tube, similar to that used in the 
lake, was sunk to a distance of twenty-seven feet, making it lower than the lake shaft, 
causing a descent of two feet to the mile in tlie tunnel. 

The work of excavating the tunnel was then begun at both ends. The tunnel is 
nearly a true cylinder of five feet diameter. It is walled up with the best of brick, 
and lined with cement eight inches thick. "A narrow railway was laid from the foot 
of each shaft as the work progressed, with turn-out chambers for the passage of meet 
ing trains ; and small cars, drawn by mules, conveyed the excavated earth to the 
hoisting apparatus, and brought back at every trip a load of brick and cement. The 
men worked in gangs of five at the excavation ; the foremost removing a drift in the 
centre of the tunnel, about two and a half feet wide, the second breaking down the 
sides of the drift, the third trimming up the work to the proper shape and size, and 
the last two loading the earth into the cars. The bricklayers followed closely, only a 
few feet behind the miners. About one hundred and twenty-five men were employed, 



THE MOUNT WASHINGTON RAILWAY. 1149 

in three relays, working about eight hours each, the only cessation being from twelve 
o'clock Saturday night to twelve o'clock Sunday night. A current of fresh air was 
constantly forced through the tube by machinery. It is remarkable that no accident 
from earth, gas, or water, occurred in the whole course of the work, sufficient to inter- 
rupt its progress." 

The mining parties joined their work on the 17th of November, 1866. The 
accuracy with which the two lines of excavation met is something remarkable in the 
annals of engineering. The centre lines coincided within nine and a half inches, and 
the floors were joined with a difference of only one inch. 

Water is let into the lake shaft by three gates. These are situated at different 
heights and on different sides of the shaft. The lowest is five feet from the bottom of 
the lake, the next ten, and the third fifteen feet. These gates can be opened or shut 
at pleasure. A solid granite structure will eventually enclose the lake shaft to protect 
it from the violence of storms, and the whole will be crowned with a light-hou?e. 

The water enters the lake shaft and flows through the tunnel into the shaft at the 
shore end, from which it is raised to the distributing reservoir by the pumping engines 
of the water-works. By means of this great work an unlimited supply of the purest 
water is furnished to the city. The great fire of 1871 destroyed the water-works, but 
did not injure the shaft or the tunnel, and the supply of water was interrupted only 
during the time occupied in restoring the water-works to their proper condition. The 
cost of the entire work was about one million of dollars, but its real value to the city 
cannot be estimated in figures. 



THE MOUNT WASHINGTON RAILWAY. 

Mount Washington is the highest of the White Mountain range, its summit being 
6226 feet above the level of the sea. It has long been a favorite resort for tourists, as 
from its highest point may be obtained a view embracing in its extensive range the 
better part of New England. Formerly the long and difficult ascent was made on 
horseback. The summit is now more easily and agreeably reached by the Mount 
VV'ashington Railway. 

This road is a triumph of engineering skill. It was designed by Sylvester Marsh, 
an American engineer, and was built under his superintendence. The work was begun 
in 1866, and the road was completed and opened to the public in the summer of 1869. 
It has proved a complete success, and has revolutionized mountain travel in many 
parts of Europe. It was the model of the road up the Rhigi, in Switzerland, which is 
now patronized by nine-tenths of the visitors to that region. 

The railroad is nearly three miles in length. It starts from the base of the moun- 
tain at a point about 2668 feet above tidewater, and ascends 3625 feet, to the summit 
of the mountain. For a considerable part of the way the road ascends the side of the 
mountain in a straight line from the starting point, and then winds around the side in 
a zigzag until the summit is reached. The maximum grade is 1980 feet to the mile, 
or a little more than one foot in three, and the average is nearly one foot in four. The 
road is built in the most substantial manner of massive timbers, interlaced and bolted, 
and resting on the solid rock of the mountain side. It is a model of strength and 
careful workmanship, and it is difficult to imagine how it could give way. It seems 
to every test almost as firm as the rocks upon which it rests. 

The track consists of the usual rails, and of a centre rail of peculiar construction, 
designed to receive the motive power. It consists of two bars of iron with connecting 
cross pieces at a distance of every four inches. A centre cog wheel on the locomotive 



1150 OUK COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

plays into this rail, and secures a sure and steady mode of ascent and descent. The 
teeth of the cogwheel fit so closely and firmly into the centre rail that it is impossible 
for the locomotive to move without a revolution of this wheel. In case the machinery 
of the locomotive should break down, the brakes which connect with the cogwheel are 
so constructed as to hold it firm and enable it to retain its grip on the centre rail. 
The driving wheel of the locomotive is geared directly into a smaller wheel, whicii 
connects directly with the crank. Four revolutions of the engine are required to 
make one of the driving wheel, thus sacrificing speed to power. The engine is not 
connected to the car, but simply pushes the car up the track. On the return it allows 
the car to follow it at a slow rate of speed. 

The ascent is slow and gradual, occupying about two hours, and affording ample 
time to enjoy the magnificent view, which in fair weather spreads out before the 
rtjurist, growing wider and grander at every successive stage of the ascent. Few who 
have made the ascent will ever forget the peculiar sensations experienced in this 
almost perpendicular climb. 

The engines and cars used are of peculiar construction. Strength and safety are 
the chief considerations, and to these objects mere beauty and comfort are sacrificed. 

THE NEW YORK CLEARING HOUSE. 

The intricate and gigantic financial operations of the great monetary centre of the 
Union have been greatly simplified by an institution known as the " Clearing House," 
which fairly merits a place in this collection of remarkable things. 

The building used and owned by the Clearing House stands at the corner of Nassau 
and Pine streets. Its exterior is of brownstone. It is five stories in height, having a 
frontage of thirty-seven feet on Nassau street, and a depth of eighty feet on Pine 
street. The first floor is leased to the Tenth National Bank, but the remainder of the 
building is used for Clearing House purposes. The interior decorations are very 
handsome, the rooms are large, lofty, and elegantly furnished. A spacious stone 
stairway on Pine street leads from the entrance to the upper stories. The first room 
on the right on the second floor as the visitor enters is the settling room. Next to 
this is the bank officers' parlor, where the meetings of the association are held. In 
front of this room are two smaller ones overlooking Nassau street, the corner room is 
a library and reading room, and the one adjoining is the manager's room. From this 
last a private stairway leads to the clearing room, which extends the entire length of 
the building, being lighted by numerous windows opening upon Nassau and Pine 
streets, and by a handsomely decorated skylight overhead. The gallery at the rear is 
set apart for the proof clerks. From this gallery the manager, whose desk is located 
there, gives the signal to begin the operation of exchange. 

Before the New York Clearing House was established, the business of presentation 
was done by messengers. One bank would send to another its daily accumulation of 
drafts, and it, in return, would deliver whatever checks it held, which were due at the 
counter of the sending bank. Instead of settling daily, the account was allowed to 
run for a week, when the creditor bank drew its check upon the debtor hank, and the 
latter paid the amount in coin. By way of adjusting accounts a creditor bank would 
endorse a settlement check over to one to which it was indebted, thus transmitting as 
little bullion as possible. The time of many messengers was wasted by this unsys- 
tematic practice, and an intricacy of accounts was the inevitable result. Hence the 
dawning of the Friday settlement day invariably discovered all bank officers in a state 
of fear and trembling, an indisposition which was only relieved by the knowledge, at 



THE NEW YORK CLEARING HOUSE. 1151 

the close of business, that their affairs were still prosperous, and that there was now 
another week before them in which to eat, drink, and be merry. 

At length an organization was devised, pondered, and finally adopted, the workings 
of which amply equalled the fondest hopes of its projectors. This society was called 
the New York Clearing House Association. Now, instead of employing an army of 
messengers to scour all parts of the city, eacli bank sends two clerks to a stated place 
of meeting, where are assembled an equal number of clerks from every associated bank. 
One of these clerks attends to the settling, that is to say, he receives from the delivery 
clerks of the other banks the debits which have accumulated against his own. Tlu-. 
other, wlio is intrusted with all the debits held by his bank against each of its a8.«o- 
ciates (which debits are made up into separate packets, one packet for every bank), 
makes the delivery ; in other words, he places the packets containing checks against 
bank number one into the hands of number one's receiving clerk, and so with number 
two and number tliree, until all his packets have been distributed. 

Each bank knows the total amount of checks against other banks which it sends to 
the Clearing House, it only remains for the settling clerk to ascertain how much shall 
be taken away. The amount of checks one bank produces against all the others is 
credited to it on the books in the Clearing House ; the amount all the others produce 
against it is charged to it. If the amount brought by any bank is in excess of the 
amount taken away, the balance resulting from sucli exchange, which is manifestly hi 
its favor, is paid to it by the Cleai'ing House. In a reversal of the case, the latter 
would collect from the former. 

This association was established and its constitution adopted more than twenty years 
ago, and consisted of fifty-one banks as associate members. At present the number is 
fifty-nine. During the intervening time fourteen of the banks have failed, or otlier- 
wise liquidated their business. Of the banks and banking institutions in New York 
and its suburbs, possessing no membership in the Clearing House, forty-seven partici- 
pate in its benefits by having their redemptions made through some one of tlie asso- 
ciate members. A Chairman and Secretary of the association are elected annually, 
also a standing committee, composed of five bank officers, whose duties are to guard 
the interests of the banks, appoint a manager, and engage the requisite clerical force, 
all of which latter, as well as tlie clerks sent from the banks, being, while at the Clear- 
ing House, under the manager's control. 

Three long counters, four feet high, extend nearly the entire length of the room, 
leaving a space in front for a passage-way. These counters are divided by iron 
railings into spaces wide enough to allow standing room for the per-son who receives 
the packets, and in front of each desk is the name and number of the bank whose 
clerk is the occupant. Each bank is assigned a certain desk or division of counter, 
wliich it retains during its membership. 

The hour of ten A. M. is the time for making the exchange. Before that time eveiy 
bank must have sent two clerks to the Clearing House. Wlien the volume of busine.>-s 
is large, a tliird accompanies them to receive the packets, while the actual settlinff 
clerk, whose duty that usually is, puts the amount upon its balance sheet. The 
exchanges, or packets for delivery, are made up in each bank the day previous, by 
clerks of the second and third teller's departments, and the total amount of each is 
written on the outside of the packet. The settling clerk brings with him to the 
Clearing House a sheet of paper called a statement, which contains a list of the banks 
with the amount of the packets which the delivery clerk is to hand to the other banks. 
Upon entry, the footing of this statement is handed to one of the proof clerks, so that, 
before the work of exchange has been completed, part of the proof may be ready, 
70 



1152 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

This proof consists of a list of total amounts sent by each bank, set against the total 
amounts taken away by them. If the work has been done correctly, these debtor and 
creditor columns will agree, and the debtor and creditor balance columns also. 



THE OIL REGIONS. 

About the close of the civil war it was discovered that certain portions of the United 
States were rich in petroleum oil, or, as it is more commonly called, coal oil. The 
discovery created an excitement which can be compared only with that occasioned bv 
the discovery of gold in California. Thousands flocked to the oil regions ; lands that 
were before considered almost worthless were sold for large sums if they were found 
to contain the precious deposit ; and vast amounts of money were invested in operat- 
ing the wells that were sunk for the collection of the oil. The excitement has long- 
since subsided, and the oil regions have passed out of the period of feverish specula- 
tion into the calm and settled repose of legitimate and steady industry. Their business 
has not fallen off, however, but has grown in bulk and value every year. 

Many parts of the country contain petroleum wells, but the true oil regions are 
situated in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, towards the shores of Lake Erie. 
They lie mainly in Venango and Crawford counties, beyond the Allegheny river. 
This region, at the time of the discovery of its oil wells, was comparatively unsettled 
-.ind unimportant. It is now the centre of a large and active population, and new 
towns, some of them of considerable importance, have sprung up in it. Corry and Oil 
City have grown up in the last ten years, and are thriving towns, and Meadeville and 
Franklin, places of older date, have become centres of large and profitable business 
operations. Corry is a place of 4000 inhabitants, and is almost entirely devoted to 
the oil business. 

Long before reaching the oil regions, the traveller encounters evidences of his 
approach to them in the long trains of cars bearing the oil to the markets of the Union. 
As he continues on his way, the whole country assumes a greasy appearance, and is 
redolent with the odor of petroleum. Once in the oil regions he hears nothing dis- 
cussed but " wells," " oil," and " oil stocks," smells nothing but petroleum, the scent 
of which pervades everything, and seems to cling to every person and object in the 
whole district. Franklin, built on the site of the old French Fort Venango, Corry, 
and Oil City are the principal centres of the trade of the region, but the wells are 
scattered through the country, lying chiefly along French, Sugar, and Oil creeks. 
Whichever way one turns he may see the large cone-like structures for the pumping 
machinery of the wells rising against the sky, singly in some places, in groups in others. 

The wells are sunk by means of boring machinery to a considerable depth, until the 
stream of oil is reached. During the first years of the business some of the wells were 
so active that the oil spouted a few feet above the surfece of the ground, like the 
stream of an artesian well. This extraordinary activity has ceased, and the oil now 
lies in a thick crude state at the bottom of the wells, from which it is raised by steam 
pumps, and conveyed into tanks prepared for its reception. It is then subjected to a 
process of. refining by which the pure oil is freed from the coarser mixture. It is 
then drawn off into barrels and shipped to the market. Some of the refineries are 
very extensive, and refine about 300 barrels of oil per day. All the oil, however, is 
not refined in the oil regions. The crude petroleum is shipped in bulk to Pittsburg, 
Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and other large cities and there refined. The city of Pitts- 
burg turns out about $11,000,000 worth of refined oil every year. 



AMERICAN GLASSWARE. 11.03 



AMERICAN GLASSWARE. 

Our country has become famous for its glass manufactories, which turn out in great 
quantities every species of glassware from the coarse green bottle to the most delicate 
and costly articles of table use or ornament. In the year 1870 there were 201 estab- 
lishments in the United States engaged in the manufacture of glass, employing 15 812 
hands and a capital of $14,111,642, and producing annually wares" valued at 
$19,235,862. 

In the manufacture of glass the highest skill and the utmost care are necessary. 
The furnace must be constructed with the greatest precision and of the best materials. 
The crucibles are made of clay, and must be prepared witli care, must be without a 
flaw, and must be set in the furnace in the most exact manner. 

One of the principal materials used in the manufacture of glass is kelp, or the 
calcined ashes of sea-weed. It is first put into a calcining furnace, where it is kept 
for twenty-four hours at a red heat, and then into cold water. After tliis it is sent to 
the mixing room and mixed with carbonate of soda and either lime or sand. The 
mixture is tlien placed in the crucible, which has been brought to an intense decree 
of heat. As it melts more is added to it until the crucible is tilled. The heat is then 
increased and the mixture brought to a liquid state. It is then clear gla.ss. This 
process is termed " founding," and occupies from twenty-four to thirty hours. At the 
end of this time the fire is slackened for two hours to enable the skimmer to clear or 
clean the surface, after which the mass is ready for the workmen. 

The gatherer takes a hollow tube of iron about five or six feet in length, and having 
heated one end of it, gathers thereon a quantity of the melted glass sufficient for the 
use that is to be made of it. He works this and expands it by drawing it out and 
blowing through the tube, and then passes it to the blower, who fashions it by blowing 
through the tube and forcing out the soft metal into a hollow mass, and bv shaping it 
with the instruments provided for that purpose, turning the tube and with it the mass 
rapidly all the while. In this way the soft hot glass is formed into the myriad shapes 
that delight the eye. Until within a period not many years back, and within the 
memory of the majority of workers in glass of to-day, the finest vases, goblets, 
decanters, and the most delicate-stemmed wine-glasses were blown by a workman who 
afterwards shaped them by rolling tlie blow-pipe holding the heated mass alternately 
to and from him rapidly, and applying to the hot metal a tool not unlike a pair of 
shears. The workman generally sat on a stool between two rails, known as the 
bullion bars, upon which he rolled his blow-pipe, passing it rapi<l!y until, with the 
centrifugal movement produced by the motion and the manipulations of the tool 
described, he shaped a decanter, goblet, vase, or wine-glass of any desired pattern, and 
in an incredibly brief space of time. In this art, as in all others, modern invention 
has in a great measure superseded the more tedious processes of the olden time. By 
means of the improved processes it is now within the reach of the pockets of the poor 
to become the possessors of a set of elegant glassware. The new process, which is 
known as pressing, is far in advance of the old method, as by it not only forms but 
patterns without limit can be produced ; whereas by the old style only plain glass of 
various shapes could be procured. And even at the present time the same kind of 
work can be produced only by the old process, the engravers' art being brought into 
requisition to relieve the plainness of tlie production. In the new process the mnsa of 
melted glass is gathered on the end of the blow-pipe, is worked by the operator and 
slightly distended by blowing. It is then placed in the mould and blown out to its 



1134 OUR COryTRY A>'D ITS RESOURCES. 

proper shape, or a mass of melted glass is placed in the mould and pre:>ped into shape 
by an iron in.-irument made to fit in the mould. 

The re!?uiL= of the new procea?, embracing as thev do evervthing from plain to the 
DKkit delicate and intricate desigits in foliage and figtnres, are pre*ed in moulds made 
of iron, the prodnction of which involves the expe^iditure of much labor and nionev. 
The moold for the goblet, 5rraw-*tem wine-glass, or rambler, that maj be procnred 
for the merest trifle, cot^t* from S-50 to $150. The cost of mooldi: for a fuU set of 
glaasware is sometimes as much as $3000. American ingenuity has fumUhed ns the 
means of decorating our tables, at a trifling ouilaj, with articles any one of which the 
sovereigns of the ancient world would have regarded as a great treasure. 

The tools in general u=e in the glass factories are very few and are simple in con- 
»fruc-iion. They consLn, in the main, of the blow-pipe, of wrought iron, four or five 
feet in length, by which the molten mass is caught up from the pots : a pnnty. or rod 
of iron, which receives the article on its end when knocked from the pipe : spring 
tongs used to fashion ribbons of glass into handles : pucellas, or heavy spring shears, 
which are employed to give shape to the articles ; the battledores of wood to assist in 
wiaping ; compares, measuring stick and caliper?. When a piece has been nearly 
fiRLshed on the pipe, a little red-hot lump of glass is dropped on the end an3 the punty 
applied. A slight blow on the pipe releases the vessel, and it is afterwards handled 
by the punty until that, in turn, is no longer necessary. When the various article* 
are finished as to shape and size, they are put into the annealing ovens for a few hours, 
tr.er which all the rougline^ is filed or rubbed off. 

The delicate engravuig and the mughness of surface so much admired in glassware 
are done by means of a water or sand wheel, the figures having been previously traced 
on the surface. This is a very delicate operation, requiring great delicacy of touch as 
well as skilful workmanship, a? the slightest slip of the hand or inequality of pressure 
may shaner the glass into a thoa^nd pieces. 

The manniactDre of glas in this country was begun in Xew England. In 179<» 
Robert Hewes. a citizen of Boston, built a factory in a forest of New Hampshire, clr>se 
to the Massachusetts line. HLs only production was window glass of a poor quality, 
aad his enterprise resulted in failure. In 1800 another factory for the prodnction of 
crown window jlass was started, but it, like its predecessor, was imsuccessfal. It wa> 
not until 1803. when a German named Lint undertook the manufacture, that it proved 
guccessfhl, the State of Massachusetts paying a bounty for every plate manufactured. 
Since then the business ha= grown rapidly, and has spread into other parts of the 
C'Xmtry. 

THE NEW YORK POST-OFFICE. 

The massive granite edifice now occupied by the New York Poet-Office and the 
Ignited States Courts is by far the finest building in the metropolis of the Unicm. The 
eicavations for the for.ndations were begim on the 9th of August, 1369, and the edifice 
wxs completed in the autumn of 1875. The work was delayed very greatly during its 
first years for want of funds, CongresB being very slow in making the necessary 
appropriations. The total cost of the building was §8,000,000, which Ls reasonable 
enough considering its immense size, its beauty, and strength, and the magnificence 
of its internal decorations. 

The building is a triangular structure, the three sides of which front on the City 
Hall Park. Broadway, and Park Row, respectively. The Park Row front is 278 feet 
long, and the other two fronts are 280 feet each in length. The extreme length of the 



THE NEW YORK POST-OFFICE. ll^JS 

building from the Park front to the opposite extremity is 286 feet. The height from 
the sidewalk to the lantern on the south end of the building is 195 feet, to the pavilion 
1 40 feet, and to the dome 182 feet Below the sidewalk are a basement and a cellar, 
tlie cellar being 7 feet and the basement 14 feet high. Above these are five stories, 
t!ie first, second, and fifth of which are set apart for the Post-Office, and the third and 
fourth for the Courts and offices connected with them. The first story is 29 feet high ; 
all the other stories are 22 feet, with the exception of the District and Circuit Com: 
rooms, which rise from the second to the fourth floor. 

The portion of the building devoted to the Post-Office is admirably arranged for the 
transaction of the immense business of the department and for the accommodation of 
the public. The ba-sement is the large working room of the Post-Office, where the 
mails are opened and packed, newspapers assorted, and all other work of that nature 
performed. A number of semicircular frames called "ovens," filled with pigeon 
holes — 200 to 250 pigeon holes being in each "oven" — are among the principal 
features of this portion of the building. The pigeon holes are made unusually lai^e, 
so that letters and packages can be thrown in with the greatest possible rapidity. 
Twenty large tables are also placed here for the purpose of emptying the mails upon 
them. On the southwest side of the basement is a large iron storeroom for the purpowe 
«>f holding all the mail bags in the United States not in use. Wardrobe and other 
accommodations for the employes are also liberally provided in this portion of the 
building. 

The floor on the street level is divided into corridors for the accommodation of the 
public and a large hall for the work of the office. The boxes and windows for the 
delivery of mail matter and for the sale of stamps and envelopes are on this floor. 
Partitions fifteen feet high divide the working space for the clerks from the wide cor- 
ridors for the accommodation of the public. On the Broadway side are the receptacles 
for drop letters, where a new feature has been introduced which will, if properly 
carried out, greatly facilitate the business of despatching the mails and serve as a 
.school of geography for those who daily post a great number of letters. The openings 
for the reception of mail matter are labelled with the names of the various States of 
the Union, and special drops arc provided for the principal cities. By means of these 
drops persons mailing letters assist in assorting the immense mail that daily passes 
Ihrouo-h the New York office. Some idea of the size of this mail may be gained from 
the following statement: The average number of domestic letters received and 
distributed daily by the New York office is 300,000 ; the number of foreign letters 
received 30,000; the number despatched 35,000; and the number of local letters 
received and distributed 120,000. 

The Postmaster's private office is in the second story. He occupies a large room in 
the southwest front and a smaller one on the same side near tiie Park Row front. The 
office of the Assistant Postmaster is also on this floor. These offices are finely 
decorated. 

The rooms facing Broadway on this floor are occupied by the Post-Office Money 
Order Department. One of these rooms— 100 feet in length by 20 feet in width- 
contains a handsome mahogany screen counter, similar to those constructed in banks, 
with windows for lourteen clerks. Besides this, there are fourteen desks for receiving 
clerks and thirty desks for the other clerks of the department. The rooms are other- 
wise handsomely furnished. The rooms in the Broadway wing, facing the light 
court, are used by searchers and money order clerks. In the opposite wing the rooms 
fticing Park Row are occupied by the Post>Office Ca-shier's Department, the offices 
beiii-^of the same size and furnished in the same manner as those of the Money Order 



1156 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Department. The apartment on this side, which is nearest the southwest front, is 
occupied by the Auditor, and is subdivided into two rooms by an ornamental counter 
Hiid screen. The rooms in this wing looking upon the light court are used bv the 
General Mail Agent. 

On the side of the second story, facing City Hall Park, the room nearest Broadway 
is the United States District Court Koom, measuring 36 by 60 feet. Its height is 40 
feet, extending through the third story. The centre room on this side is for the 
United States Circuit Court, being 45 by 60 feet, and of the same height as the District 
Court Room. The room nearest Park Row is the Equity Term Room, 25 feet square 
and 20 feet in height. Between the courts are the private rooms of the judges, toilette 
rooms, etc. The walls and ceilings of the court rooms are in ornamented white, " hard 
finish." Opening upon the light court on this side are two rooms for male and female 
witnesses. 

On the City Hall front of the third story, the room above the Equity Term Room, 
extending also over the judges' private rooms on the floor below, is used for the 
United States Criminal Terra Room. It is of about the same size as the District 
Court, and extends in height through the fourth story. 

In the Park Row wing the room nearest City Hall Park is occupied as the oiSce of 
the Judge of the Circuit Court. The rooms adjoining this are used for the Clerk of 
the Circuit Court. 

The rooms on the southwest front, and two rooms on Park Row, are used as the 
District Attorney's office. A circular room at the corner of the southwest and Broad- 
way fronts is used by the United States Marshal, together with two rooms facing 
Hroadway. The other rooms on Broadway are occupied by the Clerk of the District 
Court, with the exception of one which is used by the Judge of that court. The 
rooms facing the light court include waiting rooms and the office of one of the judges. 

The fourth story contains the Law Library and offices for the District Court clerks 
:md United States Marshals, the Circuit Court and District Attorney's clerks, and the 
Chief Supervisor of Elections and his clerks. The Law Library fills two magnified. t 
rooms, with a small committee room between. The library consists of 18,000 volume.s, 
nearly all of which are arranged on the shelves. Whatever of value is published in 
tiiis country or Great Britain, bearing on legal subjects, is purchased for tiie library, 
which also contains a fine collection of about 600 volumes of French law boo'.vs, with a 
lesser number of Spanish, Italian, and German works. The only libraries in this 
country which can compare favorably with it in its special scope are the Library of 
Congress at Washington, and the New Ycrk State Library at Albany. 

The fifth story is used for the safe-keeping of the documents of the Post-Office 
Department. 

The building is fire-proof throughout, and all the window-shntters, which are of 
iron two inches thick, are so arranged that in case of a fire from without threatening 
the building, they can be easily closed by persons within. Each floor is lighted by 
.sixty large windows from the outside, and every floor, except the first, by twenty-one 
windows from the inside, the light coming to these latter by the open central spaces 
of the building. There are ten elevators in the building for mail matter, and four for 
passengers and general freight. Twelve of the elevators are worked by hydraulic 
pressure. The four passenger elevators run to the top of the building ; the other ten 
from the basement to the first floor and gallery. Seven principal staircases rise from 
the first to the fiftii story, and there are about twenty smaller ones to various points in 
the building. All the staircases are spiral and constructed of iron. There is a heatei 
beneath each window, a fanlight over every door, and ventilators in every room 



THE SALMON NURSERY IN CALIFORNIA. II57 

connecting with the top of the building. The cellar is occupied by heating apparatus 
for the whole building, by boilers and engines for running the elevators, and by other 
machinery. 

In short, the building is one of the most complete in all its arrangements, as well as 
one of the most magnificent in the Union. It is one of the chief ornaments of the 
great city for the convenience of which it is intended, and is a model Post-Office in 
every respect, and as such worthy of the admiration of the whole country. 



THE SALMON NURSERY IN CALIFORNIA. 

The work of the United States Fish Commission is deeply interesting. We propose 
to present to the reader in this place some of the results accomplished in the culture 
of salmon on the Pacific coast. The United States Fish Commission for that region 
selected in 1872 a point on the McCloud river, in Sliasta county, California, for the 
great salmon nursery. It is about twenty miles from the terminus of the Oregon & 
California Railroad, and about three miles from its junction with Pitt river, one of the 
largest tributaries of the Sacramento •. and among all the beautiful spots in California, 
none more lovely or more grandly picturesque than this could have been chosen. It 
is peculiarly eligible from the fact that it is the best of the few water sites in California 
not injured for hatching purposes by the operations of the miner. 

Almost overhanging the bank of the river a plain, substantial building about fifty 
feet in length has been erected, and divided into kitchen, dining-room, and sleeping 
apartments, for the accommodation of the large force employed during the hatching 
season. Immediately below this building a canvas tent, one hundred feet in length 
and thirty feet wide, is stretched, covering the hatching trough and supply reservoir. 
Here the river, about two hundred feet wide, sweeps over a natural bar with a strong, 
heavy current, falling into a large, deep pool below, where most of the salmon are 
taken. Across the former Mr. Stone, the Deputy Commissioner, and his men, have, 
with great labor, stretched a fence of willow poles reaching from bank to bank, safely 
anchored among the heavy boulders of the riffle, and presenting an almost impassable 
barrier to the salmon on their way to the spawning grounds c f the upper stream. At 
the foot of the riffle an undershot wheel, twelve feet in diameter, furnished with long 
buckets on the inner periphery, and capable of lifting 12,000 gallons per hour, is set 
deeply and securely in the swift current. At the lower end of the tent are two large 
receiving tanks or reservoirs, into which the water is led from the wheel by a flume. 

The fish are caught at night with the seine. They are then put into a crib floating 
at the side of the river, and secured by lines to the shore. The next day they are 
taken out, one by one, and gently pressed by hand until the eggs and milt are 
deposited in a vessel made for the purpose. The eggs of a health)' female will average 
6000. When the eggs become impregnated they are placed in a trough, through 
which a stream of water is caused to run by the wheel referred to above. 

Experience has demonstrated that no matter how pure the water of the river may 
seem, it is not sufficiently so to insure complete success in salmon hatcliing. Accord- 
ingly three flannel screens are placed in each of the tanks to prevent the passage of 
fungus, which gathers on the egg and prevents the egress of the young salmon, and 
every drop of water passing into the batching troughs is filtered through these screens. 
From the tanks are led the hatching troughs, in eight strings of five each, making 
forty in all. An incline of one inch to each trough gives free circulation to the water, 
and a drop of three inclies at tJie lower end serves to aerate it before passing through 



1158 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

iJie next. Siwjjended in every trough are seven trays, eleven inches wide, two feet 
long, and six inches deej), constructed of No. 5 wire cloth, and each capable of con- 
taining 30,000 eggH, thus plaf,ing the hatching capacity of the eiitablLshment at over 
8,000,WX) of young ealmon in a Keaiwn. 

At the commencement of the Hpawning 8ea»ou there is no perceptible difference 
between the male and female head. As the season advances the upper jaw of the 
male protrudes over the under, and the enout forms an eagle-«haped beak, the under 
jaw fitting cloi*ely into the upper. 

A marked peculiarity of the California salmon is the brevity of its life. It is esti- 
mated by Mr. .Stone that "not one out of a hundred ever returns to the sea after 
•spawning." Myriads of the dead fish line the Vjanks of the Mc-Cloud in the months of 
October and November, after having completed their mission in life. The salmon of 
the Atlantic returns, season after season, to its early spawning ground. This, too, is 
the case with the salmon of the Danube, and of Great Britain generally. 

The bridge or fence across the river, to which we have alluded, answers two pur- 
poses. It increases the pfjwer of the water at the wheel, and prevents the fish from 
ascending the river. Myriads of them may hie seen below, anxiously searching for a 
place of escape. As they increa.se in numbers the agility of the fish Is remarkable. 
Jumping from two to three feet in the air, turning somersault-, and cutting up all 
norts of antics generally, they afford a very singular sjx;ctacle to the traveller. While 
in this state of excitement they will perform some of the most wonderful feats, as well 
as inflict upon themselves the greatest bodily torture. A fish from two to three feet 
long will often force himself out of the water, perfectly upright, and by a rapid undu- 
lation of the tail support himself from one to three minutes, surveying tlie surroundings 
for an opening in the fence to escape through. When unsuccessful it will often fall 
back, and then, with one tremendous leap, jump clear over the top of the fence, which 
is about two feet above the water's edge. The question arises whether the bridge, in 
preventing the salmon from ascending the river and spawn, will not tend to depopu- 
late tlie river ; it being remembered that the fish always return Ut spawn in the place 
where they were hatched. This is offset by putting a certain portion of the artificially 
hatched salmon back into the river. 

The advantage of this station may be estimated by kxjking at the cost of the eggs as 
heretofore purchased. Until the establishment of the works on the Penobscot river, 
the Government paid Canarla forty dollars i>er thousand for the eggs. The works on 
the Penobscot reduced the cost to about three dollars ; while the establishment on the 
Mc<Jloud river furnished them, in the season of 1875, at about one dollar and a half 
per thousand. 



THE FAST MAIL SERVICE. 

Probably no branch of the public service shows such marked improvement as does 
the Post-Office Department. The contrast between what it was when the Federal 
Government was first formed, in 1789, and what it is at present Ls sf> striking as to be 
almost incredible. Tlien lumbering wagons, stage coaches, slow-sailing vc-ssels, horse- 
back riders, and sometimes i>edestrians were the means used to carry the mails from 
place to place ; and what with the delay of transportation and the lack of system in 
the whole management of the Post-Office, our worthy ancestors must have had but a 
faint gleam of the inestimable value of the system that in our day works so smoothly 
uiul effectively, and makes the mail our most aseful and trusted servant. Step by step 



THE FAST MAIL SERVICE. 1169 

postal reform and improvement have been advancing, until perfection has almost been 
reached. 

The railway mail service began in 1836, but it was not until 1864 that Colonel 
Oeorge B. Armstrong suggested the plan, which was subsequently adopted, of putting 
" post-office cars " on the railway lines. On the 28th day of August, 1864, the first 
postal car left Chicago for Clinton on a trial trip, and on the Slst of the same month 
it began running regularly. In October, 1864, improvements were made in the postal 
car, and a force of expert clerks from the Department at Washington was placed in 
the cars running between New York and that city. On the 9th of November post- 
office cars were placed upon the lines between Chicago and Davenport, Iowa, and 
Chicago and Dunleith, Illinois. On the 17th of January, 1865, the Chicago, Burling- 
ton, & Galesburg-Quincy lines were established, and on May 22d the first railway 
post-office service was put in operation on the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh line. About 
t le same time, or a little later, postal cars were placed upon all the principal lines 
hading out of Chicago, and also upon the Hudson Piiver & New York Central 
Railroads, between New York, Albany, and Buffiilo, carrying and distributing along 
the line Northern and Western mails. 

The establishing of fast mail trains has been a pet scheme of the Post-Office 
Department for several years, and Colonel George S. Bangs, General Superintendent 
of Mail Routes, has worked industriously to perfect the system. He met with much 
opposition from railroad officials, who complained that the compensation for running 
postal cars was insufficient. So strong was the dissatisfaction of the companies that in 
the summer of 1873 the Presidents of some of the leading lines threatened to withdraw 
the postal cars. The grievance of the railroad companies was tlie law which limited 
tlie compensation of mail carriers to $375 per mile per annum, no matter how much 
weight of mail matter was carried. By talking with the various representatives of the 
dissatisfied roads Mr. Bangs became instrumental in averting the calamity which such 
a withdrawal ()i the postal cars would certainly have been. Subsequently, after a 
great deal of legislation, the basis of payment for the transportation of mails was 
changed by Congress to something more equitable, and the new law rendered a con- 
centration of mail matter on any one line mutually profital)le to the line and to the 
ilepartment. This is easily understood. This settlement opened the way for pushing 
the subject of fast mails, and after long discussions with railroad officials a plan for 
lightning postal trains between the East and the West was perfected. 

.\bout the 1st of July, 1875, tlie officers of the New York Central Railroad 
announced their willingness to run a mail train from New York to Cliicago in twenty- 
six hours. The proposition from the Central road was at once accepted by the 
Department, and almost immediately afterwards came a similar proposal from the 
Pennsylvania Railroad, which was also gladly accepted. Specifications and plans for 
the new equipment necessary to carry out this undertaking were furnished each road, 
and the construction of postal cars was immediately begun. 

The 16th of September was fixed upon as the date for the inauguration of the new 
enterprise, and on tliat day the two special trains started from New York, each 
carrying a large mail, Post-Office officials, and invited guests. 

Tiie New York Central train left the Grand Central Depot, in New York, at 4.15 
A. M., and the Pennsylvania train started from Jersey City at 4..'i0 A. M. 

Previous to this the rivalry between the two roads had led to some little dissension, 
and had resulted in the Pennsylvania Company despatching a "limited mail" on 
September 13th. The officers of that company state that when they offered to run a 
fast mail and fast newspaper train to Cincinnati and St. Louis, the Post-Office authori- 



1160 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

ties accepted the offer, and requested the company to have its cars ready by September 
12th. This gave the company only thirteen days in wliich to build the cars. The 
work was accomplished by the prescribed time; but the Post-Office authorities, on 
being informed that the New York Central Railroad cars were not ready, declined to 
send any mail matter until the 16th. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was not 
willing to wait until the New York Central Railroad should be ready, and accordingly 
sent out its first train on the 13th. This train left Jei'sey City at 4.45 A. m., and 
arrived at its destination on time. 

The postal car used on these fast trains is of peculiar construction. It is of ordinay 
width, but sixty feet in length. It is built of white pine wood, and is painted wliile 
inside and out. Internally the car is divided into three compartments. The first of 
these contains 975 pigeon holes, each of them representing a station. A shelf sur- 
rounding the holes is used for the purpose of sorting the letters. Letter drops, with 
their apertures to the outside of the car, are in this compartment, and may be used by 
persons just as the ordinary drops are. The next compartment of the car is fitted up 
with boxes and hooks for the reception of mail bags and newspapers destined for the 
way stations. Behind this, and in the last compartment, are a number of boxes 
arranged in rows. One side of these boxes is open, while the opposite side is closed 
by a door on hinges. From hooks in these boxes the mail bags are suspended, and 
the newspapers, as fast as sorted, are tlirown through the boxes into the bags, each of 
which represents a station. The cars are well heated, ventilated, and lighted, and are 
provided with all the new arrangements for keeping out sparks of fire from the loco- 
motives. Each car is accompanied by a tender, which is simply an ordinary express 
car, and is used for storing the mail bags not in use. Each train is in cliarge of a 
Chief Clerk, who has a private office in the car provided with desk and other con- 
veniences. 

The trains stop only at the principal stations. At the others the mail is delivered 
and received by means of the patent "catchers" with which each car is provided. 
By means of these the bags are hung o\it from the car and thrown off at the proper 
station. The bags to be taken on board are suspended from a post at the station 
provided for the purpose, and are caught by the iron arm or ''catcher" attached to 
the car, and thrown into it without damaging the bag or causing any slackening in the 
speed of the train. 

The fast mail trains have proved of the greatest benefit to the community, and it 
would now be difficult to dispense with them. 

THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO. 

This is such a strictly American industry, and has attained such an important rank 
among our manufactures, that it merits a place in this record. The principal tobacco 
factories are located in Richmond, Lynchburg, Petersburg, and Danville, in Virginia, 
and these turn out the bulk of the chewing tobacco used in commerce. The factories 
are large buildings, generally constructed of brick, and are often five or six stories in 
height, with flat roofs surrounded by a wooden railing. 

On the first floor is located the steam engine, which not only supplies the motive 
power for the machinery employed in the establishment, but warms the whole building, 
and furnishes the amount of heat necessary for the various stages of the process of 
manufacture. 

All the tobacco sent to Richmond for sale is stored in the immense warehouses 
provided by the State for its reception, where it is inspected, properly graded, and 



THE MAITOFACTURE OF TOBACCO. 1161 

finally sold. The sales are by sample. Each sample is ticketed and marked with the 
name of the planter by whom the crop of which it forms a part was grown, the gross 
and net weight of the hogshead from which it was taken, the warehouse where it was 
inspected, the merchant who sold it, and the price paid by tlie manufacturer. Thus 
the whole history of the hogshead from which the .-ample wa.s taken is written upon 
the ticket, and should the manufacturer find the hogshead to fail to correspond with 
the representations upon which he purchased it, he can trace the responsibility to the 
proper party. 

Upon being conveyed to the factory the hogsheads are raised by an elevator to the 
"stemming room," where the ca.sing of the hogshead is removed and the tobacco 
exposed to a steam bath. The room is air-tight, and the steam is forced into it and 
permeates every particle of the tobacco. This renders it soft and fit for stemming. 
It is then placed in bulk and carefully covered with blankets in order to enable it to 
retain the moisture until the process of "stemming" can be accomplished. 

The stemmers are usually negro women and children. It may be here stated that 
the majority of the hands engaged in the Southern tobacco factories are negroes. The 
stemmers take the leaves, which the steaming has rendered as soft as the finest kid, 
and strip them of the "stem." They are then tied in bundles, tlie inferior quality of 
stems being used to bind them. The best stems are laid aside and are packed in 
hogsheads and shipped to Bremen, where they are made into snnflT. The stemmers 
are paid so much per pound for the tobacco they stem. This is weighed by the super- 
intendent of the stemming room, who keeps the accounts of the hands in his depart- 
ment with scrupulous exactness. 

The bundles of stemmed leaves are then hung on stick.s, and are suspended in the 
drying room until they become perfectly dry. When dry they are ready to receive 
the " flavoring mixture " of syrup and licorice, which gives to chewing tobacco the 
sweetness and flavor so much appreciated by the users of that article. 

The mixture is prepared in huge iron kettles. A good article of sugar-house 
molasses is cooked to a candy and Ls mixed with Spanish licorice, which has been 
previously dissolved in water. The mixture is then brought to the proper consistency 
by boiling, being stirred all the while by men with large wooden paddles to prevent 
its burning. In some of the factories as much as two hundred gallons of molasses are 
used daily for this purpose. 

As soon as the mixture is prepared it is poured boiling hot into a large trough. 
The dried bundles of tobacco are then dipped into the steaming fluid. If the leaves 
are not perfectly dry when subjected to this immersion they will mould rapidly and 
become hopelessly ruined. The heat of the bath causes the pores of the leaf to 
expand, and every particle of the tobacco absorbs the sweet syrup and becomes thor- 
oughly saturated with it. 

Besides the leaves, there are a lot of odds and ends of tobacco, termed "clippings," 
which are too small to be dipped in the bath. The mixture is applied to these by 
sprinkling it from a watering-pot. 

The bundles, dripping witii the liquid, are carried from the bath to the flat roof of 
the building and there exposed to the sun. Manufacturers declare that one day's 
sunshine is worth all the artificial heat they can command, as it gives to the tobacco a 
sweetness which nothing else will. Should a rain come on all hands are ordered to 
the roof and tJie tobacco is taken into the house at once. A drenching with water 
would ruin it at this stage. 

After being exposed to the sun for a day, the leaves are taken to the second drying 
room and subjected to a heat of ninety degrees during the day, and at night the heat 



1162 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

is increased to such a degree that the room is so hot in the morning that the workmen 
cannot enter it until it has been cooled. This process is continued until the tobacco 
is perfectly dry. The tobacco is then sprinkled plentifully with the best New 
England rum, which has been flavored with certain essential oils. It thus receives 
an additional flavor and is rendered damp and pliable for the final working. It is 
now covered carefully with blankets, and as soon as possible is delivered to the 
" lumpers and twisters " in the twist room. 

The twist room generally occupies the length of the whole building, and is arranged 
with the utmost exactness. At the upper end stands the desk of the Superintendent. 
The tall work-benches of the operatives are arranged in parallel rows down the long 
room. The benches are double, being divided by a partition down the middle, and 
the workmen are placed at opposite sides, facing each other. They stand during 
tiieir work. Each man is furnished with a gauge for regulating the length of his 
lump or twist, aud a scale in which to verify its weight. Perfect exactness is necessary 
in size and weight, in order that the lumps may fit exactly into the shapes in which 
they are to be pressed. Indeed, throughout the whole process of manufacture every- 
thing is done by an invariable rule, and no one is allowed to leave anything to chance 
or guesswork. Every process is carefully tested. 

A supply of the prepared leaves is placed upon the lumper's bench. He takes them 
and works them with his fingers into the proper shape, and around the lump thus 
formed wraps a leaf of the virgin tobacco which has been stripped of its stems, but has 
undergone no drying or flavoring. This forms the outside wrapper, and prevents the 
lump from sticking to the press in the final process. As the lumps are completed the 
lumper slips them into his gauge, and cuts off the ends which project with a " tobacco 
cutter," and then weighs the lump in his scale, taking from or adding to the filling 
until the exact weight desired is obtained. When the lumps are correct they are 
placed in a box provided for that purpose on the bench in front of the worker. 
Every lumper has an assistant. This individual is a boy, whose principal duty it is 
to stem and hand him the leaves for his outside wrappers. This boy waits on his 
lumper exclusively. The lumpers pay their assistants out of their own wages, giving 
them from one to two dollars per week ; the boy, if intelligent, having the advantage 
of learning the trade of his employer. The most expert "lumpers^' earn from twelve 
to fifteen dollars per week. 

The lumpers in regular rotation carry their work to the Superintendent of the 
twisting room for inspection. He examines and weighs each lump separately, and 
throws out all which vary in the least degree from the standard. Those which are 
found correct are then weighed collectively, and the lumper is credited with the 
weight. The defective lumps are thrown back upon the workman's hands to be 
remade until they conform to the standard. The lumps having been inspected by the 
Superintendent, are packed by the lumper or his assistant into boxes furnished for the 
purpose. These boxes, when full, are taken to the press room, where the lumps are 
fitted into the " shapes," which are large shallow pans of sheet-iron, subdivided into 
compartments the exact size of the " plugs " that are to be made. Over each shape is 
placed a cover of thick wood, faced with sheet-iron, and intersected by grooves which 
fit the lines of the sheet-iron subdivisions which separate the shape itself. When the 
shapes are filled they are placed under hydraulic presses, of which each factory has a 
number, and are subjected to a pressure of three hundred and twenty-five tons. The 
cover of the shape is forced down upon it, and the lumps of tobacco are pressed firml} 
and evenly into tlie flat plugs of commerce with which every one is familiar. 

Upon being removed from the presses the plugs are found a little ragged at the 



THE ICE MOUNTAIN. 1163 

edges. Every piece is therefore turned and put under the press again so that all the 
sides may be uniform and smooth. The moulds are carefully oiled with the best 
olive oil every time the tobacco is placed in them, to prevent its sticking to them. 

The plugs are now taken to a second row of presses, and after having been fitted 
together exactly on sheets of tin — witli one sheet of tin between every two sheets of 
tobacco — they are pressed a third time. This gives the sheets of tobacco the exact 
length and width of the box in which they are to be packed for shipping. After 
coming out of these presses the sheets will fit in the boxes, which are made of regular 
specified sizes, as evenly as the most intricate machinery is joined together. The 
packing boxes are made of buttonwood, or sycamore, imported from Canada. A 
single factory will use as much as 30,000 feet per week. 

The plugs are packed in the cases, which are then placed in a third row of presses 
for the final compressure. In order to prevent the bursting of the boxes by the 
immense pressure to which they are subjected, they are placed in stout frames called 
'' billies," which protect the wood and save it from the force of the strain. After being 
removed from the press the cases are closed and nailed, and after the revenue stamps 
and the brand of the manufacturer are affixed, the tobacco is ready for the market. 

Smoking tobacco is manufactured with less labor and expense. The tobacco, after 
being removed from the hogshead, is dried to the utmost, and is passed through a 
mill in which a revolving cylinder, armed with short blunt teeth, grates it into tiny 
particles. The same machine then passes it through a series of sieves similar to those 
of a wheat fan. The coarser particles which are left on the upper sieve are passed 
and repa.ssed through the mill until all is ground to the required fineness. The leaves 
are not stemmed for this purpose, the stems which are too coarse to pass through the 
finer sieves being used to make an inferior article of smoking tobacco. 

Smoking tobacco is generally put up in bags holding from two ounces to one pound 
each, the Government fixing one pound as the maximum weight for a single package. 
♦ The bags are drawn tightly over hollow iron cylinders, and into these the tobacco is 
packed by forcing upon it a wooden mallet worked by a treadle. When the cylinder 
is packed tight and fulU it is withdrawn, leaving the closely-packed tobacco in the 
bags. An immense number of bags are used in this business. 



THE ICE MOUNTAIN. 

In Hampshire county, West Virgiiua, there is a remarkable natural curiosity known 
as the Ice Mountain. It is situated on the eastern bank of the North river, a branch 
of the Capon, and is about twenty-six miles northwest of Winchester, and sixteen miles 
east of Romney. It is between four and five hundred feet in height. For about a 
quarter of a mile the west side of the mountain is covered with a mass of stones very 
loose and of a light color, which reaches down to the bank of the river. 

By removing the loose stone, pure cry.stal ice can always be found in the warmest 
days of summer. It has been discovered even as late as the loth of September, but 
never in October, although it may exist throughout the entire year, and be found if 
the rocks were excavated to a sufficient depth. The body of the rocks where the ice 
Ls found is subject to the full rays of the sun from nine o'clock in the mornmguntil 
sunset. The sun does not have the effect of melting the ice as raucli as continued 
rains At the base of the mountain is a spring of water colder by many degrees than 
spring water usually is. The owner of the property has removed the stone not far 
from the spring, and has erected a small log dairy for the preservation of his milk, 



1164 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

butter, and fresh meats. Kercheval states that when he saw this building, "which 
was late in the month of April, the openings between the logs (on the side next the 
cavity from which the stone had been taken out), for eighteen inches or two feet from 
the floor, were completely filled with ice, and about one-half the floor was covered 
with ice several inches thick." Mr. Deevers, who was at that time the owner of the 
property, informed him " that milk, butter, or fresh meats of every kind are perfectly 
safe from injury for almost any length of time in the hottest weather. If a fly venture 
in he is immediately stiffened with the cold and becomes torpid. If a snake in his 
ra iibles happens to pass over the rocks covering the ice he soon loses all motion awd 
dies." Keliable persons assert that several instances have occurred of snakes being 
found frozen to death among the rocks covering the ice. " Mr. Deevers stated that he 
had several times removed torpid flies from his dairy into a more temperate atmos- 
phere, when they soon recovered life and motion and flew off'." 

Mr. C. B. Ilayden, in a communication to "Silliman's Journal," some forty years 
ago, thus endeavored to account for tlie phenomenon of the preservation of ice in this 
mountain: "Tiie solution, I conceive, is to be found in the large and unusual collec- 
tion of rocks, which from their porous, homogeneous texture are extremely poor 
conductors of heat. One side of the mountain consists of a massive wall many hun- 
dred feet in thickness, and heaped up against this as an abutment is a mass of rocks 
containing several thousand cubic feet. As the mountain has a general direction from 
N. E. to S. W., the talus heap containing the ice has a N. W. exposure. The 
cavernous nature of tiiis heap would admit the free entrance of atmospheric waters, 
which during the winter wonld form ice in the interior of the mass. The ice thus 
situated would be protected from external heat by the surrounding rocks, as ice in a 
refrigerator is isolated and protected from the external temperature by the non- 
conducting sides of the refrigerator. The Ice Mountain only requires for the explan- 
ation of its phenomenon the application of the familiar principle upon which is 
constructed the common refrigerator, which temporarily effects what the Ice Mountain* 
permanently does — a temperature independent of external causes. The Ice Mountain 
is, in fact, a huge sandstone refrigerator, whose increased a«id unusual effects beyond 
those of the ordinary refrigerator are due to the increased and unusual collection of 
poor-conducting materials which form its sides." 



THE NATURAL BRIDGE. 

This remarkable formation of the natural rock has long been known as one of the 
principal curiosities of the many to be found in the State of Virginia. It is situated 
in the county of Rockbridge, about fourteen miles southwest of Lexington. It consists 
of an immense mass of rock which spans the deep ravine through which flows a little 
stream called Cedar Creek. The sides of the ravine are of massive rock rising 
perpendicularly from the bed of the stream. The rock structure which forms the 
bridge is flung across the ravine in a missive but graceful arch, seeming more the 
work of art than of nature. The mean lieight of the bridge is 215 feet from the stream 
below to the roadway ; its average width is 80 feet, its length 93 feet, and its thickness 
55 feet. 

The arch constituting the bridge is of limestone rock, covered to the depth of from 
four to six feet with alluvial and clayey earth, and based upon huge rocks of the same 
geological character, the summits of which are ninety feet and their bases fifty feet 
apart. The county road leads over the bridge, and the structure has been used since 






n TWi 







THE ST. LOUIS BRIDGE. 1167 

the settlement of the region for the ordinary purposes of travel. A natural parapet 
of rock extends along the sides of the bridge, which are still further protected by a 
thick growth of trees and shrubbery. So perfectly do these screen the ravine from 
view that visitors constantly pass over the bridge without being aware that they have 
reached it. 

The only satisfactory view of the bridge is obtained from the bed of the ravine below. 
Looking up to the dizzy height at which the gigantic arch springs across the abyss, it 
is hard to believe that the structure is not the work of a race of giants. Tlie arch is 
elliptical in form, and the whole structure has a picturesque appearance impossible to 
describe in words. The lines of masonry seem perfectly defined, and the piers appear 
to be laid in gigantic blocks. The rocks have a soft, pleasant hue which harmonizes 
well with the beauty of the surrounding landscape. 

"A hot and brilliant day," says a traveller, " is, of all otiiers, the time to enjoy this 
object. To escape from a sun which scorches you, into these verdant and cool 
bottoms, is a luxury of itself which disposes you to relish everything else. When 
down I was very careful of the first impression, and did not venture to look steadily 
on the objects about me until I had selected my station. At length I placed myself 
about one hundred feet from the bridge, on some masses of rock which were washed 
by the running waters and ornamented by the slender trees which were springing 
from its fissures. At my feet was the soothing melody of the rippling, gushing waters. 
Behind me, and in the distance, the river and the hills were expanding themselves to 
the light and splendor of day. Before me, and all around, everything was reposing in 
the most delightful shade, set off by the streaming rays of the sun, which shot across 
the head of the picture far above you, and sweetened the solitude below. On the right 
and left the majestic rocks arose with the decision of a wall, but witliout its uniformity ; 
massive, broken, beautiful, and supplying a most admirable foreground ; and every- 
where the most delicate stems were planted in their crevices and waving their heads 
in the soft breeze which occasionally came over them. The eye now ran through the 
bridge and was gratified with a lovely vista. The blue mountains stood out in the 
background ; beneath them the hills and woods gathered together so as to enclose the 
dell below ; while the river, which was coursing away from them, seemed to have its 
well-hidden head in their recesses. Then there is the arch, distinct from everything 
and above everything ! jMassIvc as it is, it is light and boautiful by its height, and 
the fine trees on its height seem now only like a garland of evergreens ; and, elevated 
as it is, its apparent elevation is wonderfully increased by the narrowness of its piers, 
and by its outline being drawn on the blue sky, which appears beneath and above it." 

THE ST. LOUIS BRIDGE. 

The bridge over the Mississippi river at St. Louis is one of the most superb 
structures in the world, and the costliest of its kind in this country. It was built under 
the superintendence of Captain James B. Eads, and is owned by a stock company. 

The bridge rests upon four immense piers built in the river. The portion of the 
piers whichlies under water is composed of a firm, magnesian limestone, yellowish in 
color, taken from the quarries at Grafton, Illinois. From two feet below low-water 
mark to two feet above high-water mark the exterior of the piers, including those on 
the wharves and abutments, is of the best quality of granite. Above the granite the 
exterior is entirely of cut sandstone. A granite course eight feet in thickness is laid 
through the channel piers and in the abutments, to receive the heavy cast-iron plates 
against which the ends of the arches rest. 



1168 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RP:SOURCES. 

The bridge has three spans, each formed witli four ribbed arches made of cast-steel. 
The central span is 520 feet, and the end spans each 500 feet in the clear. The four 
arches forming these spans consist each of an upper and lower curved rib, extending 
from pier to pier, and a horizontal system of bracing extends between these ribs for 
the purpose of securing the arches in their relative distances from each other. Tiie 
two centre arches of each span are thirteen feet nine and a half inches apart from 
centre to centre, and the upper member of one arch is secured to the lower one of tlie 
other by a system of diagonal bracing. The roadways are formed by transverse iron 
l)eams twelve inches in depth, suitably separated. From the opposite ends of the iron 
beams forming the roadways a double system of diagonal, horizontal iron bracing binds 
the whole together. 

The bridge is a double structure. The upper portion is for vehicles and pedestrians, 
and is fifty-four feet two inches in width. The roadway is thirty-four feet wide 
between the footwalks, which are eight feet in width. The sides are protected by a 
handsome iron balustrade ornamented with gas lamps. Below this floor of the bridge 
are the railway passages, eiich fourteen feet six inches in the clear and eighteen 
feet high. 

At each end of the bridge the road and railways are carried over the wharves on 
five stone arches, each twenty-six feet wide. The railway passages are enclosed 
throughout the whole length of these arches by a cut stone arcade of twenty arches, 
supporting the upper roadway. On the St. Louis side the railway is carried on brick 
arches from the end of these passage-ways into the tunnel on Third street. On the 
Illinois shore the railways descend to the level of the East St. Louis railways by a 
descending grade of one and a half feet in one hundred for a distance of 3000 feet. 
The carriage-way on the Illinois side descends with a grade of four feet in one 
hundred, and on the Mississippi side the grade is nearly level. 

The bridge accommodates two double tracks of steam railways in the lower story, 
and above there is space for street railways, vehicles of all styles, and pedestrians ; and 
the plan is so arranged that none of these interfere with each other. The bridge is 
so constructed as not to be an obstacle to the navigation of the river. 

The strength of the bridge is enormous. Tlie three arches are capable of sustaining 
28,972 tons before giving way — a much greater load than will ever be placed upon it. 
If the bridge were loaded with people from one end to the other, the strain upon tlie 
arches would be less than one-sixth of what they are capable of sustaining. The piers 
and abutments were designed with a view to sustain either span when thus loaded, 
even if the others were entirely unloaded, and to sustain either span entire if, from 
any cause, the adjoining ones should be destroyed. 

On the 2d of July, 1874, the formal test of the strength of the bridge was made. 
Two trains of locomotives, weighing 560 tons altogether, fourteen in all, were moved 
out abreast, and simultaneously over each one of the three spans. The deflection of 
the middle span was three and a half inches ; of each side span three inches. The 
two trains moving abreast upon each arch was the severest possible test to produce 
distortion of the curve of each arch. Ten locomotives were then coupled together, 
and these were run over each track on each side of each arch of the entire bridge, 
covering the entire track of each span, and throwing the whole weight of the train — 
400 tons — on one side of each span. This test was applied to each side of the bridge, 
and produced the severest twisting strain to which each arch can be subjected. Tlie 
vertical deflection produced by this test on the centre span was two and one-half 
inches. The locomotives thus coupled were run at a speed of ten miles per hour. 
The local traflic on the upper roadway of the bridge was uninterrupted during the 



MUSIC BY TELEGRAPH. 11 09 

progress of the tests. The instruments failed to detect any side motion whatever 
during the test. 

The bridge is one of the most useful as well as one of the most magnificent public 
works in the Union. It brings St. Louis in direct communication with the States east 
of the Mississippi, and must unquestionably contribute in a marked degree to the 
advancement and growth of the prosperity and wealth of the metropolis of the 
Southwest. 



MUSIC BY TELEGRAPH. 

Mr. Elisha Gray, of Chicago, a gentleman who has already become famous in the 
electric telegraph world a.s an inventor and maker of telegraphic apparatus, perfected 
during the year 1874 an instrument whicli will convey sound by electricity over an 
unbroken current of an extraordinary length ; that is, without the aid of automatic 
repeaters. In the ordinary transmission of messages over the telegraph wires to points 
at long distances, a message is generally repeated by automatic working instruments 
about every five hundred miles, in order to renew the current oi electricity. Mr. 
Gray has succeeded in transmitting sounds which are distinctly audible at the 
receiving point, over an unbroken circuit of 2400 miles. This is more properly 
speaking a discovery and not an invention. The invention merely consists in 
adapting certain appliances to tiie discovery for the purposes of its practical illustra- 
tion. Music played on a small melodeon or piano key-board, transmitted through an 
unbroken circuit of 2400 miles, is reproduced on a violin attached to the receiving end 
of the wire. Mr. Gray played "Hail Columbia," "The Star Spangled Banner," 
" God Save the Queen," " Yankee Doodle," and other well-known airs, and they were 
unmistakably repeated, note for note, on the violin which lay on a table near at hand. 

The apparatus by means of which this extraordinary feat in telegraphy is accom- 
plished has been named by Mr. Gray the " Telephone," or an instrument designed for 
the purpose of transmitting sound to a distance. It consists of three general parts: 
First. The transmitting instrument. Second. The conducting wire, running to a 
distant point. Tliird. The apparatus for receiving the sound at that distant point. 
The transmitting apparatus consists of a key-board having a number of electro- 
magnets corresponding with the number of keys on the board, to which are attached 
vibrating tongues or reeds tuned to a musical scale. Any one of these tongues can be 
separately set in motion by depressing the key corresponding to it. Thus a tune may 
be played by manipulating the keys in the same way as those of an ordinary piano or 
melodeon. The music — produced entirely by electricity — of these notes is so dis- 
tinctly audible in the next room that, in spite of much talking, there is no difficulty 
in determining what tune the manipulator is playing. To this transmitting instru- 
ment the conducting wire is attached, the other end being attached to the receiving 
apparatus, which may be anything that is sonorous, so long as it is in some degree a 
conductor of electricity. A violin, with a thin strip of metal stretched between the 
strings at a point where the bridge of the instrument is ordinarily placed, will, on 
receiving the sound transmitted through the conducting wire from the piano, give out 
a tone very similar in quality to that of a violin. If, then, the metallic strip is elec- 
trically connected with a wire, say 500 or 1000 miles long, which lias its distant end 
properly connected with the transmitting instrument, any one at the receiving end 
can distinctly hear, without the aid of electro-magnetism, the tune or air which is 
being played 500 or 1000 miles away from him, if he properly manipulate the 
receiving apparatus. 
71 



1170 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

The length of the wire connecting the transmitting with the receiving apparatus 
may be one mile or ten thousand miles, provided that the isolation is sufficiently good 
to prevent the escape of the electric current before it reaches its destination. In fact, 
there seems no limit to the distance to which sound of any desired pitch may be thus 
conveyed with from two to five cells of battery, all the conditions being proper. The 
quality or timbre of the tones depends upon the character of the receiving apparatus, 
which may be a violin prepared as described above ; a tin hoop, with foil paper heads 
stretched over it after the fashion of a baby's rattle ; a nickel five-cent piece ; an old 
oyster can, and a thousand other things. A sound sufficiently loud to read Morse's 
telegraphic characters — made by interrupting, with the common telegraphic key, one 
sustained note — has been obtained under favorable circumstances at the receiving end 
of the wire without any more scientific sounding apparatus than that of a piece of 
common tissue paper. 

THE CROTON WATER-WORKS. 

The rapid growth of the city of New York made the question of supplying it with 
pure water one of the greatest importance. It was believed at one time that an adequate 
supply could be drawn from the Bronx river, which stream was thought capable of 
furnishing 3,000,000 gallons daily. The prevalence of Asiatic cholera in 1832 
impressed upon the people the necessity of a supply of pure drinking water ; and the 
great fire of 1835 convinced them that an abundant supply of water for all purposes 
was indispensable. It was resolved to obtain this supply from the head-waters of the 
Croton river, and in May, 1837, the work on the aqueduct whicli was to convey it to 
the city was actually begun. On the 4th of July, 1842, the Croton water was dis- 
tributed through the city. 

The first step in the great work was to throw a massive dam across the Croton river, 
by means of which the Croton lake was formed, the water being raised to a depth of 
forty feet by the obstruction. From this dam an aqueduct, constructed of brick, stone, 
and cement, was built to convey the water to the reservoirs prepared for it ou Man- 
hattan island. 

The aqueduct is nearly forty miles in length. It is arched above and below, forming 
a hollow cylinder seven and a half feet wide and eight and a half feet high, with an 
inclination of thirteen inches to the mile. It rests upon the ground for a portion of its 
course, and in other parts is supported by a series of stone arches. It crosses twenty- 
five streams in Westchester county, besides numerous brooks which flow under it 
through culverts. It is conveyed across the Harlem river by means of the High 
Bridge, the water flowing through vast iron pipes the size of the aqueduct, wliich rest 
upon the bridge. The bridge itself is a magnificent structure of stone, 1450 feet in 
length, with fifteen arches, the highest of which is one hundred feet above high-water 
mark. Its great height prevents it from interfering with the navigation of the stream. 
The High Bridge is one of the principal pleasure resorts in the suburbs of New York. 
The bridge itself is a noble work of art, and the surrounding scenery is exceedingly 
beautiful. 

There are two large reservoirs at the city end of the bridge — the "Storage 
Reservoir" and the "High Service" — the latter of which is designed for supplying 
the elevated section of Washington Heights. From here to the distributing reservoirs 
in the Central Park the distance is two and a quarter miles. There are two of these 
reservoirs in the Park. The old, or lower one, is a parallelogram in form, covering 
an area of thirty-one acres, and with a capacity for 150,000,000 gallons of water. The 



THE BRONZE DOORS OF THE CAPITOL. 1171 

new reservoir lies to the north of the old one, and is separated from it by a sunken 
road which traverses the Park. It is a massive structure of granite, irregular in form, 
and occupying almost the eiitire width of the Park. It covers an area of 106 acreaj 
and will hold 1,000,000,000 gallons of water. The two reservoirs thus cover an area 
of 137 acres and hold 1,150,000,000 gallons of water. They are among the finest 
specimens of the engineer's work in this country. Tlie gate houses are elegant granite 
buildings, and are among the notable ornaments of the Park. 

The distributing reservoir for the lower part of the city is on Fifth avenue between 
Fortieth and Forty-second streets. It is built above the level of the street, of granite, 
is lined with cement, cove^ about four acres of ground, and will hold about 20,000,000 
gallons of water. It is exactly forty-one miles from the Croton lake. 

The daily flow of water tlirough the aqueduct is 60,000,000 gallons, its full capacity. 
The reservoirs at the High Bridge, in the Park, and at Forty-second street hold over 
2,000,000,000 gallons, or about fifteen days' supply at the present rate of consumption. 
About 400 miles of main pipes distribute the water through the city, distributing it 
to over 68,000 dwelling-houses and stores, about 1700 manufactories, about 300 hos- 
pitals, prisons, schools, and other public buildings, over 300 churches, and 14 
markets. There are over 100 public drinking hydrants and a number of ornamental 
fountains in the city. The lakes and fountains in the Central Park are all supplied 
with Croton water, which is also furnished to the State Prison at Sing Sing and the 
institutions on Blackwell's, Randall's, and Ward's islands. The Croton river is one 
of the purest streams in the world. The water is bright and sparkling, and there is 
no sediment perceptible to the naked eye. Actual analysis has shown that the 
amount of impurity during an entire summer was but 4.45 grains in a gallon, or 7.63 
parts in 100,000 parts. 

The original cost of the aqueduct and reservoirs was about $9,000,000. Since then 
the increased supply, the new reservoirs, pipes, etc., have made the total amount 
upward of $40,000,000. The total receipts from the water tax since the opening of 
the aqueduct have amounted to about $30,000,000. The tax at present amounts to 
something less than $1,500,000 annually. 



THE BRONZE DOORS OF THE CAPITOL. 

The main entrance from the central portico of the National Capitol at Washington 
is provided with doors of bronze which constitute the most superb and beautiful work 
of art of this character in existence. The doors were designed and modelled in 
Rome, in 1858, by Randolph Rogers, an American sculptor, and were cast at the 
Royal Foundry, at Munich, by F. Von Muller, and completed in 1861. The whole 
work weighs 20,000 pounds, and cost the nation $30,000. The doors, with the frame 
or ca-sing, which is also of bronze, are seventeen feet high, nine feet wide, and are 
folding or double. The casing is semicircular at the top, and projects about a foot in 
fiont of the leaves of the door. Around the casing extends a handsome border 
emblematic of conquest and navigation. The key of the arch of the casing is orna- 
mented with a fine head of Columbus, beneath which is the American eagle with 
outspread wings. Four figures, representing Asia, Africa, Europe, and America, 
stand at the top and bottom of the casing. The upper right-hand figure represents 
Asia, the lower right-hand figure Europe, the upper left-hand figure Africa, and the 
lower left-hand figure America. 

There are eight square panels in the doors besides the semicircular transom panel. 



1172 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Between these panels are ten heads, five on each leaf of the door, "representing 
liistorians who liave written on Columbus' voyages, from his own time down to the 
present day, ending with Irving and Prescott." On the right and left panels are 
sixteen statuettes, set in niches, representing the most eminent of the contemporaries 
of the great discoverer. The names of these worthies are marked on the door, and 
tlie figures can be easily recognized. Commencing with the lower right-hand figure, 
which is opposite the panel which begins the story told by the door, they are as 
follows : 

Juan Perez, Prior of the Convent of La Eabida, the most faithful of all Columbus' 
friends, through whose efforts the Spanish queen was at last induced to grant the 
explorer the assistance which enabled him to undertake his first voyage. 

The next above is Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico. 

The third is Don Alonzo de Ojeda, a distinguished but unfaithful follower of 
Columbus. 

The top figure is Amerigo Vespucci, whose name is borne by the continent. 

At the top of the double row, between the two leaves of the door, are Pedro 
Gonzales de Mendoza, Archbishop of Toledo and Grand Cardinal of Spain ; sometimes 
called, on account of his immense influence, the " third King of Spain," and Pope 
Alexander VI. The cardinal, who was an early patron of Columbus, stands on the 
right ; the Pope is on the left. 

The figures immediately below them are Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen 
of Spain ; the queen being placed on the right. 

Below these are Donna Beatriz de Bobadilla, Marchioness of Moya, one of the fast 
friends of Columbus, and Charles VIII., King of France. The artist was unable to 
find a likeness of tlie lady, and gave her the features of Mrs. Rogers, his wife. 

Henry VII., of England, and John II., of Portugal, form the lowest pair, the 
English monarch being on the right. Both of these sovereigns declined to employ 
the great discoverer, and so lost the opportunity he offered them. 

At the bottom of tlie left row stands Martin Alonzo Pinzon. He was the captain of 
the "Pinta," and one of the first to see the land of the new world. Eventually he 
betrayed his friend and commander, and died of grief and mortification. 

Above him is Bartholomew Columbus, the brother of the great man, and appointed 
by him Lieutenant-Governor of the Indies. This figure wears the face of the artist, 
Mr. Rogers, as it was impossible to find a likeness of the subject. 

Above him is Vasco Nunez de Balboa, who, crossing the Isthmus of Darien with his 
followers, discovered the Pacific Ocean on the 29th of September, 1510. 

Francisco Pizarro, the cruel conqueror of Peru, fills the topmost niche, and com- 
pletes the group. 

We come now to the exquisite pictures embraced in the panels of the door. The 
work is in cdto relievo, the figures standing out boldly from the surface. Every detail 
is perfect, and the gazer's emotions of admiration are strongly mingled with wonder 
that so elaborate a design lias been so faithfully and minutely executed. An oil 
painting or steel engraving could not more forcibly or perfectly tell the story. The 
lowest right-hand panel begins the tale, the transom panel being the central scene. 

Panel I. Columbus is expanding to the Council of Salamanca his theory of finding 
the Indies by sailing due west from Europe. This Council gravely deliberated tlie 
.subject, and solemnly concluded that the project was " vain and impossible, and not 
becoming great princes to engage in on such slender grounds as had been adduced." 
The calm confidence and the eagerness of the discoverer, and the cold, half-pitying 
incredulity of the monks is admirably depicted in the figures of the group. 




THE BRONZE DOOB IN THE NATIONAL CAPITOL, COMMEMORATING THE 
EVENTS OF THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMRUS. 




THE BKONZE BOOR IN THE NATIONAL, CAPITOL, COMMEMORATING THE EVENTS ( 
THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



THE BRONZE DOORS OF THE CAPITOL. 1175 

Panel II. Weary and heartsick, on foot, and leadbg his son Diego, a mere lad, by 
the hand, Columbus set out on his departure from Spain. He was without money and 
without friends, and was in despair of having his great scheme adopted by any of the 
potentates of the old world. On his journey he stopped at the Convent of La Rabida, 
near Palos, and was kindly received by tlie monks, who induced him to remain with 
thetn a long time. While there he stated hLs plans and hopes to the Prior, Juan 
Perez, who had been the Confessor of Queen Isabella. Here, also, he met Martin 
A lonzo Pinzon, who accompanied him in his subsequent voyage. The prior became 
warmly interested in the scheme, and mentioned it to Donna Beatriz de Bobadilla, an 
attendant and favorite of the queen. The two brought the matter to the queen's notice, 
and urged it upon her so warmly that her majesty sent Columbus a sum of money 
Knfficient to enable him to appear at court and plead iiis cause in person. The scene 
<le{>icted in the panel represents him setting off from the convent to wait upon tli€ 
queen. 

Panel III. Columbus having been presented at court is represented as laying his 
plan before the King and Queen of Spain. The queen leans forward with eagernesti, 
but the king holds back coldly and doubtingly. The courtiers in the background 
regard the bold adventurer with looks of mingled scorn and incredulity. 

Panel IV. This panel is at the top of the right leaf of the door, and represents 
"The Departure from Palos." The admiral's ships lie waiting in the harbor, while 
he is standing on the shore bidding farewell to his son and confiding him to the care 
of his friend the prior. 

The Transom Panel. This panel extends over both leaves of the door, is semicir- 
cular in form, and represents the admiral and his companions landing at San Salvador, 
and taking formal possession of the island. The banner of Spain is borne aloft by 
Columbus, who grasps a sword in his right hand. Boats are coming ashore from the 
ships in the offing, and a group of natives crouch at the foot of a large tree, gazing at 
the new-comers with wonder and fear. 

Panel V. is at the top of the left leaf of the door, and represents the first intercourse 
between the Indians and the discoverers. One of the sailors is seen approaching the 
admiral bearing on his shoulders an Indian girl whom he has captured and bound. 
Columbus sternly rebukes him for his cruelty and orders the instant release of tlie girl. 

Panel VI. represents "The Triumphal Entry into Barcelona." Columbus having 
returned from the New World, bringing with him the proofs of liis discoveries, is 
entering the city of Barcelona amid the cheers of the assembled multitude. The 
admiral is represented on horseback in the foreground. 

Panel VII. represents the wrongs of Columbus. Don Francisco de Bobadilla, 
having been sent to the New World to investigate the charges brought against the 
admiral by his enemies, decided against him without investigation, and sent him back 
to Spain in chains. The panel represents the arrival of the chained admiral on board 
the vessel that was to convey him to Europe. The officers of the ship, filled with 
generous indignation at the outrage, desired to relieve him of his fetters, but he 
replied, "No; I will wear them as a memento of the gratitude of princes." 

Panel VIII. represents the death of Columbus. Upon his return from his last 
voyage the admiral met with a cold welcome in Spain. The queen, his benefactress, 
was dead, and the selfish Ferdinand was ungrateful to the man who had given a new 
world to Spain, and refused to grant him the rewards that had been promised him. 
The admiral was without friends at court, his great fame having excited the hostile 
jealousy of the courtiers. Landing near San Lucas, Colimibus ]iroceeded to Seville. 
He was poor in purse, feeble from age, and broken down in health. He made 



1176 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

repeated efforts to obtain redress for the wrongs done him, but failed. Broken-hearted, 
he died at Valladolid on the 20th of May, 1506, being about seventy years old. 

The panel represents the chamber in which he died. His friends are gathered 
around his bed, the last rites of the church have been administered, and a priest holds 
aloft a crucifix, in order that his last earthly glance may be fixed upon the symbol of 
Iiis redemption. The world fast recedes from the dying eyes, the weak lips murmur, 
" In Manua tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum." " Into thy Hands, O Lord, I 
commend my spirit," and the great, grand soul passes into a blessed eternity. 

The door forms one of the richest and most beautiful ornaments of the Capitol, and 
is an object of pride to the whole nation. It is a grand achievement of American 
genius, and is worthy of the high praise it has received from lovers of art on both 
sides of the Atlantic. 



THE WASHINGTON DOORS. 

The main entrance to the Senate wing of the Capitol is adorned with a second door 
of bronze, commemorative of the events in the life of George Washington. It is not 
a!B elaborate as the Columbus door, but has been considered by some critics a belter 
work of art. It was designed by Thomas Crawford, the sculptor of the magnificent 
group in marble which adorns the pediment of the Senate portico, and the colossal 
statue of Liberty which looks down from the summit of the great dome. 

The door contains but six panels, illustrative of scenes in tiie life of the father of 
his country. The upper panel of each leaf of the door is occupied with a five-pointed 
star, enclosed in a laurel wreath. 

The lowest panel on the right represents two angels holding joined wreaths of 
laurel. Below these figures, enclosed in a circle, is a scene representing an American 
defending his wife and child against a Hessian Grenadier. The wife crouches to the 
floor, with her babe clasped in one arm, while the other hand holds a rifle, which she 
has in readiness for her husband. The husband has seized the musket of the Hessian, 
and is in the act of discharging his pistol at his breast. 

The lowest panel on the left represents Cincinnatus called from his plough to assume 
the command of the armies of Rome. He stands with his hand on the plough, and is 
surrounded by his family. The group is enclosed in a circle, over which hover two 
angels with suspended laurel wreaths. 

The second panel from the top, on the right, represents the death of General Brad- 
dock. He is supported by Washington, and the Virginia Rangers are seen hotly 
engaged with the enemy. 

The third panel on the right represents the meeting of W^ashington and General 
Charles Lee at the battle of Monmouth. The scene is spirited, and the overwhelming 
anger of Washington, and the guilty hesitation of Lee are depicted in a masterly 
manner. 

The fourth panel on the right represents the battle of Trenton. Washington is 
rfiown leading the final charge upon the Hessian Grenadiers. 

The fourth panel on the left, immediately adjoining the one just described, reprt.- 
Hents the reception of Washington at Trenton, on his journey to New York, to assunu- 
tiie duties of the Presidency. He is passing under a triumphal arch, amid the joyti.l 
acclamations of the citizens. 

The third panel on the left represents Washington taking the oath of office as Prcsi- 



AN AMERICAN PICTURE. 1177 

dent of the United States. He stands with his hand resting on an open Bible, while 
Chancellor Livingston administers to him the oatli of oflBce. 

The second, or highest of the panels on the left, represents Washington laying the 
corner-stone of the Capitol of the United States, at the city of Washington. The 
corner-stone was laid on the 18th of September, 1793, and the ceremonies were per- 
formed in accordance with the ritual of the Masonic order. Washington is represented 
with the Masonic apron, and the various personages attending him wear similar apron.-^. 

The door is rectangular in shape, and is enclosed in a massive frame of bronze. It 
is a noble work, fully sustains the great fame of the artist, and is a worthy companion 
of the central door. The two form the most notable ornaments of the Capitol. 



AN AMERICAN PICTURE. 

At the north end of the west corridor of the House of Representatives wing of the 
Capitol at Washington is a splendid marble stairway leading to the second floor and 
the galleries of the House. The wall at the end of the stairwa}', from the first landing 
to the ceiling, is ornamented with Leutze's great painting, " Westward the Course of 
Empire Takes its Way." It is lighted from a skylight in the roof, and is seen to the 
best advantage from the upper corridor. 

The picture is painted on the wall by a process known as "Stereochrome,^' or, as it is 
sometimes called, " Water-glass painting." "The wall is coated with a preparation of 
clean quartz sand, mixed with the least possible quantity of lime ; and after the appli- 
cation of this, the surface is scraped to remove the outer coating in contact with the 
atmosphere. It is then washed with a solution of silesia, soda, potash, and water. 
As the painter applies his colors he moistens his work by squirting distilled water 
upon it. When finished it is washed over with the silesia solution. The picture, 
also, in its progress is washed with the same solution, and the colors thus becoming 
incorporated in the flinty coating, the picture is rendered hard and durable as stone 
itself." 

The coloring of the picture is very rich, but is softer and more natural than is often 
seen in mural paintings. The work has been done with a master hand, and the scene 
is lifelike and exhilarating. However minute the details may be, each is produced 
with the utmost fidelity. Gaze at it for hours, and the eye will all the while discover 
some new beauty. 

The scene represents a train of emigrants crossing the Rocky Mountains. They 
have reached the summit of' the range, from which a glorious view stretches before 
them to the westward. The adventurers consist of the usual class of emigrants— men, 
women, and children. There are several wagons and a number of horses in the train. 
The. faces of the emigrants express the various emotions which fill their hearts as they 
gaze uiwn the glorious scene before them. Some are full of life and vigor, and hope 
beams in every feature ; whilst others are struggling with sickness and despair. The 
advance of the train has been momentarily checked by a huge tree which has fallen 
across the path, and two stout men, under the direction of the leader of the party, who 
is sitting on his horae, are engaged in hewing it away with axes. Two men have 
climbed^'to the summit of a neighboring rocky crag, on which they have planted the 
banner of the Republic, which is seen flapping out proudly from its lofty perch. In 
the foreground stands a manly youth, clasping his father's long rifle with a firm 
grasp, and gazing towards the promised land with a countenance glowing with hope 



1178 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

and energy. His sister, hopeful as himself, is seated by her mother's side on a buffalo 
robe which has been thrown over a rock. The mother's face is sad but patient. She 
knows well the privation?, toil, and hardships which await them in the new home 
land, but she tries to share the enthusiasm and hope of her children. She clasps her 
nursing infant to her breast, and listens to her husband, who stands by and points her 
to the new country where they will build np a home of her own. Her face is very 
beautiful — such a face as only a true"" artist could depict. The rich, warm light of the 
rising sun streams brightly over the whole scene and gives to it a magical glow. 

The legend, " Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way," is inscribed over 
the painting in letters of gold. 

An illuminated border, illustrative of the advance of civilization in the West, 
surrounds the painting. This border is in itself one of the most elaborate works of 
art in the Capitol. 

Beneath the painting, and detached from it, the artist has given a view of "The 
Golden Gate," the entrance to the harbor of San Francisco. 

On the right of the picture is a portrait of Daniel Boone, below which are the lines : 

"The Spirit grows with its allotted spaces; 
The mind is narrowed in a narrow sphere." 

On the left of the painting is a portrait of Captain William Clark, and the lines : 

" No pent-up TJtica contracts our powers ; 
But the whole boundless continent is ours." 

Leutze was paid by Congress the sum of $20,000 for this magnificent work. 



THE UNITED STATES OBSERVATORY. 

The United States Observatory is located at Washington, and is situated upon an 
elevated site, southwest of the President's house. It is near the Georgetown line, and 
commands a fine view of the city and the Potomac river as far down as Fort Wash- 
ington and Mount Vernon. It is in charge of a corps of officers of the United States 
Navy, being a branch of the Navy Department. The officers in charge are selected 
for their scientific knowledge and skill, the duties required of them being of the most 
difficult and intricate nature. The institution holds a high rank among the observ" 
atories of the world. It is said that it is excelled in completeness and excellence only 
by tliat of Russia. Besides discharging the usual astronomical duties of such an 
establishment, the officers of the Observatory are the ke^ers of all the nautical books» 
maps, charts and instruments belonging to the navy. 

Principal among these are the chronometers belonging to the Government, which 
are kept in a room set apart for that purpose. These instruments are purchased by the 
Navy Department witli the understanding that they are to be tested in the Observatory 
for one year. They are placed in the chronometer room and are carefully wound and 
regulated. Each day they are examined and are compared with the great Astronom- 
ical Clock of the Observatory, and an accurate record of the movements of each one is 
kept in a book prepared for that purpose. The temperature of the room is examined 
daily and recorded. These minute records enable the officers of the Observatory to point 
out the exact fault of each imperfect clironometer. Thanks to this system, the maker 
of the instrument is enabled to remedy the defect, and to render it perfect. At the end 
of the year the instruments found to be un.«atisfactory are returned to their makers, and 
those which pass the test are paid for. The returned instruments are usually over- 



THE UNITED STATES OBSERVATORY. 1179 

hauled by the makers, and the defects remedied. Thev are then sent back for another 
.Year's trial, and rarely fall to pass the test at the end of this time. There are usually 
tr,nii sixty to one hundred chronometers on trial at the Observatory, and the apart- 
ment in which they are kept is one of the most interesting in the establishment. 

The researches connected with the famous " Wind and Current Charts," begun and 
prosecuted so successfully by the late Lieutenant Matthew F. Maury, whose services 
were unfortunately lost to the country by his participation in the rebellion, are con- 
ducted here, as are those relating to "The Habits of the Whale," and other ocean 
plienomena. 

The Equatorial, which is the largest telescope in the Observatory, is mounted in the 
revolving dome which rises above the main building. It has a fourteen feet refractor, 
and an object glass nine inches in diameter. Its movements are most ingenious, 
being regulated by machinery and clock work. Its powers are so great that it renders 
Ktars visible at midday ; and, if directed to a given star in the morning, its machinery 
will work so accurately that it will follow with perfect exactness the path of the star 
which will be visible through it as long as the star is above the horizon. 

The Meridian and Mural Circles are in one of the rooms below. 

The Transit instrument is placed in the west wing of the building, under a slit 
twenty inches wide, extending across the room and down the wall of the apartment on 
each side, to within four or five feet of the floor. It was made by Ertel & Son, of 
Munich, and is a seven foot achromatic, with a clear aperture of 5.3 inches. The 
mounting consists of two granite piers, seven feet high, each formed of a solid block of 
that stone, let down below the floor, and imbedded in a stone foundation eight feet 
deep, and completely isolated from the building. Midway between the piers, and 
running north and south, is the artificial horizon, composed of a slab of granite ten feet 
long, nineteen inches deep, and thirteen inches broad ; it rests on the foundation, and 
is isolated from the floor, with the level of which the top of it is even, with a space all 
around it of half an inch ; in the middle of this slab, and in the nadir of the telescope, 
there is a mortise, nine inches square and ten inches deep, in which the artificial hori- 
zon is placed to protect it from the wind during the adjustment for collimation, or 
the determination of the error of collimation of level, and the adjustment for stellar 
focus, verticality of wires, and the other uses of the collimating eye-piece. 

The great Astronomical Clock, or " Electro-Chronograph," is placed in the same 
room with the Transit Instrument, and is used in connection with it to denote sidereal 
time. It was invented by Professor John Locke, of Cincinnati, and is one of the most 
remarkable instruments in the world. By means of an electrical battery in the build- 
ing, the movements of this clock can be repeated by telegraph in any city or town 
in the land to which the wires extend. With the wires properly connected with it 
its ticks may be heard in any part of the country, and it will record the time so accu- 
rately that an astronomer in Portland or New Orleans can tell with exactness the true 
time of day by this clock. 

The clock also regulates the time for the city. There is a flagstaff" on top of the 
dome, upon which a large black ball is hoisted at ten minutes before noon every day. 
This is to warn persons desiring to know the exact time to examine their watches and 
clocks. Just as the hands of the great clock point the hour of twelve the ball drops, 
and the city is thus informed that it is high noon. 

The Observatory is open to visitors every day between the hours of 9 A. m. and 
3 p. M. ; and an accomplished and genial oflScer is in readiness to explain the mysteries 
of the establishment. 



1180 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

THE BIG TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 

The " Big Trees " of California are among the most remarkable specimens of 
gigantic vegetable growth in existence. They are situated in Calaveras and Mariposa 
counties, on the sides of the Sierra Nevada, at a height of 4500 feet above the level of 
the sea. They were unknown to the whites until 1852, but are now among the besi 
known and most constantly visited natural curiosities of the State. For fully twenty 
miles before reaching "The Grove," as the forest containing the " Big Trees" of Cala- 
veras is called, the size of the timber begins to increase, and grows larger at every 
mile until it attains its maximum size in the " Big Trees." 

" The Grove " of Calaveras county covers a space of about 50 acres, and contains 
about 92 of the big trees. Another grove in Mariposa county contains 134 trees ovci- 
15 feet in diameter. These giant trees stand sometimes in groups, and sometimes 
singly and apart. Some are low and stumpy, but others rear their heads to such a 
height that they appear to touch the clouds. This vast height has tlie effect of dwarf- 
ing the immense proportions of the trees, and it is not until one examines them more 
closely that their gigantic size is seen. The Calaveras Grove contains the largest 
specimens, and we shall confine our description to these. A comfortable hotel hiis 
been erected in the Grove for the accommodation of tourists. 

Near to the hotel is one of the largest of the trees, which lies prone upon the ground. 
The stump has been trimmed away, and is covered over with a handsome summer- 
house, and fitted up as a pavillion for dancing. On a Fourth of July occasion a 
cotillon party of thirty-two persons danced upon the stump, and had abundant room 
for the musicans and a dozen spectators. The stump has a surface 25 feet in diameter. 
While standing, the bark, which was 18 inches thick, added 3 feet more to this, making 
the total diameter of the tree in a state of nature 28 feet. It was 302 feet in height, 
and 96 feet in circumference three feet from the ground. The tree was cut down, and 
five men were twenty days in felling it. The work was done witli long augurs, boring 
it off little by little ; but when entirely severed, such was the perfect plumb of trunk 
and branches, that, to the amazement of the spectators, the tree merely settled down, 
and still stood, as if refusing, conscious of its majesty, to bow to human endeavon . 
Vast wedges were then inserted on the northern side, and driven little by little, till, 
heaved beyond the line of gravity, the mighty tree came crashing to the ground. Sec- 
tions of the tree and bark were sent to the Eastern States and to Europe to convince tho 
world of the truth of the reports concerning the trees. 

The largest of all the trees is called " The Father of the Forest." It lies upon the 
ground, and evidently fell many years before the Grove was discovered. It is 110 feet 
in circumference at its base, and the distance from this point to the first branch is 200 
feet. The tree is hollow for this distance, and through this hollow part a tall man can 
easily walk erect. The tree, when standing, was at least 420 feet high, and may have 
been higher. The largest of the trees now standing is "The Mother of the Forest," sn 
called from two round protuberances on one side. The bark has been removed for a 
height of 116 feet, but without it the tree is 84 feet in circumference at its base. 
Twenty feet from the base its circumference is 69 feet, from which point it decreast s 
with elegant regularity to the height of 321 feet. It is the most regrilarly proportioned 
of all the large trees. For this reason its immense size is seldom appreciated at the 
first view. It is not until one has examined it closely and viewed it from different 
points that its grandeur is properly appreciated. The bark was from ten to twenty- 
four inches thick, bulging outwardly in a succession of ellipsoids around the trunk. 
" Ten feet from the base," says a visitor^ " this tree would ' square ' twenty feet, to use 




"BIC IKLLs, MAKIIObA AND CALVERAS GROVES, CALIFORNIA. 

(First tree, 350 feet high and 28 feet in diameter; Second tree 386 feet high and 31 feet in 

diameter.) 



THE BIG TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 118^> 

a sawyer's phrase ; and taking this with a length of 320 feet, gradual decline, a prac- 
tical lumberman of our party estimates that it must contain at least five hundred and 
twenty thousand feet of sound inch lumber ! This seems incredible, but the rules of 
mensuration show it beyond a doubt." 

The " Husband and Wife " are the names given to two immense trees of younger 
growth, each 60 feet around the base and 250 feet in height. They grow very near 
and bend lovingly to each other, their upper branches meeting in a dense mass of 
foliage. 

The " Burnt Tree " is another of the fallen monarchs of the forest. Its fall was pro- 
duced by natural caut^cs. It measures over 39 feet in diameter across the roots, and 
is believed to luive been over 300 feet high. It is hollow, and one can ride into 
it on horsebacii for a distance of 60 feet. Another tree, known as " The Horseback 
Ride," is hollow its entire length. The narrowest part of the interior is twelve feet wide. 
One of the stumps is hollow, and will comfortably seat twenty-five persons. It is called 
" Uncle Tom's Cabin." Three magnificent trees, known as the " Tiiree Sisters," stand 
side by side in graceful amplitude, each 20 feet thick and 200 feet high, of exact pro- 
portions and equidistant from base to crown. 

The trees are mammoth redwoods, and are placed by botanists among the class 
known as Sequoia gigantea. They belong to the Tazodium genus, and, like all of this 
race, are but little subject to decay. The fallen trunks, which are believed to have 
lain prostrate for many hundred years, fully prove this. The great lieight at which 
they stand above the sea level, the dry, balmy air, and the summer droughts and 
winter snows, with but light rains in the spring and autumn, expose them to but a slight 
risk of decay, and exempt them from the causes of death to which the timber of the 
lowlands is exposed. 

The age of the trees is very great, and sets our mere human periods at naught. It 
requires twenty years for the trees of this genus to increase one inch in diameter, and 
forty years for the bark to gain the thickness of a knife blade. By these evidences, 
and those afforded by the number of annular rings, it is made clear that the largest of 
these standing trees must be at least three thousand years old. The fallen ones are 
probably a thousand years older. 

" When our forefathers landed on Plymouth Eock (he largest of these had long 
attained its growth, and was hardening into solid maturity. For how many centinits 
did the Indian contend with the grizzly bear and mountain lion tlirough these shades, 
before the pale-face came to gaze with the enlightened wonder of a superior race? Could 
these whispering boughs but drop intelligible words, what of primeval history might 
they not tell— of combats of savage beasts, or equally savage men? When Magna 
Charta was signed, these giants were already of size sufficient to have astonislicd all the 
barons at Runnymede, familiar as they doubtless were with the great oaks of Boscobel 
and Epping Forest. When Rome yielded to the Goth, the ' Father of the Forest,' 
grown old and decrepit, was tottering to his fall. When Rome was founded, the ' Burnt 
Tree ' was still a vigorous sapling, rearing his head two hundred feet upon a body of 
ten feet diameter, and when the Saviour bowed his head on Calvary, we may well 
believe that here a mighty forest groaned and shuddered in the tliroes of universal 
nature. Nay, when Solomon sent to Lebanon for cedars, and Iliram rafted him 
curious woods from Tyre, had navigation so far extended he miglit here have foimd 
solid redwoods of size sufficient for the heaviest beams of the House of God. When 
Homer sung of Troy, this Grove was already a wonder ; and when Horace delighted 
himself in the Sabine woods, here were trunks to put to shame the largest oaks of the 
Apennines." 



1184 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 



THE HOOSAC TUNNEL. 

The great Hoosac Tunnel, which, after so many yeara of labor, was completed in 
1874, is one of the noblest monuments of engineering skill and work in the world. 

For half a century the four great Atlantic cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, 
and Baltimore have been engaged in a vigorous rivalry to secure the trade of the 
great West. The rivalry between New York and Boston has been the most marked 
and zealously prosecuted. The effort of the former city to reach the West wa.s com- 
paratively easy, as its natural route lay along the valley of the Hudson, but from tlie 
tirst the question how Boston should reach the upper Hudson on an equality with 
New York has constituted one of the most difficult problems that has been offered to 
the fertile genius of New England for solution. 

Riglit across the western part of the State of Massachusetts stretches the Hoosac 
Mountain, a spur of the Green Mountain range, forming a natural barrier between New 
England and New York, cutting off the former from the direct route to the West, and 
forcing it to seek an outlet by the valley of the Hudson. The problem for New 
England has been how to overcome this barrier to her communication with the West. 
There seemed but one way to accomplish this, and that was to tunnel the mountain. 
In 1825 it was proposed to tunnel it for the passage of a canal from Boston to the 
Hudson river, and the project was discussed for many years without any conclusion 
being reached. In the meantime the Boston & Albany Railway was constructed 
over the mountain in 1841, and the tunnel project was abandoned. The new railway 
thus enjoyed a monopoly of the trade between New England and the West, and in the 
natural order of things, the necessity for a competing line was soon felt. 

In 1845 the Fitchburg Railway, from Boston to the northern part of the State of 
Massachusetts, was built to Fitchburg, and soon afterwards the Vermont & Massa- 
chusetts Railway, a continuation of the Fitchburg line, was built to Greenfield. In 1848 
the Troy & Greenfield Railway was chartered, with authority to build a road from 
the terminus of the Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad at Greenfield, through the 
valleys of the Deerfield and Hoosac rivers, to the State line, where it should unite with 
a railway leading to Troy. This charter revived the project of tunnelling the Hoosac 
Mountain, the tunnel to be for the railway this time, and not as formerly for a canal. 

It was found that the only part of the mountain that could be tunnelled was in the 
northern part of the State, near the town of Adams. The top of the mountain at the 
point selected for the tunnel is 2500 feet above tidewater. The mountain is approached 
on the east by the deep and well-marked valley of the Deerfield, a tributary of the 
Connecticut river, and on the west by the Hoosac, a tributary of the Hudson. The 
mountain consists mainly of a mass of mica slate, with occasional veins of quartz, 
except on the western side, where a secondary formation overlaps the primary. The 
rock in some places is scarcely to be distinguished from granite, and is much harder. 
Except where the quartz seams occur the work of drilling the rock is companitively 
easy, but it is difficult to remove by blasting. The project of tunnelling the mountain 
Iiaving been thus revived, it was the general desire that it should be pushed through 
to* completion, without delay. The act of incorporation of the Troy & Greenfield 
road requii-ed the road to be built within seven years; and in 1854 the Legislature 
authorized the loan of the credit of the State to the Troy & Greenfield Company to the 
amount of $2,000,000 for the purpose of constructing the tunnel through the Hoosac 
Mountain. In 1855 authority was given by the Legislature to certain towns on the 
line of the road to take stock in the tunnel to a certain fixed amount. In spite of the 



THE HOOSAC TUNNEL. nsr, 

great desire for the tunnel, and the belief that it could be built, capital held aloof from 
It, and the early years of the enterprise were full of difficulties and failures. In 1855 
a contract was made with W. E. Serrel & Co. of Philadelphia, to build the tunnel and 
road for $3,500,000, the contractors to take $440,000 of the stock of the company. 
This agreement resulted in failure, and a second contract was made with the same 
parties in January, 1856. The State was a.sked to subscribe $150,000 to the stock, but 
refused, and the company was not able to raise the necessary funds, so the Serrel 
contract was abandoned. 

In July, 1856, tlie company entered into a contract with Herman Haupt & Co., by 
which the latter agreed to build the road and tunnel for $3,880,000. The company 
was again unable to raise the necessary sum, and this contract failed. The difficulty 
of attracting capital was so great that in 1857 the Legislature modified in a very great 
degree the conditions of the assistance of the State, but the bill for this purpose was 
vetoed by the Governor. 

By this time— the latter part of the spring of 1857— the tunnel had been pierced for 
a distance of 621 feet from the western end, of which 274 feet had been excavated 
full size; and 185 feet from the eastern end; making the whole distance pierced 
806 feet. 

In February, 1858, a new contract was made with Haupt & Co. to finish the tunnel 
for $4,000,000, and it was stipulated that the $2,000,000 of bonds to be issued by the 
State should be used exclusively for the work on the tunnel. The work was now 
resumed with vigor, and by September, 1858, the mountain had been pierced for a 
distance of 1291 feet. Shortly after this the company obtained a modification of tin.- 
Loan Act, and the work was prosecuted up to July, 1861. By this time the advances 
of the State amounted to $778,695. About the same time the State Engineer refused 
to approve the work of the contractors, or to certify their bills. Operations were at 
once suspended in consequence of this refusal, and the enterprise was abandoned by 
the Troy & Greenfield Company, 

The project had taken too deep a hold upon the people of the State to be allowed to 
fail at this stage, and in 1862 the State assumed the entire control of the enterprise, 
and resolved to complete it at its own expense. Three Commissioners were therefore 
appointed, and were placed in charge of the affiiirs of the tunnel. 

Up to this time a great deal of work had been done on the turmel at both approaches 
to the mountain. The east end heading had been driven nearly 2400 feet, 2130 being 
of the full size prescribed by the State ; a shaft, located 3000 feet from the west end, 
had been sunk 325 feet to grade, while the west end had been excavated 610 feet. 
Serious defects were found to exist in the tunnel as constructed. It had been planned 
to be only fourteen feet wide, with a total height of eighteen feet, while the western 
shaft was found to be ten feet north of a .straight line between the two portals. 

The Commissioners recommended that the work should be done over upon an 
entirely different plan ; that the tunnel should be twenty-two feet wide at the grade 
line, twenty-four feet at the widest point, twenty-one feet high above the track, with a 
circular roof. They estimated the cost of completing the tunnel, including inti rest 
and the advances already made by the State, at $5,719,930. A bill was passed by the 
Legislature appropriating $3,800,000 to the work. 

In October, 1863, over two years after the abandonment of the enterprise by Haupi 
& Co., work was resumed on the tunnel under the direction of the State Commissioners. 
An entirely new line was now established, following the axis between the centre of the 
western shaft and the centre of the work at the east end, bringing the line out eighteen 
feet north of the old western portal. At the east end the old bore was used and 



1186 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

enlarged, but at the west end an entirely new bore was begun. It was resolved to sink 
but a single shaft — a central one — and the position of this was selected. Work was 
begun on it in December, 1863. The work was prosecuted under the direction of the 
Commissioners until 1868, when the State, after much public discussion, determined to 
have the tunnel completed on contract. At this period the eastern heading had been 
driven 5282 feet, and 4056 feet in various stages of advancement had been cut from 
the western end eastward. The central shaft had been sunk 583 feet. There 
remained 15,693 feet of tunnel and 457 feet of the central shaft to be excavated. 

In December, 1868, the contract was awarded to Walter and Francis Shanly, of 
(.' inada, for $4,623,069, and it was stipulated that the work should be completed by 
March, 1874. The tunnel was to be 24 feet wide and 24 feet high in the clear ; while 
wliere arching was required it was to be 26 feet wide in the clear and 21.} feet high 
above the rails. Under this contract the work was pushed forward with vigor and 
success by day and night. On November 27th, 1873 — Thanksgiving Day — the work- 
men advancing from both ends met, and light was admitted through the entire tunnel. 
The work was completed in 1874, within a short period of the stipulated time, and was 
turned over to the State by the contractors. 

The whole tunnel is 25,031 feet, or four and three-quarter miles long. It is 26 feet 
wide, with a varying height of from 23 to 26 feet wherever brick arch is used. Where 
the excavation is through solid rock the section is reduced to 24 feet wide by 20 feet 
high. The tunnel has a capacity for a double track. The open space cut of the new 
tunnel at the west end extends into a portion of the old Ilaupt tunnel, which strikes it 
diagonally. It is probable that the old tunnel will be used as a culvert to carry off 
the water from the west end. 

The grade of the tunnel is 26 feet to the mile for nearly the whole distance, rising 
from each portal towards the central shaft, and leaving a short length of level imme- 
diately under the shaft. The height of the interior summit over the portals will be 
something over 60 feet. The dip in the grade each way from the centre was made to 
secure good drainage. 

The grade in the tunnel necessitated some very difficult work in carrying the eleva- 
tions. The main difficulty of the engineers was to establish the three tunnel points of 
the east and west ends and the foot of the central shaft in proper relations to each 
other. To accomplish this the engineers carefully went over the mountain with their 
levelling instruments, and determined the relative positions of the portals and the 
depth of the shaft which should be sunk to reach the proper grade at its bottom in the 
tunnel. 

The tunnel has two shafts. One of these is near the western end and is but 318 feet 
deep. The other, the central shaft, is nearly in the middle of the tunnel. It is 
elliptical in shape, 27 feet long by 15 feet wide, and is sunk to a depth of 1028 feet. 
The western shaft is to be closed up, if it has not already been, in order to increase 
the draught of the central shaft. 

The central shaft was sunk for two purposes : first to secure two facings, one to the 
east and the other to the west, from which the work on the tunnel could be driven to 
meet the work advancing from the eastern and western ends, and thus greatly expe- 
dited ; and secondly to aflbrd proper ventilation to the ttmnel. It is a matter of great 
doubt whether the tunnel, constructed, as it is, with a grade from each end, would 
ventilate itself at all. Since the shaft was completed and connection made with tl)e 
east end, a strong draft is obtained from it, and the tunnel is thus readily cleared of 
smoke and gases. 



THE VALLEY OF YOSEMITE. 1187 

The rails have been laid through the tunnel, and it is now in working order and 
affords direct and uninterrupted communication with the West. 

The total cost of the work, including all the failures, up to January, 1875, has been 
$12,973,822. Tlie State of Massachusetts retains its ownership of the tunnel, and will 
prevent it from being used for the benefit of any railway monopoly and the injury of 
the people. 

The Hoosac Tunnel, as has been said, is one of tiie noblest public works in exist- 
ence. It is surpassed only by the Mt. Cenis Tunnel through the Swiss Alps. The 
latter work was opened on the 17th of September, 1871, and is seven and four-fifths 
miles long. It was completed after fourteen years' labor, at a cost of about $13,000,000. 



THE VALLEY OF YOSEMITE. 

The Valley of Yosemite lies in Mariposa county, California. It is a gigantic cleft 
in the Sierra Nevada, between five and six miles long and nearly two miles wide, and 
is bounded on all sides by walls of yellowish granite from 2000 to 4000 feet in height. 
It is the most sublime valley in the world, and its beauties yearly attract an increasing 
number of visitors. It lies so high up on the side of the Sierras, and is so difl5cult of 
accass, that it is cut off almost entirely from the world around it, and constitutes a 
world of its own. 

The visitor is transported from the last station of the stage in a stout mountain 
wagon to a point within five miles of the valley. From this point to the bed of the 
valley, nearly 3000 feet below, the descent must be made on horseback or on foot. It 
is so precipitous and formidable looking that many persons, despite the assurances of 
the guide, prefer to make the descent on foot. Several comfortable hotels have been 
established in the valley for the entertainment of visitors, and are so located that all 
the prominent points of interest can be easily reached from them. 

The valley is watered by the main fork of the Merced river, which pours down into 
it over lofty crags from its .source, 8000 feet higher up on the Sierras. The sides of 
the valley rise up almost perpendicular to the height of 3000 feet, and are impassable 
save at a few points. The Merced, as it enters, forms one of these places, and the 
rocky outlet of this stream constitutes another. The walls of the valley bear upon 
their sides the record of the geological changes to which they have been subjected, 
and tell of the ancient glaciers and waves that have worn smooth their rocky faces. 
The bed of the valley is thickly strewn with huge boulders, and the central part is 
filled with a forest of pines and firs. 

Above the cliffs which shut in the valley a number of noble and majestic peaks rise 
to a still greater height, varying from 2000 to 4000 feet, and add inexpressibly to the 
grandeur of the scene. From one of these, called " Cloud's Kest," a grand view of the 
entire valley and the surrounding peaks is obtained. Almost every object of interest 
is in sight. To the left is the South or Half Dome. Above it, on the same side, is 
Sentinel Eock, sloping down to Glacier Point. Farther away are the Cathedral 
Rocks and Spires, and beyond them the valley runs off into the mountain side. On 
the right, at the upper end, nearly opposite Cathedral Rocks, rises the bold head of 
El Capitan • lower down is the majestic North Dome sweeping down to Washington 
Column and separated from the Half Dome by Tenaya Cnnon. Back of the North 
Dome lies the Yosemite Fall, while to the left and back of the Half Dome are the 
Gorge of the Merced and Nevada and Vernal Falls. The distant spires of the 
Cathedral Rocks hide the beautiful Bridal Veil Fall. 



1188 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

"To the north," says a writer describing the scene from Cloud's Kest, "over inter- 
vening cafions and gorges, tlie Sierra peaks rose grandly desolate, pale and delicately 
tinted with many tones, warm and cool, against the cloudless vacuum of the sky 
beyond, that by contrast wore a strangely sombre hue. Their shoulders were robed 
with snow and ice, and their flanks were grooved and scarred by glaciers long since 
extinct. Upon the lower levels a sparse growth of evergreens hardly served to cover 
the naked appearance of the landscape, and bald spots showed almost as white as the 
snow beyond. This peculiar appearance of sterility, and meagre, patchy forest growth, 
characterizes all the surrounding country when seen from such a height. Turning 
from the Sierras, that were from 3000 to 5000 feet above our level, we looked down 
6000 feet into the Yosemite, whose peculiar trough-like formation was readily recog- 
nizable, running almost at right angles to the regular trend of the mountains, and 
fully 4000 feet below the average level of the surrounding country. The familiar 
forms of the enclosing walls, and the green groves and meadows of the valley floor 
upon which the Merced sparkled, could be plainly seen, but angles of rock hid each 
waterfall." 

A pleasant excursion is made from the original hotel, across the Merced — a fine 
mountain stream ten feet deep and abounding in trout — to the head or eastei'n end of 
the valley. On the left as the visitor ascends the valley are the "Eoyal Arches," on 
the north side. The granite has fallen in some previous convulsion in such shape as 
to form five gigantic arches, one within the other, half a mile in length, and rising in 
the centre 1500 feet. 

In the npper part of the valley lies Mirror Lake, a pretty mountain tarn of clear 
water, in which, when the day is clear, the whole valley and the surrounding peaks 
are reflected as in a mirror. When the sky is cloudless and the sunlight imobstructed, 
the picture reflected in the lake is dazzlingly brilliant. 

Continuing up the valley one may visit the Cathedral Eocks, two sharp, lofty 
pinnacles, rising like the spires of a Gothic cathedral for a height of 2000 feet. At 
their feet the river crowds so close that the trail is forced to find its way through a 
wilderness of great granite blocks that lie embowered in a forest that has grown up 
since they were hurled from their places on the cliflfs above. Beyond these is the 
exquisite Bridal Veil Fall, which leaps from a rocky height of 900 feet. Its upper 
part sparkles a moment in the sunlight, a solid body ; then sweeps down in a wild 
whirl of spray which breaks into a thousand lighter showers before it reaches the 
ba.sin below. 

There are several other falls by which the Merced flows into the valley. The river 
enters it in two brai c'.ies, which unite in the valley. The smaller branch comes in 
from the northenst, under the shadow of the North Dome and the Cap of Liberty — the 
last a wondrous cone rising directly from the north cliff — 1000 feet of beautiful yellow 
and smooth rock, completely inaccessible. The main branch enters behind the Soutli 
or Half Dome, in two magnificent cataracts called Nevada and Vernal Falls, and a 
series of beautiful rapids and cascades between them. 

A hard climb of over two hours brings the traveller to the foot of the Nevada Falls, 
2000 feet above the level of the valley. This is the most superb fall in the Yosemite. 
The Merced comes rushing down the mountain side in a deep trough from its source 
among the ice peaks, hurrying on in a clear crystal stream, and leaps at a single 
bound 400 feet, and then rushes down into the valley below in a series of rapids 
broken by the rocks, scattering itself at times in clouds of thin .spray, and then 
re-collecting its waters again and pouring them over the rocks in a single stream. 

The Vernal Fall is so called because of the exquisite emerald tints it displays. It 



THE VALLEY OF YOSEMITE. 1189 

was called by the Indians the "Cataract of Diamonds." It is accessible from more 
points than any other fail in the valley, but can be reached onlv on foot. It consist^ 
of one clear fall of 350 feet. The water starts from the cliff in two great rocky flumes 
twenty feet wide and perhaps a foot in depth, but long before reaching the bottom is 
utterly broken into the minutest fragments and rolled into one great airv sheet of foam, 
snow-white and dazzling, bordered apparently by pearl dust, it seems a column ot 
cloud breaking upon the rocks to light surf and stony crystals. A series of stairways^ 
has been constructed to enable visitors to reach the various points from which the fall 
may be viewed to advantage. 

The clififs are so gigantic and majestic that it is impossible to repress a feeling of 
awe while standing in the valley and gazing up to them. The huge peaks or " domes " 
which rise still higher are inexpressibly beautiful. The coloring of the whole scene 
is brilliant and striking, varying from the richest hues to the softest tints. A solemn 
silence broods over the whole valley, save Avhere it is broken by the sighing of the 
wind or the noise of the waterfalls. 

On the north side of the valley the Yosemite Creek flows into it by the beautiful 
Yosemite Falls. The immense wall of the northern cliff gives back, leaving an inlet 
into the mountain, the sides of which, like buttresses, approach each other at a sharp 
angle, and down one side of this inlet pours Yosemite, in summer a mere rill, but in 
the rainy season a fiei-ce, swollen mountain torrent. Then great liquid volumes fall 
from the first height 1600 feet, strike and break to a thousand splintered streams, 
lacing all the second fall fur 400 feet with dazzling lines of foam ; then gather in 
another flume, take another plunge, and rebounding from cliff to cliff in a million 
comminuted streams, roar into the basin below. Large logs from the mountain 
forests plunge a thousand feet without check and splinter to fragments, but .sometimes 
pass entire, and with myriad tumblings are drifted far down the plain. The three 
divisions of the fall measure respectively 1600, 434, and 633 feet, making a total fall 
of 2G67 feet. 

The name of the valley is an Anglicized or corrupted form of the Indian 
A-hom-e-tfe, Avhich means Great Grizzly Bear, supposed to be the title of a chief, ami 
applied generally to a tribe that held possession of the region from the valley to the 
plains on the west. That name, however, was never given to it by the Indians. 
They called it A-walvnee, Mdiich finds its equivalent in the Spanish c:ifiyon or the 
English chasm. The valley was discovered in 1851. The miners and early settlei.- 
on the Mariposa estate were greatly annoyed by the depredations of the thieving 
Indians. A military company was organized to punish the savages, and guided by 
Tenaya, a friendly Indian, this force pursued the astonished redskins into their inner- 
most hiding-place, the now famous Yosemite Valley, which the savages had supposi'd 
was inaccessible to the whites. The pursuers were astounded at the magnificence of 
the scenerv, and their accounts of it upon their return were set down by their com- 
rades as pure exaggeration. Other visitors confirmed the first reports, and the region 
soon attained the celebrity it has since possessed. The valley is now under the 
control of a Commission appointed by the State of California. The Commissioners 
appoint a guardian of the valley, who resides on the spot, and whose duty it is to see 
that the rules for the preservation of the trees and the prevention of wanton deface- 
ment are properly carried out. New roads are being opened into the valley, and the 
luimber of visitors is annually incresising. 

It would be impossible to present to the reader a full description of this wonderful 
valley in an article as brief as this. We have tried to draw the attention to the most 
prominent characteristics and most interesting abjects, and have been obliged to omit 



1190 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

a minute description of the wonderful domes and a score of other objects of beauty 
and grandeur. Indeed, no words can adequately describe such a scene. Even the 
pencil of the greatest artist fails to do it justice. Nature has made this wonderful 
valley her master-work, and it must be seen to be appreciated. 



THE SIGNAL SERVICE. 

One of the best arranged, though one of the most recent, branches of the general 
Government is that section of the War Department known as the Signal Bureau. Tlio 
chief of this bureau has been humorously termed "Old Probabilities," in consequence 
of his daily prognostications of the state of the weatlier for the next twenty-four hours. 
"Old Probabilities" is at present Brigadier-General Albert J. Meyer, one of the most 
thorouglily competent and accomplished officers on duty at Washington. The opera- 
tions of the bureau are conducted under his immediate and constant supervision. He 
is assisted by a corps of trained and well-qualified subordinates, and has brouglit the 
: Signal Service to a state of efficiency and usefulness of which the whole country is 
proud. 

Tlie Signal Service is charged with a double duty. In time of war its members 
accompany the army, and transmit messages from point to point by means of a system 
of fliig telegraphing. In peace their duties consist in observing and transmitting to 
'AVashington accurate reports of the condition of the weather. The Signal Corps is 
< composed of a commanding officer, with the rank of Brigadier-General, several com- 
;missioned officers, and a certain number of sergeants and enlisted men. The sergeants 
.are required to be proficient in spelling, the ground rules of aritlimetic, including 
■ decimal fractions, and the geography of the United States, and must write a legible 
hand. They must pass an examination in these branches before being admitted into 
the service. They are also subjected to a searching medical examination, and only 
men of sound physical condition are accepted. They are regularly enlisted into tlie 
military service of the United States, and are subject to the regulations for the govern- 
ment of the army. 

Immediately upon admission into the corps each sergeant is sent to Fort Whipple, 
in Virginia, opposite Wasliington, where he is taught the duties of his profession, 
which are "chiefly those pertaining to the observation, record, and proper publication 
and report, at such times as may be required, of the state of the barometer, thermom- 
eter, hygrometer, and rain-gauge, or other instruments, and the report by telegraph or 
signal at such times as indicated, and to such places as may be designated by the 
chief signal officer, of the observations as made, or such other information as may be 
required." The text-books used in the school at Fort Whipple are Loomis's "Text- 
Book of Meteorology," Buchan's "Hand-Book of Meteorology," Pope's "Practical 
Telegraphy," and the " Manual of Signals for the United Slates Army." Instruction 
in the use of the instruments is also given, and the sergeant is taught to operate the 
telegraph. He is required to make daily recitations, and when he is considered 
prepared by his instructor, he is ordered before an examining board, and is subjected 
to a rigid examination. If he is found properly qualified, he is assigned to a signal 
station in some part of the country, and is allowed an enlisted man to assist him in his 
duties. 

There are about fifty signal stations located in various parts of the Union, from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from British America to the Gulf of Mexico. Each of 
theseis supplied with a full set of the instruments necessary for ascertaining the con- 



THE SIGNAL SERVICE. 1191 

dltion of the weather, etc., and is in charge of an observer sergeant, who is required to 
make observations three times a day by means of his instruments, which are adjnstt-d 
to a standard at Washington. These observations are made at 8 A. M., at 4 p. m., aiid 
at midniglit. Each post of observation is provided with a clock which is regulated 
by the standard of Washington time, so that the observations are taken precisely at 
the .same moment all over the United States. The result of each observation is imme- 
diately telegraphed to the Signal Office at Washington, the Government having made 
arrangements with the telegraph companies to secure the instant transmission of the^e 
messages. The reports are limited to a fixed number of words, and the time of theii- 
transmission to a fixed number of seconds. The signal stations, as at present located 
throughout the country, "have been cho.sen or located at points from wiiich reports 
of observations will be most useful as indicating the general barometric pressure, or 
the approach and force of storms, and from whicli storm warnings, as tiie atmospheric 
indications arise, may be forwarded with greatest despatch to imperilled port«." 

The work of the observers at the stations is simple. It is limited to a reading of 
their instruments at stated times, the transmission to Washington of the results of 
these observations, and of information of any meteorological facts existing at the 
station when their tri-daily report is telegraphed to Washington. The work of the 
officers on duty at the Signal Office in Washington is of a higher character, and 
demands great skill and perfect accuracy. The reports from tiie various stations are 
read and recorded as they come in, and from them the officer charged with this duty 
prepares a statement of the condition of the weather during the past twenty-four hours, 
and indicates the changes most likely to occur within the next twenty-four hours. 
These statements are prepared shortly after midnight, and are at once telegraphed to 
the various cities and important ports of the Union in time for their publication in the 
newspapers the next morning. 

Professor Maury, of the Signal Office, thus sums up the workings of the service : 
"Each observer ''at the stations writes his report on manifold paper. One copy he 
preserves, another he gives to the telegraph operator, who telegraphs the contents to 
Washington. The preserved copy is a voucher for the report actually sent by the 
observer; and if the operator is careless and makes a mistake, he cannot lay the blame 
on the observer, who has a copy of his report, whi<!h must be a fac simile of the one he 
has handed to the operator. The preserved copy is afterwards forwarded by the 
observer sergeant to the office in Washington, where it is filed, and finally bound up 
in a volume for future reference. 

" When all the reports from the various stations have been received they are tabu- 
lated and handed to the officer whose duty it is to write out the synopses and deduce 
the ' probabilities,' which in a few minutes are to be telegraphed to the press all over 
the country. This is a work of thirty minutes. The bulletin of ' probabilities,' which 
at present is all that is undertaken, is made out thrice daily— in the forenoon, after- 
noon, and after the midniglit reports have been received, inspected, and studied out by 
the accomplished gentleman and able meteorologist who is at the head of tliis work. 
The 'probabilities' of the weather for the ensuing day, so soon as written out by tlic 
professor, are immediately telegraphed to all the newspapers in the country. 

"Copies of the telegrams of 'probabilities' are also instantly sent to all boards of 
trade, chambers of commerce, merchants' exchanges, scientific societies, etc., and to 
conspicuous places, especially seaports, all over the country. 

" While the professor is preparing his bulletins from the report? just furnished him 
by telegraph, the sergeants are preparing maps which shall show by arrows and 
numbers exactly what was the meteorological condition of the whole country when the 



1192 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

last reports were sent in. These maps are printed in quantities and given all the 
"»ignal stations. A dozen copies are laid on the table with sheets of carbon paper 
between them, and arrow stamps strike in them by the manifold process the direction 
of the wind at each station. The other observations, as to temperature, barometric 
pressure, etc., etc., are also in the same way put on them. These maps are displayed 
at various conspicuous points in Washington — e. g., at the War Department, Capitol 
Observatory, Smithsonian Institution, and the office of the chief signal officer. They 
serve also as perfect records of the weather for the day and hour indicated on them, 
and are bound up in a book for future use. 

"Every report and paper that reaches the Signal Office is carefully preserved on 
file, so that at the end of each year the office possesses a complete history of the 
meteorology of every day in the year, or nearly 50,000 observations, besides the count- 
less and continuous records from all of its self-registering instruments. 

" When important storms are moving, observers send extra telegrams, which are 
despatched, received, acted upon, filed, etc., precisely as are the tri-daily reports. One 
invaluable feature of the system as now organized by General Meyer is that the 
phenomena of any particular storm are not studied some days or weeks after the 
occurrence, but while the subject is fresh in mind. To the study of every such stornx, 
and of all the ' probabilities ' issued from the office, the chief signal officer gives his 
pei-sonal and unremitting attention. As the observations are made at so many 
different stations, and forwarded every eight hours, or oftener, by special telegram 
fr»m all quarters of the country, the movements and behavior of every decided storm 
can be precisely noted, and the terrible meteor can be tracked and ' raced down ' in a 
few hours or minutes. A beautiful instance of this occurred on the 22d of February, 
1S71, just after the great storm which had fallen upon San Francisco. While it was 
.still revolving around that city, its probable arrival at Corinne, Utah, was telegraphed 
there, and also at Cheyenne. Thousands of miles from its roar, the officers at the 
Signal Office in Washington indicated its track, velocity, and forcrt In twenty-four 
hours, as they had forewarned Cheyenne and Omaha, it reached those cities. Chicago 
was warned twenty hours or more before it came. Its arrival there was with great 
violence, unroofing houses and causing much destruction. Its course was telegraphed 
to Cleveland and Buffalo, which a day afterward it duly visited. The President of 
the Pacific liailroad has not more perfectly under his eye the train that left San 
Francisco to-day than General Meyer had the storm just described." 

At present the Signal Office aims only to give a synopsis of each day's weather, and 
a statement of what weather may be expected, or will probably occur. The " probabili- 
ties " so far have been generally verified and confirmed. It is not thought wise to 
undertake more than can be securely accomplished. These synopses and " probabili- 
ties" are all that intelligent shippers and careful seamen require. Shippers will not 
send their vessels to sea if the weather synopsis indicates threatening or alarming 
weather. Travellers can consult the " probabilities " before leaving home, and any 
severe storm that menaces any city or port is now specially telegraphed thither, and 
the announcement made by bulletins posted in the most public places. 



THE MOQUI TOWNS. 

In the northern part of Arizona Territory there are a number of singular towns or 
villages of an Indian tribe known as the Moquis. The people of the tribe are sujv 
posed to be the last surviving remnant of the ancient Aztecs, They are simple in their 



THE MOQUI TOWNS. 1193 

habits, correct in their morals, except tliat polygamy is lawful among them, and are 
BOted for their honesty. 

Their towns are located on the summits of the lofty cliffs which rise up perpendicu- 
larly from the beds of the canons of the region a thousand feet or more. A narrow 
footpath, winding in and out upon the crevices and projecting shelves of rock, leads 
up to the settlement, and could be defended by a handful against an army.' The 
Moquis are peaceable, however, and are rarely molested bv the roving tribes.' There 
are seven Moqui towns in all. Three of these stand upon an extensive plateau which 
IS in Itself one of the most remarkable fe.-itures of the country. " It appears to be 
walled in by precipitous mountains, with five or six openings"; but this is only in 
appearance, as a succession of ridged mesas, scattered over the country, appear to the 
traveller at any one point as forming a circle. Around the border, where it rises 
towards the enclosing hills, the plain is rich in bunch and white seed grass; whence 
towards the towns it falls off to a horribly barren plain of dry and burning sand. 
From this plain the mesa rises, oval shaped and equally on every side, to the height 
of 1000 or 1200 feet. This rocky mole of mingled white and red sandstone, with a 
lower stratum of soapstone, is nearly half a mile long and not quite a quarter wide. 
From the edge the cliff falls off perpendicularly, or even with a slight overhang, some 
half way down ; then the foothills begin and slope away in a succession of sandy 
inclines. At one place only, by rock-hewn galleries and "dug and walled ways, can 
horses reach the summit. In two other places persons can descend or ascend by 

toilsome climbing The three or four springs that supply the place break 

out from under the rock about the point where the abrupt cliff joins the foothills, and 
can all be fortified against the approach of an enemy from below. All the provision 
is stored as fast as gathered, in the houses, and thus they seem always ready to sustain 
a long siege. As far as possible up the cliffs, where caves open inward, flats have been 
worked upon the rock, and sheep and goat-pens constructed leading into the caves." 
The three towns on this plateau contain about 1000 inhabitants. 

The houses of these towns are generally square in shape and are simple in design. 
They are constructed of flat stones laid in a fine cement which hardens with time. 
The joists are composed of immense timbers hewn round. The liouses are heavily 
plastered inside, and are whitewashed with a material which gives a hard, smooth 
polish. The}' are easily kept clean, and their occupants take a pride in keeping them 
as neat as possible. The houses are built togetlier in groups, with but narrow passage- 
way's between them. Thus a well-filled town Avill only cover four or five acres. The 
houses are two or three stories in height, each story, except the lowest, being very high. 
The lowest story is rarely more than four or five feet high, and is never occupied in 
the summer time. On this the second story — which is two or three feet narrower all 
around than the first — is built. It is usually ten or twelve feet high. Upon the joists 
of the second story a floor is made by piling willows or long branches two or three feet 
<leep and covering them with dirt. This is overlaid with hard plastering, smoothed 
and polished. This is used as a ceiling for the second story and a floor for the third. 
The third story is never more than half or a third as large as the second, and the walls 
of this rest not upon those of the story below, but upon the immense joists of the 
second story. At the outer corner of the house the stones project so as to form a rude 
stairway from the base to the roof. Almost every house has a ladder resting agaiuBt 
it by which the roof may be reached. 

The people sleep on the roofs of their liouses altogether, and draw up the ladders 
after them at night. The well-to-do Moquis carpet tiieir houses with sheep skins, and 
all u.se .sheep skins to sit on, although the floors are kept scrupulously clean. 



1194 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Tlie dress of the Moqui consists of a very loose jacket and drawers made of calico, 
which they obtain from the traders. The jacket fits close to the neck and flows 
loosely to the hips ; the drawers reach from the waist a little below the knees. The 
feet are protected by heavy sandals. The men frequently appear naked with the 
exception of a cloth worn about the loins. The women wear a dress of a heavy 
woollen fabric of their own manufacture, consisting of a single skirt and a sort of half 
waist, or rather a fold thrown over the shoulders, and leaving one arm and breast bare. 

The Moquis are short and stumpy — the women especially so. They are not a pro- 
lific race, and are rapidly dying out. They are civil and peaceable, and have a 
horror of shedding blood. Their oldest men do not remember any time when they 
were at war. They have a hard struggle for existence, and in spite of their being 
'more civilized than the tribes by which they are surrounded, can scarcely derive q 
living from their dry and barren country. 

They are interesting chiefly as forming a link between the past and present native 
races of America. Scientists are perplexed as to their exact status, and of their historj 
they know nothing themselves. They have no traditions concerning their ancestors^ 
and are said by some travellers to have no religion, though otliers state that they have 
a very clearly defined religious faith. 

One of their customs is very singular, and would seem to have a religious signifi- 
cance. About bedtime the' cliief of the tribe goes to the top of his house and utters a 
loud chant for about five minutes, after which the whole village is .still. At the break 
of day a man with a number of bells attached to his belt runs through the village and 
rouses the inhabitants, who at once turn out. Those whose duty it is proceed to milk 
their goats, while the bellman and a number of the young men descend to the plain 
and go a mile or moi'e towards the east. It is said in explanation of this that they 
kxik for a deliverer from the east, and send an embassy every morning to meet him. 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 

The Yellowstone River is one of the principal tributaries of the Missouri, and rises 
in Yellowstone Lake, in the northwestern corner of Wyoming Territory. Tlie region 
in which it takes its source is about half way between the Mississippi River and the 
Pacific Ocean, and in about the same latitude as the State of New York. Here the 
grand Rocky Mountain system culminates in a knot of peaks and ranges which enclose 
the most remarkable lake basin in the world. On the south of this wonderful basia 
are the Wind River Mountains, a .snow-clad barrier which no white man has ever 
crossed. On the east is the Snowy Mountain Range and the grand cluster of volcanic 
peaks between it and Yellowstone Lake. On the west is the main divide of tlie 
Rocky Mountains. On the north are the bold peaks of the Gallatin Range, and tlie 
parallel ridges which give a northward direction to all the great tributaries of the 
Missouri from this direction. 

The present formation of this region has been so plainly caused by volcanic action 
that it has been looked upon as the remains of a mammoth crater forty miles across. 
It seems, however, to have been rather the focus of a multitude of craters. "It is 
probable," says Professor HayHpii, "that during the pliocene period the entire country 
drained by the sources of the Yellowstone and the Columbia was the scene of volcanic- 
activity as great as that of any other portion of the globe. It might be called one vast 
crater, made np of a thousand smaller volcanic vents and fissures, out of which the 
fluid interior of the earth, fragments of rock and volcanic dust were poured in uniim- 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 1195 

ited quantities. Hundreds of the nuclei or cones of these volcanic vents are now 
remaining, some of them rising to a height of 10,000 to 11,000 feet above the sea. 
Mounts Doane, Lungford, Stevenson, and more than a hundred other peaks may be 
seen from any high point on either side of the basin, each of whicii formed the centre 
of effusion." 

The region was unknown until after the discovery of gold on the Rocky Mountain 
slopes had attracted a venturesome population of miners and trappers to it. The first 
explorers brought back the most wonderful accounts of the Yellowstone country, and 
their reports were so much mingled with what was evidently exaggeration, that what 
truth they told was disbelieved. The first attempt to properly explore tlie region was 
made in 1859 by Colonel Eaynolds of the Engineer Corps. He passed all around the 
Yellowstone basin, but could not penetrate it. In 1869 a small party, under Mr. 
Clarence Cook aiiJ Mr. Folsom, ascended the river to Yellowstone Lake and suc- 
ceeded in exploring the basin. Since then other successful explorations have been 
made, and their reports have made this eighth wonder of the world familiar to tiie 
people of the country. In such a brief article as this the writer can only point out tlie 
more remarkable features of the basin, and must of necessity pass over many which 
would establish the fame of almost any other spot on the globe. 

The route to the Yellowstone basin is from north to south, and commences at Fort 
Ellis, in the southwest corner of Montana. It lies through a country abounding in 
grand mountain scenery, and at Emigrant's J eak, which rises to a height of over 5000 
feet above the Yellowstone valley, enters the wonderful country to which the reader's 
attention is asked. The wagon road terminates at Bottler's Ranch, opposite Emigrant 
Peak, and the remainder of the way must be travelled on iiorst-liack. From this point 
a fine valley leads up the river to the head of the Second Ciifijn of the Yellowstone. 
This is a narrow cliJtsm a mile in length, with walls rising perpendicularly from the 
water's edge for over a thousand feet on each side. Through this cleft in the moun- 
tain the river rushes with great force. 

Ten miles above the head of the Second Canon is the Devil's Slide, a singular 
formation, consisting of two parallel vertical walls of rock fifty feet wide, wliich 
traverse the mountain from base to summit, and project to the height of 300 feet for a 
distance of 1500 feet. The sides are as even as if wrought by line and plumb, and the 
rock is perfectly smooth. 

Ten miles above the Devil's Slide, Gardiner's River, a wild mountain torrent, 
breaks through a deep and gloomy gorge, and enters the Yellow.stone at the lower end 
of the Third Canon. Four miles up the valley of Gardiner's River are the famous 
Hot S[)rings, situated on the slope of a mountain. Tiiere are a luunber of these 
springs, covering an area of about one mile square, and a larger tract three or four 
miles square is covered with a still larger number of springs which have ceased to 
flow. The basins of the springs are generally about four by six feet in .«ize and from 
one to four feet in depth. The water rises in the spring basin and flows down the 
mountain side from one reservoir to another, losing a portion of its heat at each suc- 
cessive fall. The temperature ranges at the spring basin from 12G to 132 degrees 
Fahrenheit. The basins are formed by the natural deposits left by the waters, and are 
of a snowy whiteness which contrasts strikingly with the hues of the surrounding 
rocks. Higher up the moimtain is the largest of the active spring.s, twenty-five feet 
wide by forty feet long. The water liolds in solution a great amount of lime, with 
some soda, alumina, and magnesia. Clouds of steam and hot vapors rise from a deep 
crevice surrounding the main spring, and the boiling and gurgling of the water down 
in its lowermost part can be distinctly heard. Tlie springs arc consLnntly shifting 



1196 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

their positions, new ones forming and old ones dying out. "Around tlit borders of 
these springs," says Professor Hayden, " especially those of rather low temperature, 
and on the sides and bottoms of the numerous little channels of the streams that flow 
from these springs, there is a striking variety of the most vivid colors — various shades 
i)f red, from the brightest scarlet to a bright rose tint ; also yellow, from deep, bright 
sulphur, through all the shades, to light cream color. There are also various shades 
of green from the peculiar vegetation." 

The Third Canon of the Yellowstone is impassable. The trail leads to tlie left of it 
over a lofty, barren plateau, through which the river breaks in a winding canon, 
known as the Third, or Middle Canon, over 2000 feet in depth. Its descent is consid- 
erable through this gorge, and it rushes along in a foaming torrent in some places, but 
lies in others in pools of apparently unfathomable depth. At some points it appears 
from the lofty heights above a mere ribbon of foam, and its heavy roaring as it dashes 
through the gorge seems to the listener above only a subdued murmur. Above the 
head of the Third CaGon a large, fierce mountain stream, known as the Hell Koaring 
River, rushes into the Yellowstone. 

Along the course of the latter river above this point are a number of wonderful 
ravines and cafijiis cut by the streams into the very heart of the mountain. We have 
not space to describe them. The most conspicuous of these is the Cafijn of Tower 
Oeek, which is so deep and gloomy that it is called the •' Devil's Den." About 200 
yards above its entrance into the Yellowstone tlie stream falls 156 feet at a single leap, 
forming one of the most beautiful falls in the country. The rocks around the fall are 
worn into the most fantastic shapes. "One can almost imagine," says Professor 
Hayden, " that the idea of the Gothic style of architecture had been caught from such 
carvings of nature." 

A short distance above the mouth of Tower Creek the Yellow?;tone emerges from 
die Grand Can >n, the mouth of which defile constitutes one of the chief marvels of 
this marvellous region. The Grand Cafijn is twenty miles in length, and extends 
from the mouth of Tower Creek to the foot of the Great Fall. It is impassable 
throughout its entire length, and accessible to the water's edge only at a few points 
and by dint of severe labor. The road leads over the country to the left of the canon, 
by way of Mount Washburn, to the falls of the river. 

"No language," says Professor Hayden, "can do justice to the wonderful beauty and 
grandeur of the Grand Canon." There is nothing like it on the globe. It is from 
1500 to 2500 feet deep, " and from the bed of the river," says Lieutenant Doane, who 
descended to the stream, " the stars could be distinctly seen " at three o'clock on a 
clear afternoon. The sides of the cafljn have been carved by the waiers that have 
flowed through it into fantastic resemblances to massive columns and Gothic pinnacles. 
"The basis material of the old hot-spring deposits in silica, originally as white as 
snow, are now stained by mineral Avaters with every shade of red and yellow, from 
scarlet to rose color, from bright sulphur to the daintiest tint of cream. When the 
light falls favorably on these blended tints, the Grand Canon presents a more enchant- 
ing and bewildering variety of forms and colors than human artist ever conceived." 
The river rushes down the descent of the can-)n with a hoarse roar, but tlie gazer 
peering down from the lofty cliffs can hear nothing. A deep and even painful silence 
fills the whole chasm as he gazes into it. 

A mile above the head of the Grand Canon is the Lower Fall of the Yellowstone. 
The river, 150 feet in width, leaps at a single bound over a smooth rocky precipice 
350 feet in height, and rushes down to the Grand Canon, a mile below, in which it 
disappears. The fall is superb. Half a mile above is the Upper Fall, the river 





'"iilMI^* 




NEAR VIEW OF YOSEMITE FALLS. 



THE GREAT GEYSER OF THE FIRE-HOLE 
BASIN. 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 1199 

between the two flowing through a canon from 200 to 400 feet deep. The Upper Fall 
is 140 feet in height, and the precipice over which the stream plunges in a sheet of 
snow-white foam is perpendicular like that of the Lower Fall. 

Above the Upper Fall the Yellowstone flows through a peaceful and grassy 
meadow-like valley. A mile or two above the falls a small stream known as Alum 
Creek flows into the Yellowstone. It rises in a group of alum and sulphur springs 
about ten miles above the falls. These springs are boiling actively, and emit clouds 
of steam and vapor. Steaming vapor also rushes from the crevices in the surface of 
the surrounding country, and deposits of pure crystallized sulphur are scattered about 
near them. The crust of the ground is treacherous in the vicinity of the springs, and 
a man's weight may easily break through it in some places. Professor Hayden thinks 
these springs and steam vents the remains of a series of once powerful but now slowly 
dying geysers. 

A couple of miles above these springs, near the banks of the Y'^ellowstone, is a not 
less remarkable group of sulphur and mud springs, and the country around them for 
some distance bears witness to having been covered with similar springs long since 
extinct. " The contents of most of them," says Mr. Langford, " were of the consistency 
of thick paint, which they greatly resembled, some being yellow, others pink, and 

others dark brown. This semifluid was boiling at a fearful rate The 

bubbles, often two feet in height, would explode with a pufi', emitting each time a 
villanous smell of sulphuretted vapor.' 

Not far from this <;roup of springs is the Muddy Geyser, which has a funnel-shaped 
orifice in the midst of a basin 150 feet in diameter, with sloping sides of clay and 
sand. The crater or orifice is about thirty feet in diameter. The flow of this geyser 
is regular every six hours. The water rises gradually, commencing to boil when 
about half way to the surface, and occasionally breaking forth in great violence. 
When the crater is filled it is expelled from it in a splashing, scattered mass, ten or 
fifteen feet in thickness, to a height of forty feet. 

At the distance of a mile, perhaps, from the Muddy Geyser is the " Mud Volcano." 
It is situated in the midst of a grove of pines on the slope of a small lull. At irregu- 
lar intervals it discharges through a crater thirty feet in diameter dense volumes of 
Bteam, with a loud, thundering report. " The reports," says Mr. Langford, " though 
irreo-uhir, occurred as often as every five seconds, and could be distinctly heard half a 
mile. Each alternate report shook the ground a distance of 200 yards or more, and 
the massive jets of vapor which accompanied them burst forth like the smoke of 
burning gunpowder." Discharges of mud are mingled with the steam, and are scat- 
tered for as nmch as 200 feet around the opening. Professor Hayden considers this 
the most important mud spring yet discovered in the West. The steam rising from it 
can be seen for many miles in every direction. 

A few miles further up is Yellowstone Lake. The river leaves it in a clmnnel a 
quarter of a mile wide, and is here a calm, deep stream. The lake itself is irregular 
in form, and is over twenty miles long and fifteen miles broad. It covers a superficial 
area of about 300 square miles. Its greatest depth is 300 feet, and its elevation above 
the sea 7427 feet. In its lofty position it has but one rival— Lake Titicaca in South 
America. It has no tributaries of any considerable size, and receives its clear, cold 
waters solely from the snows of the lofty mountain ranges that hem it in on every 
side. Its shores are paved with volcanic rocks, sometimes in ma-sses, sometimes broken 
and worn into pebbles of trachyte, obsidian, chalcedony, cornelians, agsites, and bits of 
agatized wood ; and again, ground to obsidian sand .ind sprinkled with crystals of 
California diamonds. Vegetation is abundant both in and around the lake. The 



1200 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

waters swarm with trout, but no other fish of any kuid exirtt in them. Water-fowl of 
various kinds are found about the lake in groat numbers. The surrounding country is 
rich in game, from the muskrat to the elk, the grizzly bear, and the California lion. 

The beauty of the lake has aroused the enthusiasm of all who have seen it. Even 
the cautious Hayden declares that "such a vision is worth a lifetime, and otily one of 
sucii marvellous beauty will ever greet Imman eyes." " It is a fitting climax to all 
the wonders we had seen," says Mr. Langford, "and we gazed upon it for liours, 
entranced with its increasing attractions." 

Hot springs strongly impregnated with mineral deposits are .scattered around the 
lake on all sides. Some of these are large and important, but we have not the space 
to describe them liere. 

The eastern rim of the Yellowstone basin is formed by one of the grandest volcanic 
ranges in the world. The general level of the summits of these mountains is about 
10,000 feet above the sea, wliile numerous peaks thrust their heads a thousand feet 
higher still. The three highest bear the names of Langford, Doane, and Stephenson, 
after the first explorers who ascended them. 

Between the lake and this group of mountains is Brimstone Basin. The ground for 
several miles around is impregnated with sulphur and the air is tainted with sul- 
phurous exhalations. The s{)rings which occur in this tract are of the ordinary 
temperature, though the basin was evidently the scene of thermal activity within a 
comparatively recent period. 

The upper Yellowstone rises in the high volcanic range wl»ich shuts oflFthe Yellow- 
stone basin from the Wind River drainage, and constitutes the great water-shed of the 
continent. It flows north into Yellowstone Lake. 

About eight or ten miles south of Yellowstone Lake is a smaller body of water 
called Heart Lake, which is one of the sources of Snake River. Ten miles northwest 
of this is Madison Lake, the source of Madison River. 

The main fork of the Madison River, from the lake to its junction with the South 
Fork, is known as the Firehole River. About ten miles below the lake it flows 
through a deep canon, and as it emerges from this it falls over two ledges of rock, one 
twenty and the other fifty feet in height. A short distance below these fiills the canon 
widens, and both banks of the river are lined with a considerable number of hot 
springs in active operation. Two miles below the stream enters the Upj)er Geyser 
basin, the most wonderful portion of this whole region. It is an open, rolling valley, 
two miles wide and three miles long, the mountains on either side rising 1500 feet 
above the valley, with steep, heavily-timbered ledges of dark rock. 

Scattered through this valley are a large runnber of powerful geysers. The principal 
of these are known as "Old Faithful," "The Beehive," "The Giantess," "Castle 
Geyser," "The Grand Geyser," "The Saw Mill," "The Giant," "The Grotto," "The 
Riverside," " The Fan Geyser," and " The Sentinels." These are all among the most 
powerful spouting springs in the world, sending up, when in action, vast columns of 
water fiom 50 to over 200 feet, and emitting dense clouds of steam. The exact 
number of geysers is not known. There are about 1500 hot springs in the upper 
basin, many of which Professor Hayden thinks may be geysers whose periods of 
activity have never been observed. " We could not distinguish," says Lieutenant 
Doane, " the geysers from the other hot springs, except by seeing them play, and 
doubtless there are many besides in the valley of great size, which we saw when quiet 

and chv-ssed as boiling springs Taken as an aggregate, the Firehole basin 

8urpa.sseH all the other great wonders of the continent. It produces an effect on the 
mind of the beholder utterly staggering and overpowering. During the night we 




CUATEK OF UIANT <i l.^i .^l.l;. 




THE KAN OEYSEK. 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 1203 

were several times awakened by the rush of steam and the hissing of the waters, as 
the restless geysers spouted forth in the darkness. A constant rumbling, as of 
machinery in labor, filled the air, which was damp and warm throughout the night." 

It will not be possible to describe each one of these marvels in detail ; so we shall 
content ourselves with quoting the description of the "Grand Geyser," given by 
Lieutenant Doane : 

" Opposite camp, on the other side of the river, is a high ledge of stalagmite, sloping 
from the base of the mountain down to the river. Numerous small knolls are scat- 
tered over its surface. The craters of the boiling springs are from fifteen to twenty- 
five feet in diameter ; some of these throw water to the Iieight of three or four feet. 
On the summit of this bank of rock is the grand geyser of the world — a well in the 
strata twenty by twenty-five feet in diametric measurements (the perceptible elevation 
of the rim being but a few inches), and when quiet having a visible depth of 100 feet. 
The edge of the basin is bounded by a heavy fringe of rock, and stalagmite in solid 
layers is deposited by the overflowing waters. Wiien an eruption is about to occur the 
basin gradually fills with boiling water to within a few feet of the surface, then 
suddenly, with heavy concussions, immense clouds of steam rise to the height of 500 
feet, and the whole great body of water, twenty by twenty-five feet, ascends in one 
gigantic column to the height of ninety feet. From the apex of this column five great 
jets shoot up, radiating slightly from each other, to the unparalleled altitude of 250 
feet from the ground. The earth trembles under the descending deluge from this vast 
fountain ; a thousand hissing sounds are heard in the air ; rainbows encircle tlie sum- 
mits of the jets with a halo of celestial glory. The falling water plows up and bears 
away the shelly strata, and a seething flood pours down the slope and into the river. 
It is the grandest, the most majestic, and most terrible fountain in the world. After 
playing thus for twenty minutes it gradually subsides, the water lowers into the crater 
out of sight, the steam ceases to escape, and all is quiet. This grand geyser played 
three times in the afternoon, but appears to be irregular in its periods, as we did not 
see it in eruption again while in the valley. Its waters are of a deep ultramarine 
color, clear and beautiful. The waving to and fro of the gigantic fountain, in a bright 
sunlight, when its jets are at their highest, affords a spectacle of wonder of which any 
description can give but a feeble idea." 

Below the Upper Geyser basin the river flows for two or three miles through a 
region entirely free from hot springs, but which was once the scene of great thermal 
activity, and then enters the Lower Geyser basin, which covers an area of about thirty 
square miles. This valley is filled with hundreds of hot springs, many of them 
powerful geysers. Over a thousand steam jets may be seen rising in the air from any 
commanding point of view. "I can compare the view," says Professor Hayden, "to 
nothing but that of some manufacturing city like Pittsburgh, as seen from a high 
point, except that instead of the black coal .smoke there are here the white, delicate 
clouds of steam." 

Such is a brief and imperfect account of the Yellowstone region and its wonders. 
The most complete report published concerning it is that of Professor Ilaydcn, the 
chief of the Geological Survey of 1870. As soon as this was published eflorts were 
made to induce the General Government to set aside a portion of the Yellowstone 
region for the undivided benefit, enjoyment, and instruction of the country at large. 
(Congress readily acceded to this demand, and passed a bill, which was approved by 
the President on the 1st of March, 1872, setting apart the region embracing the 
Yellowstone from the head-waters of the upper river to the Second Canon, and the 
geyser basins, as a National Park. The bill states the boundaries of this park aa 



1204 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

follows: "Commencing at the junction of Gardiner's Kiver with the Yellowstone 
River, and running east to the meridi.an passing ten miles to the eastward of the most 
eastern point of Yellowstone Lake; thence southward along said meridian to the 
parallel of latitude passing ten miles south of the most southern point of Yellowstone 
Lake ; thence west along said parallel to the meridian passing fifteen miles west of the 
most western point of Madison Lake ; thence north along said meridian to the latitude 
of the junction of the Yellowstone and Gardiner's River; thence east to the place of 
beginning," 

The law declares that this tract is " reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occu- 
pancy, or sale under the laws of the United States, and dedicated and set apart as a 
public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people ; and all 
persons who shall locate or settle upon or occupy the same, or any part thereof, except 
as hereinafter provided, shall be considered trespassers and removed therefrom." 

It is further provided that "said public park shall be under the exclusive control 
of the Secretary of the Interior, whose duty it shall be, as soon as practicable, to make 
and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary or proper for the 
care and management of the same. Such regulations shall provide for the preserva- 
tion from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities or 
wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition. The 
Secretary may, in his discretion, grant leases for building purposes for terms not 
exceeding ten years, of small parcels of ground, at such places in said park as shall 
require the erection of buildings for the accommodation of visitors ; all of the proceeds 
of said leases, and all other revenues that may be derived from any source connected 
with said park, to be expended under his direction in the management of the same 
and the construction of roads and bridle-paths therein." He is also authorized to take 
measures to prevent the wanton destruction of the game and fish found within the 
park, and to prevent their capture and destruction for purposes of merchandise or 
profit. 

Under this Act, the Hon. N. P. Langford, one of the first to render the public 
familiar with its wonders, has been appointed Superintendent of the Park. 



COATS OF ARMS. 




UNITED STATES. 








MAINE 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 




A. V 



^ 



cy.^T^'t' -' 









f^i'f 



VERMONT. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 




RPIODE ISLAND. 



CONNECTICUT. 



COATS OF ARMS. 




NEAV YOEK. 



KEAV JERSEY. 




PENNSYL\ ANIA. 



DELAWARE, 




MARYLAND 



VIRGINIA. 




KOKTU CAROLINA. 



GEORGIA. 



COATS OF ARMS. 




SOUTH CAROLINA. 




ALABAMA. 



MISSISSIPPI. 




LOUISIANA. 



TEXAS. 




n'EST VIRGINIA. 



TENNESSEE. 



COATS OF AKMS. 




KENTUCKY. 



OHIO. 




INDIANA. 



ILLINOIS. 




WISCONSIN. 




MINNESOTA. 



IOWA. 



COATS OF AEMS. 




MISSOURI. 



ARKANSAS. 




KANSAS. 



CALIFORNIA. 




OREGON. 



COLORADO. 




UTAH. 




INDEPENDENCE HALL. 

"Where the Declaration was signed and the great Bell rung out 
the proclamation of Liberty. 



CAIlPENTEirs HALL. 
Where the first Continental Congress assembled. 




BIRTHPLACE OF LIBERTY. 

Building in which the Declaration of Independence was written. 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1211 

A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. ITS RESULTS. 

A CONTKAST. 

The 4th day of July, 1876, closes the first century of the distinct and separate 
existence of the United States of America as a free and independent nation. That 
which was an experiment one hundred years ago is now an accomplished fact, and has 
been worked out to its successful conclusion in the presence of, and under the close 
and not always friendly inspection of, the civilized world. It is fitting and useful, 
therefore, from the point we have reached to look back over the way we have come, 
to mark the course that has been pursued, and to ponder the lessons and warnings 
which our past history offers for our future guidance. 

The formation of the American Republic was an experiment in every sense of the 
word. There had been republics in the past, and they had failed to answer the ends 
for which they were devised. They liad been founded upon the principle of the rule 
of an hereditary aristocratic class, and had made little or no provision for the protec- 
tion of the rights and liberties of the great mass of the common people. Naturally 
tliey had perished. They had drifted into monarchy as the only refuge open to them 
from anarchy. Their failure was held by all Europe to teach the stern lesson that 
men were incapable of self-government, and that the "divine rule" of kings was essen- 
tial to the existence as well as the prosperity of a country. When, therefore, it became 
known in Europe that the people of America had set up a government republican in 
form, and democratic in principle, it was the universal conviction of thinking men 
that the new experiment was destined to a speedy and ignominious failure. 

Nor were the founders of the American Republic themselves free from anxiety. 
They were aware that the system they had set up differed in its most essential princi- 
ples from those that had failed in the old world ; that the equality of all men before 
the law, and the government of the people by themselves and not by a class, formed 
the basis of their system — a vital principle which had been lacking in the republics of 
Europe — but in spite of all this they were profoundly anxious, and viewed their work 
as an experiment which might fail, and which would certainly do so unless the people 
of the country should, by cultivating the virtues of citizenship, prepare themselves to 
deserve its perpetuation. 

Their hopes were well expressed by Washington in a letter to Lafiiyette, written 
upon the adjournment of the Convention which framed the Constitution— an instru- 
ment which, though framed eleven years after the assertion of independence and the 
establishment of republican government, embodied in one system the principle.>^ upon 
which the Republic was founded in the first instance. The anxiety which he shared 
with his compatriots manifests itself through all his hopefulness : " It appears to me," 
he writes, " little short of a miracle that the delegates from so many States, different 
from each other, as you know, in their manners, circumstances, and prejudices, should 
unite in forming a system of national government so little liable to well-founded 
objections. Nor am I such an enthusiastic, partial, or undiscriminating admirer of it 
as not to perceive it is tinctured with some real, though not radical, defects. With 
regard to the two great points— the pivots upon which the whole machine must move 
— mv creed is simply, First. That the General Government is not invested with more 
powers than are indispensably necessary to perform the functions of a good govern- 
ment ; and consequently that no objection ought to be made against the quantity of 
power delegated to it. 

" Secondlv. That these powers, as the appointment of all rulers will forever arise 



1212 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

from, and at short, stated intervals recur to, the free suffrages of the people, are so dis- 
tributed among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches into which the General 
Government is arranged, that it can never be in danger of degenerating into a 
monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any other despotic or oppressive form, so 
long as there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people. 

" It will at least be a recommendation to the proposed Constitution, that it is pro- 
vided with more checks and barriers against the introduction of tyranny, and those of 
a nature less liable to be surmounted, than any government liitherto instituted among 
mortals. 

" We are not to expect perfection in this world ; but mankind, in modern times, 
have apparently made some progress in the science of government. Should that 
which is now offered to the people of America be found on experiment less perfect 
than it can be made, a constitutional door is left open for its amelioration." 

Looking back now over the century which has elapsed since the great work was 
begun, we may fairly inquire whether the fears of the founders or the unfriendly asser- 
tions of Europe have been realized. 

The experiment was begun, it must be remembered, by a young and feeble country, 
already involved in a difficult and burdensome struggle with one of the first military 
and naval powers of Europe. It was an open question whether the effort for inde- 
pendence could succeed. The States had few interests in common besides their endan- 
gered liberties, and it was confidently predicted that they would never hang together, 
but would either separate in a few years and return to the protection of England, or 
that the republican system would give way to a great monarchy or a number of 
separate monarchies. In any event republicanism was doomed to run its usual course 
and end in failure. 

To the astonishment of Europe the Republic survived its early trials and conquered 
its independence ; but upon the return of peace it found itself face to face with numerous 
serious difficulties, many of which threatened to rend it into fragments. The predic- 
tions which had greeted the commencement of its existence seemed nearer their 
realization than ever, and it was confidently believed that the end was close at hand. 

Let us examine the prophecies of Europe for the future of the Republic, and see 
how far they have been fulfilled during the hundred years that have tested the 
stability and virtues of our institutions. 

L It was predicted that the Americans, as republicans, would be unstable, visionary, 
given to change ; that instead of striving after a possible system of government, and 
seeking to secure its permanence, they would exhaust their energies in attempting to 
set up wild and impracticable systems. 

II. It was predicted that the personal independence and the freedom of speech 
secured to every man would result in general insubordination ; that men would be led 
to think their own ideas supreme, and would thus be unwilling to submit to any 
defined standard, and that the body politic thus becoming unmanageable, the country 
would be so beset with insubordination and rebellion that it would welcome a mon- 
archy or even a despotism as the only escape from anarchy. 

III. It was predicted that the Republic, even if it escaped or survived these troubles, 
would be constantly involved in wars with other nations, and so prevented from 
enjoying the peace necessary to the development of its resources ; that foreign nations 
would take advantage of its weakness to wrest its territory from it whenever the oppor- 
tunity offered itself. 

IV. It was predicted that the Government, being republican in form, could not be 
made strong enough to offer adequate protection to industry ; that in the unhappy 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1213 

state of affairs which Avould ensue men would not seek to accumulate property which 
might be swept away from them by some disturbance, and the country would thus 
remain poor. 

Time, the great trier of all men's work, has tested the system founded by our 
lathers, and the results of the century have vindicated their wisdom and refuted the 
assertions of the unfriendly prophets of ruin, whose predictions we have recorded. 

The century has shown a wonderful increase in the extent, population, prosperity, 
and power of the Republic, and has witnessed no change in its form of government. 
It has shown that a republican form of government can develop both the resources 
and the power of a country. So far from being visionary, given to change, or to 
lollowing wild and impracticable fancies, the American people have devoted tliem- 
selves to the perfection and consolidation of the system with which they began tlieir 
national existence. The wise founders of that system, appreciating the future growth 
of the country, and believing that that growth would reveal defects in their work, 
placed it in the power of their children to remedy them by constitutional amendments. 
Thus during the century there have been changes made in the fundamental law of 
the land, modifying or enlarging the powers of the Government, securing the rights 
of the governed, and stating more clearly the principles of the Constitution ; but no 
radical or even trivial change has been made in the character of our system. It is 
still the same, except that it has been made more perfect. Believing that its princi- 
ples are eternal, the American people have cherished as their most precious possession 
the system of free republican government bequeathed to them by their fathers, and 
have always resented the slightest attempt to interfere with or change its principles. 

We have shown that republican institutions are strong enough to deal with the 
questions that have perplexed monarchical Europe, and to settle them on a safe and 
satisfactory basis. We have dispensed witii large standing armies, and yet we are 
strong at home and feared and respected abroad. The defence of the country is 
intrusted to the whole body of citizens, and we have shown that a citizen army and 
navy capable of contending with the strongest powers, and of waging one of the most 
formidable wars of history, can be raised at the moment of need. We have no class 
interests to array our people in hostile divisions. Each man is the equal before the 
law of all his fellow-citizens, and the highest places in the State are open to the 
humblest who by force of his own genius can rise to them. The welfore of the State 
is the direct concern of every citizen. We have shown that the education of the 
masses is the bulwark of popular liberty. We have separated Ciiurch and State, and 
permit neither to intrude upon the domain of the other, and we have sliown this to be 
to the advantage of both. We have given men the largest liberty in every relation of 
life, and have shown that this is perfectly compatible with a sound and vigorous 
political and social system. 

Nor has the large liberty of the people been found inconsistent with the firm exer- 
cise of a strong government. Men have become free in America, and have become 
settled in the opinion that their freedom rests upon a prompt and willing obedience 
to the law The happy arrangement of our confederated system, by which each State 
char-es itself with the administration of its own local affairs, leaving the care for the 
general welfare to the Federal Government, renders easy the direct and vigilant 
enforcement of the law. There is no dispute as to the powers of the State ami 1- ederal 
Governments. Each is submitted to cheerfully, and neither conflicts with the other. 

So far from having become visionary and unstable, the American people are known 
as the most thoroughly wedded to their system, and the most determined to maintain 
it, of anv nation upon the globe. They are not blindly wedded to it, nor do they think 



1214 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

it lias yet attained its highest development. They are prepared to accept any 
improvements which the future may show to be necessary ; and fortunately for them 
their fundamental law provides for the peaceful and ready accomplishment of this. 
But they believe that the principles of equality and of civil and religious freedom 
upon which their system is founded are eternal, and can never be lost by a virtuous 
people. 

The assertion that the personal independence and the freedom of speech secured to 
every citizen of the Eepublic would result in general insubordination ; that men would 
be led to tliink their own ideas supreme ; tiiat the minority would never submit to the 
majority, and that the body politic, being thus unmanageable, the country would be 
so given over to insubordination and rebellion that a monarchy would be indispensable 
;i3 the only refuge from anarchy — this assertion has likewise been refuted by the 
events of the century. Republican government has been found strong enough to per- 
petuate itself. There is no country in the world where a more willing obedience to 
the law is rendered by its citizens. In this country the obedience is voluntary, and 
we are saved the necessity of enforcing the law by means of vast standing armies and 
large police forces, such as those which eat up the strength of European countries. 
The minority have been found to yield cheerfully to the majority, as is witnessed 
every four years in the choice of the Chief Magistrate of the nation, and in the more 
frequent elections of the officers of the Federal, State, and municipal governments. 
Parties the most antagonistic in political beliefs — yet agreeing on the great questions 
of free governnint— yield their places and power to their successful opponents with 
promptness and without for a moment entertaining a thought of seeking to retain them 
by force ; trusting for their restoration to power only to the free expression of the will 
of the people at the polls. During the whole century we have had but one rebellion, 
and but five or six riots of importance. Even the rebellion was not an effort to break 
up the system of government, but merely an attempt on the part of certain States to 
withdraw from the Union. They gave the highest testimony in their power to the 
excellence of the sijstem by seeking to perpetuate it in a new confederacy. As for the 
system, its proudest triumph has been won in the successful reconstruction of the 
Union. But ten years have elapsed since the close of our civil war, and yet the con- 
quered States are again members of the Eepublic, in full fellowship with their trium- 
phant sisters ; enjoying every right guaranteed by the Constitution, and in the full 
exercise of free republican government. The supremacy of the Constitution has been 
maintained, a great war has been waged, and the result has been to enlarge the 
liberties of the nation and to ground them more solidly in the hearts of the people. 
There have been no attainders for treason, no executions or confiscations. The victors 
have treated the vanquished as brothers, and the vanquished, on their part, have 
reassumed their places within the Union, frankly accepting the results of the war, and 
firmly resolved to maintain the system which has been so fairly and terribly tested. 
He who would undertake to propose a monarchy on the American continent to-day 
would be regarded as an idiot. 

It was predicted that the Republic, even if it escaped or survived the intestine 
troubles prophesied for it, would be constantly involved in wars with other countries, 
and so prevented from enjoying the peace necessary to the development of its 
resources ; that foreign nations would take advantage of its weakness to wre.st its terri- 
tory from it whenever the opportunity offered itself. 

Our history during the century has shown that we are not an aggressive people. 
We went to war with Great Britain for the preservation of our liberties and the estab- 
lishment of our independence. The struggle lasted eight years. It was followed, after 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1215 

an interval of fifteen years of peace, by hostilities with France, into which the 
Republic was dragged by the efforts of the French Government to destroy our com- 
merce. The outrages of the Barbary States of Africa drew us into war, in 1803, with 
Tripoli and Algiers. It was a naval warfare only, and was maintained with credit, 
3000 miles from home, for nearly five years. Seven years more of peace followed. 
In 1812 the Republic was forced to take up arms to defend its commerce and sailors 
against its old enemy, Great Britain. Peace was made at the close of 1814. The next 
year the Republic compelled the African pirates to respect its commerce, and so 
rendered a service to mankind. Thirty -one years of peace followed. TJien came the 
war with Mexico, lasting about two years. Tliis was our last foreign war. In neither 
of those we have mentioned was the Republic the aggressor. It took up the sword 
simply to defend its rights, which had been assailed, and laid it down an soon as pro- 
tection for those rights had been secured. Including the War of Independence, but 
twenty years of the whole century have been passed by this country in foreign wars, 
and between each of the more important of these wars there has been a long interval 
of peace. 

The country has found ample time for the development of its resources, as its condi- 
tion to-day proves. Our energies have been turned in the direction of peace, and we 
liave found time to settle our quarrels with other nations without sacrificing our 
liome interests. 

The prediction that our weakness would expose us to the attacks of foreign powers 
has never been fulfilled. We have never been weak enough for this since the declar- 
ation of our independence. We successfully resisted Great Britain in the Revolution, 
compelled France and the Barbary powers to respect our commerce, and wrung from 
Great Britain, in our second struggle with her, the protection we claimed for our 
seamen and commerce. Thus, while the Republic was still weak and struggling with 
its early difficulties, it proved itself too strong to be assailed by any foreign power. 
Since the close of tlie second war with England it has occupied a position of such 
growing strength and prosperity that, so far from seeking to molest it, foreign powers 
have sought its friendship, and have cordially recognized its importance in tlie political 
system of the world. To-day it takes rank with the great powers of the world. It is 
regarded by European nations as a valuable friend or a dangerous foe. 

From the date of its formation the Republic has never lost a foot of its territory by 
conquest or by sale. On the contrary, the Republic has grown steadily in territorial 
extent by purcliase, cession, and conquest. In 1775 the area of tlie United Colonies 
was about 1,000,000 of square miles, embracing only a narrow strip of coimtry along 
the Atlantic from Canada to Florida. It has grown by successive additions until its 
total area is now nearlv 4,000,000 square miles. Its eastern and western boundaries 
are the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and it stretches from the forty-ninth almost to 
the twentv-fiftli parallel of north latitude. In 1776 tlie population of tlie Republic 
was about 3,000,000. In 1870 it was 38,547,229, and in 1870 it is believed by Professor 
E B Elliott, of AVashington City, will be 45,027,000. 

Looking back over the centurv we cannot help smiling at the la-st prediction we 
have related liere— tliat the Government, being rppublican in form, could not be made 
strong enough to offer adequate protection to industry; that in the unhappy state of 
affairs which would ensue men would not seek to accumulate property. We cannot 
better show the failure of tliis prophecy than by contrasting the condition of the 
country a centurv ago with its condition to-day. , , ^ , ,. 

In 1776 but a few wretched roads connected the distant parts of the Republic, ^ow 
all parts are brought into close and intimate relations with each other by lines of 
73 



1216 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

railway and canals. Splendid steamers navigate our bays, lakes, and rivers, and the 
feeble and precarious trade of colonial days has expanded into a mighty and growing 
system of commerce which has made America one of the first commercial nations on 
the globe. In 1874 there were about 64,000 miles of railway in operation in the 
United States. The telegraph was unknown at the commencement of our national 
existence. There are now about 60,000 miles of wire in operation in this country. 

In 1776 the manufactures of the country were few and limited to articles of prime 
necessity. In 1870 there were 252,148 manufacturing establishments in the United 
States, employing a capital of $2,118,208,769, and producing manufactured articles to 
the value of $4,232,325,442 annually. 

In 1790 the tonnage of the United States engaged in foreign trade was only a little 
over half a million. In 1860 it exceeded six millions. It decreased during the civil 
war in consequence of the depredations of the Anglo-Confederate cruisers, but it is 
now rapidly reviving, and ranks next to that of Great Britain. In 1875 the total 
value of goods imported into the United States from foreign countries was $533,005,436. 
The total value of exports for the same year was $513,442,711. 

In 1790 the cultivation of cotton was in its infancy. In 1860 the crop amounted to 
5,198,077 bales, and in 1870 to 3,011,996 bales. 

Besides the larger crops, the value of orchard and market garden products in 1870 
was $68,054,418. In the same year the value of home-made articles was $23,433,332 ; 
the value of slaughtered animals $398,956,376. The cash value of farms was 
$9,262,803,861 ; the value of farming implements and machinery $336,878,429. 

The inventive genius of the country has supplied every demand which its rapid 
development has created. To Americans the world owes the application of steam to 
navigation, the invention of the electric telegraph, the sewing machine, the cotton gin, 
the reaping machine, and the great improvements in the steam engine and the printing 
press. " The States were behind us," says Mr. Charles Reade. " They soon advanced 

upon us and caught us, and now they head us far Europe teems with the 

material products of American genius In a word, America is the leading 

nation in all matters of material invention and construction, and no other nation rivals 
nor approaches her." 

No man feels that he is accumulating wealth here at the risk of losing it by civil 
disturbances. Property is held here by as secure a tenure as in any country in 
Europe. So far from being timid in the pursuit of wealth, Americans are noted for 
the boldness and magnitude of their financial operations. They have the reputation 
of caring quite as much for money as the most ardent monarchist, and of having more 
money than any other nation. 

Tiiere can be no question that wealth is more generally distributed in the United 
States than in European countries. We have few colossal fortunes, though in that 
respect we have some men who could rival the " money kings" of the old world ; but 
our people, as a whole and as individuals, are more comfortable, are better oflT, and 
live better and dress better than those of European countries. This is especially true 
of the M'orking class. As a rule our people live in separate houses, and these are 
generally the property of their occupants. Even among tlie working class the number 
of persons owning their dwellings is greater than in European States. 

Not only are the American people as a general rule better off in purse than Euro- 
peans, they are cleaner and neater in their persons, homes, and habits. This 
comparison of course does not apply to persons in the better walks of life, for that 
class in all countries is careful as to its mode of life. The mass of the people in the 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1217 

Eepublic are better dressed, cleaner in their homps and personal habits, bathe oftener, 
and are possessed of more refinement than the same class of people in Europe. 

Fortunately for the Republic it has as yet no pauper class to be supported out of the 
earnings of the industrious population. The pauper class, as it exists among us, is 
small and may be divided into two portions — those receiving assistance in established 
institutions, and those leading a vagrant life, supporting themselves by begging. It is 
not possible to obtain any estimate of the latter, but it is generally admitted that it is 
made up chiefly of foreigners. In 1870 the total native population of the Union was 
32,991,142 ; the total foreign population 5,567,229. In the same year the number of 
persons receiving assistance in public institutions was 76,737. Of these 53,939 were 
natives ; 22,798 foreigners. The foreign population is between one-seventh and one- 
eighth of the whole number of our people. It furnished over one-fourth of the paupers 
in 1870. The ratio was about one pauper to every 610 native inhabitants, and about 
one pauper to every 245 foreigners. 

So too with crime. It is a well-known fact that our prisons are filled chiefly with 
foreign criminals. The graver offences are confined almost entirely to this class. In 
1870 the ratio of persons in prison was one prisoner to every 1365 native inhabitants, 
and one prisoner to every 623 foreigners. 

But it is not only in material wealth that our country has improved in such a 
marked degree. In the higher departments of intellectual progress its development 
has kept pace with its growth in riches. 

In 1800 there were but 200 newspapers published in the United States. In 1870 
the number of newspapers and periodicals was 5871 ; their aggregate circulation 
20,842,475 copies ; and the number annually printed 1,508,548,250. 

At the opening of the century there were few libraries in this country, and these 
were chiefly in the hands of private individuals. In 1870 there were in the United 
States 164,815 public and private libraries, containing 45,528,938 volumes. 

In 1790 there were not more than a dozen colleges in the Union, and the common 
schools were confined to the New England States. In 1870, according to the ninth 
census there were 2454 colleges and professional and scientific schools in the United 
States,' with an attendance of 255,190 pupils. The private schools in the same year 
numbered 14,025, with 726,688 pupils; and the free public schools 125,059, with an 
attendance of 6,228,060 pupils. The total income of all these establishments during 
that year was $95,402,726. In the same year there were but 748,970 white males, and 
1,145,718 white females of twenty-one years and over among the inhabitants of the 
United States who could not write. The total number of persons of ten years and 
over who could not read was 4,528,084. 

Our people are just as moral as those of any other land. We have more churches 
than anv country in Europe, and our people take more interest in religion than any 
other bur benevolent institutions compare favorably with those of any European 
countrv, and are as well supported. Foreigners have often given us the credit of 
being the only religious nation in the world ; yet we have no State church or estab- 
lished religion, and no laws compelling confo;-mity to religious customs. 

In fine it mav be said that the condition of our country at the close of its first 
centurv of existence shows that a republic is as well adapted to the ta.sk of developing 
and braiding up the prosperity, power, and morality of a country as a nionarchy ; 
and comparing our rate of growth with that of the old wor d, we are justified in 
believing that a republic is the best system for the accomplishment of such a task. 
There is not an instance in history of such a wonderful growth as ours in the short 
space of a century. 



1218 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

Having thus stated the results of our first century as concerns ourselves alone, let us 
glance at the course of events in the old world, and contrast the history of European 
nations during this period with our own. Such a task will be both interesting and 
profitable, and will convey many useful lessons which we will do well to ponder. 

We have shown that during the century we have had, apart from the Revolution, 
but two foreign wars of importance — the brief contests with France and Algiers being 
mere episodes in our history. But even including these, the whole period of foreign 
war has been but twenty years. The two important contests — the second war with 
England and the Mexican war — covered a period of but six years. Our first century 
has been a period of almost unbroken peace — the longest period of protracted peace 
known in all history. 

Prior to the commencement of our century the history of Europe is a record of 
almost constant war. During the period we are considering we have enjoyed a greater 
degree of peace than any of the nations of Europe. During this period England has 
liad eight foreign wars (besides her Indian, Persian, and Chinese wars), covering a 
period of twenty-eight years. These were: 1. The war with France on account of the 
aid rendered to the Americans by that power, which lasted from 1778 to 1783. 2. A 
war with Spain, extending from 1780 to 1783. 3. A war with Holland at the same 
time. 4. A war with France growing out of the French Revolution, and lasting from 
1793 to 1802. 5. A war with the Confederation of the North in 1801. G. The war 
against Napoleon I., extending from 1803 to 1815. 7. The war with the United 
States, from 1812 to 1815. 8. The Crimean war with Russia, from 1854 to 1856. 
Besides these European conflicts, England has had nine wars in India, two with 
China, one with Persia, and one with Abyssinia. 

France has spent forty years out of the century in foreign wars. These conflicts 
were : 1. A war with England in 1778, growing out of the alliance with the United 
States, and lasting until 1783. 2. The wars of the Revolution and of Napoleon, com- 
mencing in 1792 and lasting until 1815. Some of these wars were aggressive on the 
part of France. In 1793 she made war upon England ; in 1812 against Russia; and in 
1813 against Austria, Russia, and Prussia. 3. The Crimean war against Russia 
— fought in alliance with England, Turkey, and Sardinia — from 1854 to 1856. 4. The 
war against Austria, in behalf of Sardinia, in 1859. 5. The Mexican war, from 1862 
to 1864. 6. The war with Germany, in 1870. 

Prussia — one of the strongest of monarchies — cannot compare with us in our record 
of peace, although its boast is that its policy is peaceful. In 1792 she made war upon 
France for the purpose of undoing the work of the Revolution. Peace was made in 
1795. In 1806 Prussia again made war upon France, and continued it with but a 
slight interval of peace until 1815. In 1848 she made Avar upon Denmark, in aid of 
the Duchies, continuing the struggle until 1850. In December, 1863, she again 
assailed Denmark in the Schleswig-IIolstein war, wliifh continued until November, 
1864. In 1866 occurred the "seven weeks' war" with Austria, and in 1870 the war 
with France. 

Russia has been almost constantly at war during the century. In 1793 she had war 
with Poland, growing out of the partition of that country, and lasting several years. 
The war for the conquest of the Crimea, Vt^hich began in 1769, was continued until 
1784. In 1796 there was war between Russia and Persia, and in 1798 Russia joined 
the alliance of England and Austria against revolutionary France. In 1805 she joined 
the coalition against Napoleon. Peace was made with France in 1807. In 1809 she 
declared war with Turkey; and in 1812 war again broke out between Russia and 
France. In 1826 war was begun with Persia, and was continued until 1828. In 1828 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1219 

another war "began with Turkey. In 1840 a new war broke out with Persia. In 1849 
Russia took part in the Hungarian war in support o*" Austria. In 1853 Russia began 
tiie war with Turkey, which resulted, in 1854, in the Crimean war. In 1S72 war was 
declared against Khiva. 

Austria is perhaps the most peaceful of the nations of continental Europe, and has 
not infrequently submitted to dishonor and loss of territory in order to indulge her 
love of peace. Yet even Austria cannot compare with us in the enjoyment of peace 
during the century. In 1777 she made war upon Bavaria. Peace was made in 1779. 
In 1788 she engaged in a war with the Turks, whicli lasted until 1780. In 1792 
Austria joined the coalition against the French Republic, and from this time until the 
downfall of Napoleon, in 1815, was almost constantly engaged in war with France. 
In 1848 she was engaged in the fierce struggle with Hungary, which was decided only 
by the intervention of Russia. In the same year war broke out between Austria and 
Sardinia. In 1859 there was war between Austria, France, and Sardinia. In 1864 
she engaged with Prussia against Denmark, in the Schleswig-Holstein war ; and in 
1866 fought Prussia in the " seven weeks' war," which resulted in her expulsion from 
Germany. 

Neither Spain nor Italy can compare with us in immunity from foreign war. The 
former has had twice as many wars as the American Republic, and the latter has been 
drawn into every European struggle of importance during the period we are con- 
sidering. 

The history of the century shows, then, that the only important nation of the civil- 
ized world that has been comparatively free from foreign war, and has remained at 
peace with its neighbors, is the United States of America. Monarchical governnieni 
has not saved Europe from almost constant war, while republican institutions have 
preserved for this country an almost unbroken peace with all the world. It would 
seem a fair inference, then, that a free republican government is more calculated lo 
keep peace with other nations than a monarciiy. 

As our /country has been freer from foreign war during the century, so also has it 
been safer from defeat. In all our foreign wars we have been success^iul. England 
has been defeated several times— in the American Revolution and in the first war of 
the French Revolution. France was defeated and crushed at the end of Napoleon's 
wars, and again in the war with Germany, in 1870-71. Prussia was beaten in the 
first war of the French Revolution, and again by Napoleon in 1806. Russia was 
defeated in ^he Crimean war. Austria was conquered in her wars with Napoleon ; in 
the Italian war of 1859, and in the war with Prussia in 1866. Italy was repeatedly 
conquered during the wars of the French Revolution and of Napoleon, and in 1866 
was beaten by Austria and saved onlv by Prussia. Spain was defeated in her war 
with En-land in 1796, and was conquered by Napoleon in 1808-09. Thus it would 
seem that a republic is as well fitted as a monarchy to conduct successful foreign wars, 
and to preserve the inlegritv of its territory. We have not lost a foot of groinul by 
foreign war, but on the contrary have gained a vast extent of country by it. There is 
not a European power that has not been compelled to part with some of its possessions 
during the past centurv as the price of peace. The only civilized power that has 
never experienced this humiliation is the American Republic, which, it was predicted 
at the opening of the century, would be torn to pieces by the stronger nations of 

W^have had lint one civil war or rebellion during the century. It was predicted 
at the outset that we would be constantly exposed to such struggles, and that our 
Government would not possess sufiicient strength to quell them and preserve domestic 



1220 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

peace by force. Our civil war lasted four years, and was one of the most formidable 
known to history. It was conducted, however, with less brutality, less violence and 
pillage than any internecine struggle the world has sver known. Our Government 
was found amply sufficient to maintain its authority, to conquer the most formidable 
revolt ever known, and yet to remain true to its constitutional obligations, and to 
respect the rights and liberties of its people. Nay, more, as we have said elsewhere, 
it was strong enough also to treat the conquered people as citizens of a free country, 
and to restore them to the enjoyment of their citizenship within a few years after the 
return of peace. 

England has had her Irish rebellion of 1798, and her Sepoy revolt of 1857. 

France was plunged into civil war almost immediately upon the breaking out of the 
Revolution in 1789, and in 1793 the terrible struggle in La Vendee began. She has 
had since then the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848; the Coup d'Etat and civil war of 
1851 ; and the rebellion of the Commune in 1871. 

Nor has Prussia, with all her strength and admirable administration, been free 
from civil war. The liberal rebellion of 1848 was a short but severe struggle, and 
extended over all Germany. The war of 1866 was in many respects a civil war as 
regards the Prussian territory of to-day. 

Russia had just quelled the great rebellion of the Cossacks, and was engaged in 
suppressing a similar revolt in the Crimea at the opening of our century. In 1795 the 
tirst revolt of the Poles took place, and required a bloody struggle to suppress it. In 
1830 Poland again revolted and was crushed with merciless severity. In 1861 a new 
insurrection broke out in Poland and continued until the next year. In 1840, and 
again in 1872, there were severe outbreaks in the Russian dominions in Asia. 

Austria has suffered severely from the same cause. In 1797 a revolt in Lombardy 
cost her that province. In 1848 there were outbreaks in Milan, Venice, and her other 
Italian possessions. In the same year a formidable outbreak at Vienna compelled 
the emperor to fly from his capital. In 1848 Plungary rose in revolt, and the insur- 
rection was quelled only by the intervention of Russia, who feared the disturbance 
would extend to her own dominions. 

Spain has been almost constantly engaged in civil war. In 1808 there was the 
outbreak in the Asturias. In 1820 the Revolution began in January, and lasted until 
the middle of the year 1823. In 1834 the first Carlist war began, lasting imtil 1839. 
In 1841 an uprising was made by the friends of Queen Christina against the Regent 
Espartero. He crushed it, but a new outbreak began at Barcelona the next year, only 
to be quelled. In 1843 a general uprising took place throughout the kingdom, result- 
ing in the banishment of Espartero. In 1851 Cuba rebelled against Spain. In 1854 
Espartero, by a successful military insurrection, made himself prime minister. In 
1856 there was a new insurrection at Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, and Saragossa. In 
1866 an insurrection under General Prim took place. In 1868 Prim and Serrano led 
another revolution which overthrew the monarchy, drove the queen from the country, 
and resulted in the formation of a provisional government under Prim. In 1SG9 
there was an outbreak of the Carlists and Republicans against the provisional govern- 
ment. In 1873, Amadeus having resigned tlic Spanish crown, a revolt ensued, which 
resulted in the establishment of the Republic. Another revolt overthrew this govern- 
ment in 1874 and restored the monarchy. In 1872 the Carlist war began in the 
northern provinces, and at the close of 1875 is still going on, without any immediate 
prospect of peace. 

Italy has been the home of revolution and civil war during our century. The wars 
which, followed the French Revolution were largely civil. In 1820 there was civil 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1221 

war in the kingdom of Naples, followed by an insurrection th'j next year in the 
kingdom of Sardinia. In 1831 there was an outbreak in central Italy. In 1848 
almost the whole of Italy was engaged in civil war. In 1859, upon the commence- 
ment of the final efforts for Italian freedom and unity, civil war again began and 
continued for several years until the kingdom of Italy was formed, and included in its 
limits all Italy. 

From this survey it will appear that a free republic is less inclined to civil war and 
rebellion than a monarchy, is equally capable of dealing with and settling sucli 
troubles when they do come, and is able to settle them upon better and more patriotic 
terms than a monarchy. 

With regard to minor insurrections and riots, our country has been singularly free 
from such disturbances. We have had but seven worth mentioning in all our history. 
These were : 1. Tlie whiskey rebellion. 2. Shays' rebellion. 3. The Kansas troubles. 
4. The Mormon insurrection. 5. The John Brown raid. 6. The draft riots in New 
York in 1863. 7. The Orange riot in New York in 1871. 

Eiots and local insurrections are of common occurrence in Europe, and European 
governments are obliged to keep strong forces of military and police in readiness for 
instant service in suppressing them. England suffers greatly from the periodical 
disturbances in her mining districts. In Ireland riots between the Orangemen and 
the Koman Catholics, or between the Fenians and the royal police, are well known. 
France suffers from the same cause, lier riots being largely due to political causes, and 
being of a very desperate and brutal character. Prussia has had a large number of 
riots during the century, many of them arising from socialistic causes, or being due to 
the high price of bread or beer. In Russia political and religious causes have pro- 
duced a number of riots and local insurrections, some of which have been quite 
formidable. We might extend these remarks to Austria, Italy, and Spain, and to the 
little kingdom of Belgium, which has given some very marked specimens of disturb- 
ance of this kind since its foundation, less than half a century ago. 

From -what we have shown it seems clear that a free republic is less liable to insur- 
rections and riots than a monarchy. The reason is evident. The discontent which 
l)revails among the less favored classes of Europe does not exist here, where all men 
are secured equality before the law, and full protection of their liberties and privileges, 
and where each one may rise to the highest point of wealth or distinction to which his 
individual genius will carry him. 

During the century we are considering our Government has stood unchanged. As 
we have stated elsewhere, the secession of the Southern States in 1860-61 was not an 
effort to destroy the Government, but merely an attempt on the part of those States to 
withdraw from the Union. The Government of the Union was not even attacked by 
any one. We have had no revolution nor attempt at revolution since the formation 
of our Government. 

Since our century began there have been many changes in monarchical Europe. 
England and Russia alone have avoided an overthrow of government. France has 
had ten revolutions, Prussia one, Austria one, Spain fifteen, and Italy five. 

Although England has had no violent revolution, the Government luis been com- 
pelled by its opponents to make great and important changes. In 1801 the British 
Empire was formally reconstructed. Ireland was included in it, and the title of the 
State was changed to the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland." The 
Kin- of England dropped his title of King of France at the same time. A series of 
refor^m measures has been steadily forced upon the Government during the past fifty 
years, which have made England a better, Jiappier, and freer country. Still, while 



1222 OUR COUNTRY AND ITS RESOURCES. 

there have been these changes, it must be admitted that England has not experienced 

a revolution in the fullest sense of the word. England and Kussia, therefore, are the 
only Governments of Europe which can compare with that of the United States in 
stability. 

The Government of Prussia was forcibly overthrown by the insurgents in 1848, and 
the king was obliged to accept a new Constitution at their dictation. 

In 1848, also, the Kings of Bavaria and Greece were compelled by the insurgents to 
abdicate their thrones. 

In Austria there have been several changes. In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire 
came to an end, and Francis II. formally resigned the imperial crown. Upon the 
ruins of this ancient establishment was erected the Hereditary Empire of Austria. In 
1848 the Emperor Ferdinand I. Avas driven from his capital, and was finally obliged 
to abdicate his throne in favor of his nephew, the present Emperor Francis Joseph, 
who came to the throne with a new Constitution and new dynastic jjrinciples. By the 
treaty of Prague, in 1866, Austria was forever excluded from Germany, and this 
change was soon followed by another, in 1867, by which the entire Austrian Empire 
was remodelled. A new and liberal Constitution was adopted ; Hungary was made an 
independent kingdom, with the Austrian Emperor as king. In 1870 the ofiicial title 
of the State was changed to " The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy." 

In France the era of change began with the great Revolution of 1789. In 1792 the 
Republic was established. In 1795 the Directory and Council of Five Hundred were 
overthrown and the Consulate established. In 1804 the Empire was established upon 
the ruins of the Consulate. In 1814 the Kingdom of the Bourbons was restored. In 
1815 the Empire was re-established. In the same year the Kingdom was again set up 
after Waterloo. In 1830 the Liberal Monarchy was established under Louis Philippe. 
It was overthrown in 1848 ^nd succeeded by the Republic. In 1851 this was over- 
thrown by Louis Napoleon, and in 1853 the Second Empire was established. In 1870 
the Empire was overthrown and the Republic set up. 

If we turn to Spain the record of revolution and change is bewildering. In 1808 
Charles IV. abdicated in favor of his son Ferdinand, Avho was overthrown by Napoleon, 
who in the same year made his brother Joseph King of Spain. Before the close of 
the year Joseph was driven from Madrid and was restored by the French arm\'. In 
1814 the Government of Joseph was overturned and Ferdinand was restored to his 
throne. In 1820 a successful revolution compelled the king to accept a new Constitu- 
tion, and placed a new Cortes in power. In 1823, by the aid of the Holy Alliance, 
constitutional government was overturned in Spain and despotism was re-established. 
In 1833, at the death of Ferdinand, the Infanta Isabella was placed on the throne. 
In 1840 the Queen Regent abdicated and left Spain, Espartero becoming Regent. In 
1843 Espartero was driven from Spain, and the young queen, Isabella, was declared 
of age. In 1854, by a new revolution, Espartero made himself Prime Minister and 
actual ruler of Spain. In 1856 he was forced to resign. In the same year the dis- 
turbances were so great that dictatorial powers were conferred upon Marshal 
O'Donnell, the Prime Minister. He was compelled to resign, and Narvaez succeeded 
him as Prime Minister. In 1868 a successful revolution drove Queen Isabella out of 
Spain, and placed Prim and Serrano at the head of affiiirs. In 1870 Amadeus of 
Savoy became king, but resigned a year or two later. In 1873 the Republic was estab- 
lished. In 1874 it was overthrown and the monarchy restored under the present king, 
Alfonso XII. 

Italy, besides her minor revolutions, has experienced several great changes in her 
form of government. The wars which grew out of the French Revolution changed 



A CENTURY OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 1223 

the entire political system of Italy, and in place of the old Germanic Italian Empire 
estabhshed a senes of republics, which, in 1802, were consolidated into the iXn 
K pubhc wuh Napoleon Bonaparte as President. In 1805 the Republic was ch ng d 
into the Kingdom of Italy. In 1814 the Austrian rule was restored. In miZ 
Sjof My '"'' ''''^"'^'^ ""'^'^ ^"'^'^ Emmanuel, and has rapidly absorbed 

It appears, then, that a free republic is as apt to avoid revolutions and changes of 
government as a monarchy. "The map of Europe has been all changed over and 
over again, and European history, instead of being fixed like the mountains, is 
changeable like the sea. While, therefore, our Republic has stood like a house 
founded upon a rock, without being so much as shaken by the storms of surrounding 
wars and revolutions, the European monarchies have yielded to every popular wave 
and been often swept away by the slightest gusts." ' 

If it is said that our comparison is unfair, inasmuch as the European monarchies 
are single States and our own a confederation, we answer that our own confederacy 
has remained unshaken while Europe has witnessed the downfall of several of her 
own of a monarchical character. The German Empire or Confederation has been 
overthrown four times. The Confederacy of Italian States has been broken up four 
times. The Austrian Empire has been overturned three times. The little Republic 
of Switzerland is the only European confederacy that can, during the p;ist century, in 
the least degree compare with our own in stability. 

During the century we are considering our Republic has not lost a foot of its terri- 
tory, but has steadily increased in its territorial area. There is scarcely an important 
power in Europe but has met with some loss of this kind, either in actual territory or 
authority over it. England opened the century with the loss of her American 
colonies. France has lost Hayti and her provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, and has 
parted with her vast American territory of Louisiana. Prussia has lost all control 
over Denmark and over Bohemia. Italy has lost Savoy and Nice. Austria has lost 
her Italian possessions, and has been driven out of Germany. Spain has lost Mexico 
and her South American colonies. 

Comparing our acquisitions with the losses of Europe, we are justified in the con- 
clusion that a free republic is better qualified to retain and enlarge its territory than a 
monarchy. 

It would seem, then, that in all the essentials of a free, firm Government, in its 
capacity for conducting its affairs upon a safe and solid basis, in its freedom from 
violence and change, in its ability to secure protection and happiness to its citizens, 
and to preserve their freedom and advance their interests in those relations of life over 
which the legitimate powers of government extend, our free Republic is in all things 
the equal of any monarchical system of Europe, and in many the superior. Such, 
then, is one great lesson of the century. Our whole history and that of other lands 
urge us to cherish our free republican system as our most precious possession, as the 
basis and prime cause of our greatness and prosperity as a people ; and to frown indig- 
nantly upon the first dawning of an attempt to inaugurate changes in its vital princi- 
ples. Let us keep it pure and undefiled as it cam© down to us from our fathers, and 
so transmit it to our children. 





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